The Duo cafe and bar in Flushing, Queens, New York City. All images courtesy of Design Next Agency.
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Design Details: The Duo
- Project: The Duo (Instagram)
- Location: Queens, New York City
- Size (interior): 1,070 square feet
- Opened: November 2024
- Design/Architecture: Design Next Agency
- Lead Designer: Tenzin Samphel
- Photographs: Design Next Agency
A day-to-night cafe and bar on Main Street in Queens, New York, called The Duo features a dramatic floating, twisting glass sculpture that captivates guests and reflects light differently throughout the day.
Spanning just over 1,070 square feet, the cafe in Flushing has 30-foot ceilings. The New York-based hospitality design-build firm Design Next Agency originally proposed an upper level for additional seating, yet when the landlord declined, the designers looked upward to a canvas.
“We wanted a centerpiece that truly embodies ‘The Duo,’” Design Next Agency Co-Founder Tenzin Samphel said in a project description shared with DCN. “The dragon isn’t just decorative — it’s a dynamic light source that shifts with the time of day, setting the tone for a seamless transition from cafe to bar.”
The glass dragon installation includes color-changing LED lights, with each glass segment weighing over 80 pounds. It is suspended with reinforced steel wire, while a gridded floor guide helped align each piece with precision. The installation’s tubular LED lights adjust in color and intensity, blending subtly by day and becoming a vibrant focal point by night, according to the firm.
Additional design features include a dual bar design for quick conversions. The interior blends stainless steel, brown leather, gray boucle and light oak wood for a contemporary yet inviting feel. Mirrored panels play a key role, enhancing the sense of space and reflecting the changing light throughout the day, adding depth and energy to the ambiance. Matte black accents were added to provide contrast, emphasizing the venue’s adaptable day-to-night transformation.
“Lighting is a core component of the design, with adjustable settings that transition from warm, welcoming tones during the day to vibrant, energetic hues at night, enabling the venue to shift effortlessly between its dual roles,” Design Next Agency stated.
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