The arrestingly chic design of 300-seat beyond is a marriage of the imagination of the Lorrie Lisogar, Owner, Sergio Cocchia, Executive Manager and the inspired “au courant” magic of Doris Hager of Hager Design & Associates.

beyond is tactile; it is textures, moods and tones grouped as intimate gathering places. It is layers of colour and contrast. It is multi-leveled, with each area and tier having its own distinct persona. beyond is not so much one room as it is a design ecosystem with each area in the restaurant and lounge having a unique ambience, yet each in cohesive harmony with the whole. It is the perfect balance of masculine and feminine, yin and yang.

Commanding center stage in one of the lower dining areas is a circular wall of delicately laced minute red glass beads that creates a wall that shimmers and refracts light. Here, one could hold court in the long gently curving banquette. Overhead, a raw silk Aquos creation from New York casts pools of light over the sumptuous setting, while flooring of linear strips of American walnut parquet add depth and dimension.

Throughout, illuminated textured glass panels innovatively add sparkle and act as intimate partitions. On the upper level of the restaurant, two separate dining areas create two distinct feels. In one area, guests are cupped in confidential tête-à-têtes in sleek horseshoe or straight back banquettes, with additional seating provided in soft cream leather arms chairs. Mood lightening is cast throughout by patterned cloth lamps reflecting warm light off walls of regional slate.

The kitchen hides nothing from its guests with only a wall of see-through glass keeping patrons from chef and his team. The open-viewing concept allows diners to follow the drama of a busy kitchen in high gear. A chef’s table is tucked into a wing of the dining room allowing guests the experience of “front and center” interactive dining.

Lightening consultant, Ms. Galina Zbrizher of Total Lighting Solutions, is an atmospheric strategist. Her choice of lightening has woven a world of light and dark, drama and intrigue throughout the restaurant and lounge. Custom made lamps by local designer Ian Marsh hang throughout the room showcasing art from Vancouverites Carmelo Sortino and Julie Ferguson.

The audio visual system throughout is state-of-the-art. No expense has been spared in creating an environment of sight and sound that matches mood or event.

beyond is new for Vancouver. It invites discussion. It transcends before. It goes beyond. It is the next stage in Vancouver’s evolution as a dining and entertainment Mecca on the West Coast. It is beyond expectation. It is the great beyond.