The existing building, a former mechanic's garage, is an existing 75’ x 50’ brick structure with 20’ tall ceilings and storefront glazing facing Wythe Avenue. The bar area had to feel intimate on a slow night with only 30-40 people but feel connected to the rear event space when the venue is filled to capacity with 150 people. The design also had to have a strong visual impact when seen from the street. Additionally, the bar and event space needed to be adaptable to a variety of uses including art gallery shows, movie screenings, DJ dance parties, musical performances and large dinner parties.

The service areas (bathrooms, kitchen, refrigeration room, storage) were arranged in a linear bar along the North side of the building. In the middle of the main space three set pieces were inserted; two “geo-shells” and the bar canopy. The geo-shells are geodesic inspired sections of a dome and are clad in Douglas-fir and Western red cedar to materially reference the Pacific North West. The retail space utilizes the glass store front system for display and has a designated street entrance. One enters the bar/event space through an intentionally dark entry hall which is angled at the end to only reveal the interior space of the “dome at the end of the hallway.

Upon entering, the bar structure is the visual focal point and a foil to the geo-shells. The bar structure’s trusses support the liquor bottles and the canopy which spatially defines the bar area. Both geo-shells while slightly different in scale and radius create semi enclosed spaces with intimate seating areas differentiated by changes in elevation; one seating array is slightly raised while another is recessed into the floor referencing George Nelson era “conversation pits” . The feeling of closeness inside the dome is regulated further by lighting control.

The geo-shell in the rear of the space is carefully perforated to connect to the rear event space which contains a small stage, DJ booth and gallery lighting. Removable panels were designed to infill the openings in the shell and modulate the level of connection between the two spaces.