Barcelona
Barcelona Wine Bar was a 1500 sqft Restaurant and Bar located in South Norwalk, CT. Offering Mediterranean cuisine served in small Tapas portions. The owner's desire was to create a place that was "just beyond ordinary...a vessel for journeying into a celebration of the night". The restaurant is situated on the Northern edge of SoNo redevelopment, directly across the street from an eight-plex cinema. The image as seen from the theater lobby needed to be strong enough to lure movie goers.
The design solution utilizes ordinary urban, industrial materials, including steel, particle board, and concrete, with the intent of elevating and transforming materials typically viewed as cold and mundane into something mysterious, warm and sensual.
A new steel industrial sash storefront ties the restaurant to the circa 1924 brick building while reiterating the use of industrial materials. A strong pattern of architectural elements ties the space together, ordered by an imposed 3 foot module running the length of the 15'x60' space. The hot rolled steel ceiling ribs reference the "vessel" metaphor, the patron bar counter and its exposed steel brackets minimize the depth of the bar structure to maximize patron area in the narrow room. The black walnut bartop and shelves maintain their organic edge, playing off the crisp steel forms elsewhere in the space. A color impregnated plaster wall, with a linseed oil and waxed finish, together with specially designed cylindrical paper light fixtures, provide a simple backdrop to the visually active bar.