Come into an old building to get a drinking experience!
Wine--with the state of the water flowing to the character of the fire burning. (Shakespeare)
In China, Red represents positivity, initiative, uninhibitedness, enthusiasm and a willingness to interact with people. During the last century, Grey, represents the brick walls, a testament to classic stillness.
Design Inspiration
“Forte” Bistro is located in an old Shanghai building in the 1920s. The whole building is built with old grey brick walls and Western ornaments, which are deeply symbolic of history. Forte, like its French meaning, is full of unrestrained spirit. The beam of power becomes the strongest focal point on the building.
We focus on the theme color as the starting point. Red is the brand identity color of ‘Forte’. In addition, we want to bring the grey brick used on the wall of outdoor buildings into the interior to make the people feel the connection between them. We also choose various grey materials accordingly. In addition to using the brand theme color, we also extended Forte’s logo by splitting the logo and transforming it into all space dimensions.
The curved staircase echoes the curve on the left side of the logo, and the metal surface gradually shrinks to match the brick wall, bringing out the vision of upward rotation. The curved stainless-steel mirror on the top surface symbolizes the cup’s rim in the middle of the logo. The two create a visual illusion that the ceiling is staggered and hovering upwards. The space is accompanied by the dynamic interaction of music and alcohol.
Material & Installation
Static Materials and installations can also convey dynamic performance, like moveable feeling by their properties. For that they mainly focus on using metal, glass and grey bricks.
To enhance the visual illusion art of the space, we skillfully matched the material (static) with the crowd (dynamic), using dark grey mirror stainless steel on the ceiling, and using concave grey mirror stainless steel as the ceiling device. The arc-shaped shape makes people feel like they will rotate and move, and the material of the mirror surface expands the dimension of space. At different angles, different images are reflected from each other.
The designer hope that other materials can naturally express the effect of ripples in the space except for metal, for example, the dark orange corrugated glass on the façade and the indoor wine rack or the red gradient corrugated glass used on the surface of the wine cabinet on the side of the aisle. It has become a very eye-catching other in the space. At the same time, red light-transmitting glass bricks are installed on the wine platform behind the bar so that the bar emits a blurred light in the red visual system.
Forte is still in the last century building, so we prefer to retain the presentative elements of the old building and continue the design language from outdoor to indoor. The grey brick is an important symbol of fashionable materials in this era. We rearranging it on the bar, floor, wall, and stairs indoors has diluted the traces of history and retained the elegance of the century-old building .
In terms of lighting design, we set up many indirect color-changing LED light strips on the bar counter, tabletop, wine cabinet, etc. The design team uses the light to create a sense of hierarchy and to feel the spae connected. The led strip on the step is deliberately designed by “half”, which enhances the design effect of the staircase going up and reduces the intensity of the light, avoiding the problem of glare.
In a space full of charm and temptation, we hope that the chaos of metal and the fluidity of corrugated glass can show the diverse and mixed pleasure of all materials used. Create a unique environment where intoxicating wine and captivating music blend.
User Experience
Since the space is relatively limited, space utilization has become a key that requires considerable attention. Several small tables are hidden in the wine cabinet near the stairs, providing the need to place wine glasses temporarily. Cushions are designed to let guests who drink lean on them more freely on the edge of the bar wall.
The use and construction of small spaces provide the most direct brand experience space. To coexist display and storage space simultaneously, we have set up wine racks on almost every wall, and display racks can be seen everywhere. Through this design, the functional requirements are met and displayed.
The use and construction of small spaces provide the most direct brand experience spcae. To coexist display and storage space simultaneoulsy, we have set the wine racks on almost every wall, and display racks can be seen everywhere. Through this dseign, the functional requirements are met and displayed.
About This Project
Location: First floor, Cachet Boutique Hotel, 931 Nanjing West Road, Shanghai
Project Area: 45 Square Meters
Number of Floors: 1 floor and mezzanine space
Business Attribute: Pub lounge
Client: Cachet Hotel Group
Materials: Gray brick, brown steel plate, natural walnut finish, metal mesh, arc custom mirror stainless steel, red glass brick, corrugated glass
Design Company: RooMoo
Photographer: Xiao Yunnnn Studio
Website: www.roomoo.cn
Instagram: @roomoodesign
Facebook: RooMoodesign
Project Supplementary Drawings
Floor plan
elevations
