Suspended above the Mission Beach boardwalk in San Diego, visitors to this coastal area can now look forward to sushi and drinks beachside at Cannonball, the new and soon to be largest oceanfront rooftop bar and restaurant in the city. Colkitt&Co collaborated with Hollis Brand Culture and onairos design to create the design concept and branding for Cannonball, making beachgoers feel as though they are dining at a swimup bar, but without the water. “Guests will literally put their elbows up on the bar, as though they were swimming in a pool and resting their arms on the side,” says Nathan Lee Colkitt, principal and CEO of Colkitt&Co.
Cannonball is a blend of the average American backyard pool, mixed with the service and style of a pool deck found at popular hotels and resorts. According to Colkitt, “We played with a variety of aquatic themed elements such as traditional poolside furnishings seen in every apartment complex across America, to incorporating hotellike services by having waiters distribute Cannonball branded beach towels for guests.”
Additional design elements at the more than 400 seat restaurant include pool tiles lining the restaurant perimeter with watermarks and clever signage conceptualized by Hollis Brand Culture reading “no depth” or “swim at your own risk.” To enhance the poolside atmosphere, Colkitt&Co has added limestone, colorful glazed tiles, weathered wood, lane lines strung along the ceiling, kickboards, life preserves and other pool accessories worked into the decor. With flooring laid in a pixelated pattern depicting the changing colors of waves, and PebbleTech TM finish on the walls similar to the pool lining, Cannonball captures the essence of classic pool decks and beach cottages.
