The 1922 Restaurant & Brewery

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H O S P I T A L I T Y D E S I G N
The 1922 Restaurant & Brewery

DESIGN OBJECTIVE: To provide complete design services for a custom, high-end restaurant inside an existing building, located in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. The owners want to create a top-class dining experience within a highly creative, one of a kind setting. Among other things, they would like to experiment with materials, use colors to evoke strong emotions, and provide an acoustically comfortable environment. They also want to try reusing recycled or found materials as applicable to be resource-conscious. What they want is something out of the ordinary, something that will truly transport patrons to the stratosphere of dining pleasure.

Perspective - Bar View

DESIGN SOLUTION: The 1922 is an upscale restaurant and brewery, offering an extensive list of beers – several of which are brewedon-site. The overall restaurant concept is to take Wisconsinites’ love of puband brewery-type dining and add an element of luxury, creating a unique, fine dining experience. The restaurant celebrates tasting varieties of high-quality lagers and ales as well as introducing people to gourmet, fresh-market beer cuisine. Traditionally, pubs and breweries provide customary American cuisine in a causal dining setting. The 1922 Restaurant and Brewery offers upscale new American cuisine in a more formal setting; creating traditional American dishes with a new twist. The menu includes an extensive beer list, including a renowned beer tasting sampler. In addition, the menu offers beer pairing suggestions for all dishes. Also, much of the new American cuisine is comprised of beer-infused recipes.

The design creates an environment that is classy and historically rich. Many ofthe furnishings of the restaurant interior are modern, however, the age of the building is also emphasized. There is a juxtaposition between the new andold, representing the new upscale twist on an old concept of a pub and brewery.There are new and exciting features of a modern restaurant, such as the exhibition kitchen and exposed brewery tanks, however there is also a remembrance and acknowledgement of what the space use to be. The building was erected in 1922 – the year being the restaurant’s namesake.

Floor Plan

Because the restaurant celebrates brewing beer, the bar is the feature and main focal point of the space plan. The brew tanks are functional as well as a custom design feature. The dining room seating is arranged around the bar as a central hub of excitement and activity. It is the site of congregation and The 1922’s famous beer tastings. The largely open floor plan allows views across the dining room to both the brew tanks and exhibition kitchen which serve asvisual points of interest. The design of the restaurant takes advantage of the strong geometry of building; The structural support columns and beams create bays that were further emphasized through the use of faux columns and the application of the tin ceiling tile. The combination of the ceiling grid, columns, and flooring change, highlight the prominence of the bar area.

Bar Details

A variety of seating options have been provided to accommodate guest parties of all types and sizes, specified with flexibility in mind. Large, custom U-shaped booths were designed with a rich and lavish feel. There is seating around the entire horse-shoe shaped bar as well as at the flanking bar-height tables. Although different, the combination of seating still has an overall unified feeling. And in contrast to the modern furnishings, antique light fixtures, prohibition-era artwork, and mission style motifs are incorporated into the design. In response to the clients request to incorporate reused materials, the chandeliers, and ceiling tiles used were originally from the 1920’s era andwere refurbished. The tin ceiling tiles were salvaged from a nearby deconstructed building and refinished. Ornate detailing is mixed with simple arts and crafts style woodwork. The color palette is fittingly inspired by the rich amber color of beer as well as the browns,oranges and golds of the autumn season. The materials chosen have rich colors and textures, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Overall, the unique featured elements, lush and warm interior finishes, and distinctive take on a classic dining experience create a luxurious and one-of-a-kind atmosphere.