Boutique Design - November 2019 - 16

THE BUZZ

ARIANA HOLLAND, OWNER,
ABOX COLLECTIVE
Prepare to: Have to continuously
draw the crowd. Today's millennials
are often driven by selfie-provoking
opportunities that can make or break
the buzz of a new establishment with
continuous Instagram stories, tweets
sent en masse and videos capturing
every nuanced moment. This forces
designers and hospitality providers
to push limits in order to keep the
eyeballs and maintain the traffic. To
solve the continuing conundrum of the perfect artistically-inspired
selfie-companion shot, designers are utilizing grand architectural
elements that connect us to our past (out with the flat ceilings and
crown moldings and in with the arched ceilings), and an interplay of
graphics (high-sensory features like neon-script signage with cheeky
messages) that stimulate the senses and compel the next Instagram
and Pinterest tags.
Get whisked away at: Grupo Gitano's Garden of Love NYC. That
signature pink glowy neon light scripted above the entryway and the
use of palm trees, fringed umbrellas, laid rugs and rhythmic drumming tunes are all righteous examples of igniting numerous senses
simultaneously.
Sister City shows its wit through unconventional signage that presents itself more like art installations. A front deskless check-in experience and an immersive 24/7 lobby soundscape via a sky camera
brings you to the metal wall hanging serving as your, "You Are Here"
floor map. Once the IG post in the alleyway is taken and location pin
dropped, you experience textural plastered walls and Earthtones.
16

boutiquedesign.com NOVEMBER 2019

WILLIAM OBERLIN;
LARAH MORAVEK;
DIETER CARTWRIGHT,
PRINCIPALS, DUTCH
EAST DESIGN
Look out for: Cross-programming as a result of the market
demanding more well-rounded
experiences. The Todd Snyder
store in NoMad has a café, and
multidisciplinary design firm
Roman and Williams Guild New
York (selling their own product
designs for the home as well as a curated selection of others) is another good
example of retail and F&B. Tokyo Record Bar is both a listening room and a bar.
Coworking will continue to be an interesting space as it absorbs different activations, not just of an F&B nature. Bars and restaurants are taking on coworking
components. Lines are blurring. Metrograph in the Lower East Side is both a bar/
restaurant and a cinema, while also edging toward coworking.
Our clients are also becoming more adventurous in what they show their
customers. They're inviting clientele to see behind the curtain more. We recently
completed the restaurant Oxalis in Brooklyn, for which our client required that the
kitchen, with all associated prep, was the first thing customers saw upon arrival.
The dining experience is very much engaged with the act of preparation. Designers,
under these conditions, need to both consider such requirements in the overall
layout of a space and design service-related items (such as wait stations and even
kitchens) with the same aesthetic rigor as the rest of the bar or restaurant.
Go visit: Public Records in Gowanus-the former headquarters of the ASPCA
converted to a café, bar and music venue-is a great contemporary response to the
repurposing of an old structure. Oxomoco in Greenpoint is airy and simple with great
natural light and excellent food. And it's playful, with an adventurous bathroom.

ADRIAN GAUT (SISTER CIT Y ); AFRICA MIR ANDA (HOLL AND); JESSIE ENGLISH (DUTCH EAST DESIGN PRINCIPAL S)

SISTER CITY

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - November 2019

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