THE BONNIE
ASTORIA, NEW YORK
The Bonnie | Hospitality
ASTORIA, NY
2,275 SF | Renovation / Addition
What started as a mechanics shop was found as just a brick shell for the home of a new gastropub. From a client group rooted in an Irish heritage, the space became an exploration of reinterpreting the tactile qualities of Irish pubs with a modern expression form and finish. Many aspects of the bar end up feeling both familiar and current, earning its place among the company’s portfolio of spots across the city.
The use of materiality and ceiling height helped to break up the space into a series of individual experiences, anchored by the stacked wood wall helps to bridge between the bar settings at the front and back of the restaurant. The celebration of reclaimed materials helped give the bar its identity. The wood mass that serves as a transition piece from front to back is comprised of individual strips milled out of reclaimed siding from Northeastern barns. It’s imperfections in width, grain and surface texture all help the wall read as dynamic rather than sterile uniformity.
A sinewy construction of glass and blackened steel slides through the space in parallel as it transforms from back bar in the front, to snug in the center, to back bar in the rear where it culminates in a two-sided structure spanning from floor to ceiling.
