Let me entertain you

Just as Sylvia Park challenges the traditional concept of a shopping mall, so does the Garrison Public House challenge preconceived notions of a mall bar. Mike Marshall-Harrington of MM Architectonics, the company commissioned by DB Breweries to design the bar, says he wanted to move away from a predictable, English-themed approach.

"Bar facilities within retail malls have traditionally been very dark and pub-like," says Marshall-Harrington. "They were often built around the idea that the boys would go for a beer while the women went shopping. We set out to revolutionise this concept, creating a facility that is just as much about dining as it is about drinking. We wanted a more family-oriented space, where people could be just as happy strolling in for a coffee as enjoying an evening with friends."

To this end, the Garrison has a light, airy ambience, with oak veneer panelling wrapping around a distinctive curved wall. A similarly curved, 43m-long floating bar features the same oak veneer, but is inlaid with strips of aluminium.

At 540m², the bar is a large space, but Marshall-Harrington says MM Architectonics incorporated a variety of features to provide the right degree of intimacy, beginning with the curved walls and bar.

"The bar is designed to wrap around the room, semi-enclosing the space and the customers. It helps to mitigate the feeling of being in a large space."

Specifying darker wood tables and black chairs also helps to close the space down visually. Three different table heights were specified, to provide a variety of dining and drinking alternatives.

"We were very aware that the Garrison had to simultaneously be a bar, a restaurant and a cafe," says Marshall-Harrington. "The furniture is designed to allow people to move easily from one space to another."

To add further intimacy, the designer says the sound is pitched just above head height. At a subconscious level, this helps to make a large space feel smaller.

Key decorative elements that add a quirky, fun touch to the interior include amorphous, organic-shaped cut-outs that allow a visual interaction between the mezzanine level and main floor. Protruding wood ledges around the perimeter of the space are decorated with a variety of old household items, including valve radios and fondue sets.

For more information, contact MM Architectonics, phone (09) 363 8890. Email: mmh@mma.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas