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The Meeting House in Princeton, N.J., features a “rustic chic” interior design by Isabella Sparrow.

The Pandemic Pushes DESIGN CHANGES

As the pandemic continues, public perceptions of indoor spaces have changed irrevocably.

“It’s definitely going to shape and change the way we think about bar design,” says David Rader, AIA, senior project manager at Dyer Brown, an architectural firm based in Boston.

As bars and restaurants prepare for an eventual return to capacity, architects who design hospitality venues predict that some changes will be here to stay.

Joshua Zinder, AIA, managing partner of Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design (JZA+D), based in Princeton, New Jersey, believes designs that encourage social distancing and smaller groupings will be popular going forward.

Looking to the past for inspiration, Zinder says, “In a 1950s diner, they used to have a bar that would go out into the room and come back in some spots.” A bar with a curved edge can control how people move through the space, preventing dense crowds from gathering. Small tables or booths nestled between curved bar sections can provide seating for small groups, while openings in the bar give the bartender access to different areas.

For venues that already have a built-in traditional straight bar, Rader suggests adding high-top tables to the bar at perpendicular angles, forming a T-shape. “That ends up helping with distancing from the staff working behind the bar,” he says.

Between the tables, you can have small groups of seating. “Instead of having a bar that has a stretch of 25 seats in a linear row, maybe it’s four seats, one of these pop-out or ‘finger’ tables, and then another four seats or six seats,” says Rader, noting that this flexible change in layout helps with social distancing as the pandemic continues, and it can be adjusted later depending on changing circumstances.

For creating additional separations,

THE PANDEMIC HAS FOREVER CHANGED BAR/ RESTAURANT DESIGN.

BY EMILY ECKART

Zinder says they’ve looked at projects that include a screening element. Zinder has plans for a screen made of aesthetically pleasing punch metal that could be mounted on top of the bar, extending upward for several feet. The screen can work in conjunction with a plexiglass barrier for the duration of the pandemic.

Once things return to normal, the plexiglass can be removed, but the screen would remain. “The screen is supposed to control where people will stand and where people will be able to order from,” says Zinder, noting it allows for flexibility, with openings in places where people can take orders.

Dyer Brown’s winning conceptual design for the NEWH Beyond competition features wood and glass privacy screens, antimicrobial vinyl seats, and copper tabletops with built-in down draft vent.

Individual sections of the screen can be folded up or removed depending on what works best. “That type of screen can work well in different locations. It also has to somehow tie into the overall story of whatever the bar is.”

Dwayne MacEwen, AIA, founder and creative director of Chicago-based architecture and design firm DMAC Architecture, has incorporated similar elements into designs intended to serve both a practical and aesthetic purpose. “One example is at Rivers Casino, where we designed a decorative screen at the cash station,” says MacEwen. “It looks great and like it was always there. In their Sportsbook lounges, we worked with Rivers on concepts for portable dividers between groups of guests sitting in the club chairs.”

Zinder also predicts a change in the depth of the bar itself, with eight to twelve inches added. In current designs, Zinder says, “We’re extending the space between bartender and patron.”

As Rader notes, a deeper bar provides an additional function: “It can double as concealing the equipment below.” ANTIMICROBIAL SURFACES The pandemic has focused attention on the materials patrons come into contact with while visiting the venue.

“The memory of living through a pandemic is not going away anytime soon,” says MacEwen. “We need to communicate health and wellness are a priority through good design.”

Easy-to-clean, antimicrobial surfaces are coming into vogue. Zinder says, “New bars are going to be looking at these antimicrobial surfaces a lot more.”

Cesarstone and Silestone are good options for tabletops. While these materials had commonly been used before, their antimicrobial aspects are now viewed as a major selling point.

Rader highlights copper as an ideal material. Noted for its antimicrobial properties, it also has a pleasing appearance with its beautiful patina. If purchasing new copper tables isn’t an option, existing tables can be wrapped with a thin copper sheet.

Visible measures of sanitation can communicate an emphasis on safety to

DMAC Architecture came up with a pandemic-friendly solution for an annual food festival that could take place in soft-sided trailers parked in neighborhoods across the city.

A bar design by Dyer Brown at Japanese restaurant Zuma Boston.

patrons. “Hand sanitizer should always be visible and accessible, but the dispensers are a design opportunity,” says MacEwen. He also recommends the use of touchless technologies like online ordering, digital menus, and door sensors.

Zinder says, “People want to be able to tell their patrons that they’re safe and they can have a good time, and that they’re thinking about their health and welfare.”

VENTILATION Ventilation has become top-of-mind for design. While kitchens and bathrooms have traditionally been well-ventilated areas, architects expect to see front-ofhouse ventilation become a bigger trend.

Many of Zinder’s hospitality clients have expressed an interest in installing ionization systems, like the ones used on airplanes, and some municipalities are considering allowing bars and restaurants to open to capacity if they have adequate air filtration systems installed.

OUTDOOR SPACES The pandemic has forced bars and restaurants to make creative use of outdoor space, a trend that will likely continue. Rader envisions bars using various styles of outdoor seating stations, such as igloos, individual greenhouses, or “cocoons” where service could be provided through a small portal that opens into the indoor kitchen or bar.

In JZA+D’s base of Princeton, New Jersey, local restaurants opened outdoor seating in parts of the street formerly designated for parking—a change the municipality may make permanent.

“The environment during the nicer weather is amazing. There are so many people out, and it’s really engaging,” says Zinder, who predicts some venues may move their bars out of denser cities where this may not be an option. “You’re going to see some people who shift their bars to their windows.” Windows that lift or open allow people to have a bar experience while enjoying the fresh air.

In a city where bars and restaurants don’t always have access to an outdoor space, DMAC Architecture came up with a concept for a creative, pandemicfriendly solution that would also have appeal for normal times. An annual food festival (called the “Chicago Winter FE(a) ST”) could take place in soft-sided trailers parked in neighborhoods across the city.

“Each trailer would be stocked with shelter (in the form of a tarp), kitchen, tables, chairs, lighting, fire pits, and other accessories, and set up a covered dining area. The interiors and soft sides of individual trailers could be designed with art or branding by the sponsoring restaurant for an annual ‘best of’ award,” says MacEwen, who explains that food festival trailers could be located individually on street corners or grouped in parking lots to create a “marketplace.” “These ‘venues’ would be the buzz of the city, enticing people to explore the different neighborhoods and cuisines.”

THE FUTURE OF BAR DESIGN Ultimately, the pandemic has influenced architectural trends. “It’s made me think about how we can use the space more flexibly,” says Rader.

One such flexible design by Dyer Brown earned recognition as the winner of the NEWH Beyond competition for pandemic-responsive hospitality concepts. The design features an indoor restaurant space with built-in booths and banquettes along each wall, spaced so as to be socially distant from the next group of tables. Separating two rows of booths is a set of movable tables and chairs, which can be adjusted as needed.

With numerous retail locations closing, MacEwen speculates that bars could attract a larger portion of foot traffic. “Restaurants and bars could be the new ‘influencers,’ partnering with FF&E vendors to showcase products,” says MacEwen. “If guests like a chair or fixture, they could scan a barcode and know where to buy. It’s an intersection of sorts where restaurateurs and retailers create a new kind of dining or bar experience.

“While there is a pent-up demand to be with each other again,” continues MacEwen, “I think the restaurant and bar business has an opportunity to expand its reach.”