Neighbourhood Patio

DISCOVERY/INSIGHTS: Bentall Centre wanted their an alley between their office towers to function as a destination instead of a shortcut for tenants rushing between meetings.

PROBLEM DEFINITION: Placemaking was the main objective; how could we activate this space in a way that added value to tenants and the community? Oh and it needed to be temporary and on a tight budget!

DESIGN SCOPE: The answer was a pop up bar disguised when closed but worth stopping for when open. It was built off-site and then lifted into place. The bar was designed to grow with the space; Corten steel would patina with time. The interior has plexi sides so it glows when closed and wood paneling that nods to the new Mass Timber tower beside it. We also used biophilia in the bar design to bring life to a formerly stark alley. Programming was designed around the bar; an annual 10-day arts and music festival called Neighbourhood Patio.

IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME: The bar still closes up like storage at the end of the night and opens back into itself for the next private event or public activation, doing the one thing office plazas almost never do: get people to stop.