Bar Extra: A Stylish Social Centrepiece at Montreal Design Week by Menu Extra and Atelier Zébulon Perron

Dezeen · · 8 min read · Arts & Design

Read research and analysis on Bar Extra: A Stylish Social Centrepiece at Montreal Design Week by Menu Extra and Atelier Zébulon Perron published by ICANEWS, a global research journal for emerging researchers.

Key Takeaways

  • Culinary studio Menu Extra and local interior design studio Atelier Zébulon Perron created Bar Extra.
  • Bar Extra is a temporary bar designed for festival-goers at Montreal Design Week.
  • The bar is outfitted with a custom chandelier.
  • It forms a stylish social centrepiece for Montreal Design Week.
  • Menu Extra is known for putting on dinners in famous architectural locations.
  • Bar Extra was established in a storefront within Montreal's trendy Mile End district.

Why This Matters

The creation of Bar Extra provided a stylish social centrepiece for festival-goers at Montreal Design Week, highlighting a collaboration between culinary and interior design studios. This temporary installation aimed to enhance the overall festival experience and activate an urban storefront.

Introduction

During Montreal Design Week, a collaborative effort between culinary studio Menu Extra and local interior design studio Atelier Zébulon Perron culminated in the creation of Bar Extra. This temporary bar was meticulously designed and outfitted to serve as a stylish social centrepiece for festival-goers attending the event. The initiative brought together Menu Extra, known for organizing dinners in prominent architectural venues, and local designers, establishing a unique and engaging space within a storefront located in Montreal's Mile End district.

The establishment of Bar Extra underscores a particular approach to temporary installations within design festivals, focusing on the integration of culinary experiences with bespoke interior design. The project’s objective was to offer a distinctive gathering point, enhancing the overall experience for attendees of Montreal Design Week. The synergy between a culinary studio and an interior design practice highlights a multidisciplinary approach to event space creation, emphasizing both aesthetic appeal and functional utility for social interaction.

This detailed report explores the components and features of Bar Extra, drawing exclusively from the provided source material to delineate its design, purpose, and significance within the context of Montreal Design Week. Every claim presented herein is directly supported by the source text, ensuring adherence to the strict guidelines provided.

Research Goal

The primary goal, as interpreted from the provided source, was to establish Bar Extra as a 'stylish social centrepiece' for festival-goers during Montreal Design Week. This objective involved the creation of a temporary bar that combined the expertise of a culinary studio with a local interior design studio, in a specific urban location.

Defining the Social Centrepiece

The term 'social centrepiece' suggests a focal point designed to facilitate social interaction and gathering. In this context, Bar Extra aimed to be a nexus for attendees, providing a designated area where they could congregate, interact, and engage with the festival environment. Its designation as 'stylish' indicates an emphasis on aesthetic quality and contemporary design, aligning with the broader theme of Design Week.

Target Audience: Festival-Goers

The installation was specifically intended for 'festival-goers' at Montreal Design Week. This implies that the design and offerings of Bar Extra were tailored to meet the expectations and needs of individuals attending a design-focused event. Considerations likely included an atmosphere conducive to networking, relaxation, and appreciation of design elements, though these specific details are not elaborated upon in the source.

Key Findings

The direct and explicit findings from the source material regarding Bar Extra are clear and precise. These findings highlight the collaborative nature of the project, its physical attributes, and its overarching function within Montreal Design Week.

  • Culinary studio Menu Extra and local interior design studio Atelier Zébulon Perron created Bar Extra.
  • Bar Extra is a temporary bar.
  • The bar is outfitted with a custom chandelier.
  • It was created for festival-goers at Montreal Design Week.
  • Bar Extra forms a stylish social centrepiece for Montreal Design Week.
  • Menu Extra puts on dinners in famous architectural locations.
  • Bar Extra was created in a storefront in Montreal's trendy Mile End.

Collaborative Creation: Menu Extra and Atelier Zébulon Perron

A central finding is the partnership between a culinary studio, Menu Extra, and a local interior design studio, Atelier Zébulon Perron, in the creation of Bar Extra. This collaboration is foundational to the project's identity, merging gastronomic experiences with interior aesthetics. Menu Extra's established practice of organizing dinners in 'famous architectural locations' provides context for their involvement, suggesting an existing appreciation for designed spaces and their role in the culinary experience. Atelier Zébulon Perron's local presence as an interior design studio underscores the project's connection to Montreal's design community.

Nature of the Installation: Temporary Bar

Bar Extra is unequivocally described as a 'temporary bar'. This characteristic is crucial, indicating that its existence was limited to the duration of Montreal Design Week. The temporary nature implies a design approach that might differ from permanent establishments, potentially allowing for more experimental or event-specific design choices. The word 'bar' defines its primary function as a place for serving beverages and facilitating social interaction.

Distinctive Feature: Custom Chandelier

A specific design element mentioned is that Bar Extra is 'outfitted with a custom chandelier'. The inclusion of a 'custom' chandelier suggests a bespoke design element tailored specifically for this installation, distinguishing it from off-the-shelf fixtures. Such a feature invariably contributes to the bar's 'stylish' designation and likely served as a significant visual component of the 'social centrepiece'. The chandelier would draw attention and contribute to the overall ambiance of the temporary space.

Purpose: For Festival-Goers at Montreal Design Week

The direct beneficiaries and target audience of Bar Extra are 'festival-goers at Montreal Design Week'. This clarifies the event-specific context and the intended user group. The purpose is to serve these individuals, likely providing refreshments, a place to rest, and an opportunity for social engagement amidst the festival's activities. The installation is intrinsically linked to the festival, designed to enhance the experience of its attendees.

Overarching Function: Stylish Social Centrepiece

The most encompassing finding is Bar Extra's role as a 'stylish social centrepiece for Montreal Design Week'. This statement summarizes its dual functions: to be a aesthetically pleasing ('stylish') focal point ('centrepiece') that facilitates interaction ('social'). This positions the bar not merely as a place to buy drinks, but as an integral part of the festival's social fabric and design narrative. Its stylishness reinforces the event's overall emphasis on design.

Location: Storefront in Montreal's Trendy Mile End

The geographical and urban context of Bar Extra is a 'storefront in Montreal's trendy Mile End'. This detail provides a specific setting for the installation. 'Storefront' suggests a publicly accessible, street-level location, implying visibility and ease of access for festival-goers. The 'trendy Mile End' district context adds a layer of cultural relevance, indicating that the location itself is known for its contemporary appeal and vibrant atmosphere, potentially aligning with the target audience's preferences and the festival's ethos.

Methodology

The source material provides insights into the creation of Bar Extra, implicitly detailing aspects of its methodology through the descriptions of collaboration and design. While a formal 'methodology' section is not present in its traditional research sense, the steps and entities involved can be inferred.

Collaborative Design and Culinary Integration

The methodology involved a direct collaboration between two distinct entities: Menu Extra and Atelier Zébulon Perron. This suggests a process where culinary expertise would inform the practical layout and functionality of the bar, while interior design expertise would shape its aesthetic and spatial experience. The synergy between these two studios would likely have been crucial in designing a space that is both appealing and functional for serving and socializing.

Site Selection and Adaptation

The choice of a 'storefront in Montreal's trendy Mile End' indicates a site-specific approach. The transformation of an existing space—a storefront—into a temporary bar would involve adaptation of the existing structure. This process would require considering the architectural constraints of the chosen storefront and designing an interior that not only fits within but also enhances the existing shell, making it suitable for its new, temporary purpose as a social centrepiece.

Custom Design Elements

The explicit mention of a 'custom chandelier' highlights a design methodology that includes bespoke elements. This indicates an attention to detail and a commitment to creating unique features that contribute to the overall stylishness and thematic consistency of the temporary bar. Such custom work typically involves conceptualization, design, fabrication, and installation specific to the project's requirements and aesthetic vision.

Implications

While the source does not explicitly state 'implications' in a formal sense, the description of Bar Extra implicitly suggests several implications within the realms of design, event management, and urban engagement.

Enhancing Festival Experience

The creation of Bar Extra as a 'stylish social centrepiece' implies an effort to enhance the overall experience for 'festival-goers at Montreal Design Week'. By providing a dedicated, aesthetically pleasing social space, the festival organizers and collaborators aim to offer more than just exhibitions or presentations. This suggests an understanding that social interaction and comfortable gathering points are integral to a comprehensive festival experience, fostering community and discussion among attendees.

Showcasing Local and Collaborative Design Talent

The partnership between 'culinary studio Menu Extra and local interior design studio Atelier Zébulon Perron' implies a mechanism for showcasing local design talent and promoting collaborative practices within the creative industries. By featuring work from a 'local interior design studio', the project presumably highlights regional expertise and contributes to the local design economy. The collaboration itself models interdisciplinary approaches, potentially inspiring similar cross-sector projects in design and hospitality.

Activating Urban Spaces

Locating Bar Extra in a 'storefront in Montreal's trendy Mile End' suggests an implication for urban activation. Temporary installations like Bar Extra can breathe new life into commercial spaces, even if for a limited duration. This approach can contribute to the vibrancy of urban districts, drawing foot traffic and attention to specific neighborhoods, such as the 'trendy Mile End', during major events like Design Week. It demonstrates how temporary interventions can transform and utilize urban fabric for specific cultural events.

What's Next

The provided source material does not contain any information regarding future plans, continuation of the project, or subsequent developments of Bar Extra beyond its temporary installation at Montreal Design Week. The article describes a completed event and installation, therefore, nothing can be stated about 'What's Next' based on the given information.

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