Short + Sweet

Creativity takes time. But as many other designers will tell you, every now and then a project comes along where that creativity is just as valuable in managing an intense schedule as it is designing the space itself. The Winston on the Water was one of those projects, but dial it up to 11. For this project, the goal was to revive a forgotten outdoor bar in 5 weeks time. From the very first site visit right before Memorial Day weekend, I was tasked with transforming the space by July 4^th so my client wouldn’t miss primetime summer business. Creativity was needed not just for design, but to create solutions that could achieve such an aggressive schedule.

Luckily, the concept for Winston on the Water was to put a spin on the original Winston for a seasonal setting. My client came prepared with revamped “summer” Winston branding ready to go. That provided me with an aesthetic foundation to build off of quickly. The original Winston had classic pub features – heavy wood features, country club greens, blues and browns, classic silhouettes. The space itself was a former bar with existing infrastructure we could work with. It was simple with bare walls and waterfront views in the shadow of Philly’s Ben Franklin Bridge.

               When in doubt, the quickest way to transform a space is always paint. It’s readily available and as impactful as you need it to be. The new branding added a punchy bubble gum pink to the green and blue palette. It was fun and fresh and made for a perfect mural (as well as Instagram moment, we love those). Hiring a muralist and developing a new piece of art would take time. Instead, I was able to work with the branding designer and a local artist to manipulate the forms and palette of the brand into a simple pattern we used to cover the bar – both walls and floor – in painted art. We cleaned up the old bar that had been collecting dust and painted that as well. The existing lights weren’t my favorite, but they weren’t completely off concept, so we spray-painted those white as well. The mural took the focus of the walls anyways.

               Any design elements outside of the paint were going to need to be built with readily accessible materials, stock item selections or reimagined existing features. There was no time to order any special tile, lighting or furniture. The mural helped simplify this as well – any added forms could be simple because the mural was complex. It could hold most of the visual interest of the space on it’s own.

The existing bar was inside of a metal open air enclosure. I chose to clad the exterior in stained pressure-treated wood slats as a take of the wood slat bar front at the Winston. Only here, the slats were cut to have wave profiles to create a ripple effect across each elevation – the Winston, but make it water. It was an interesting, but achievable, form made from readily available material. We gave the same treatment to an existing stage that would be home for future DJ’s and performers. Along the water facing perimeter, we installed simple wood drink rails. They made for a perfect perch to take in the views and helped cover the old chain link fence along the perimeter. For added light, I went with a classic bistro light criss-crossed overhead. Nothing groundbreaking, but timeless and readily available in a variety of lengths. It wouldn’t be a proper outdoor space without greenery. We filled every gap along the perimeter fence with oversized planters filled with an assortment of tall grasses and florals. My landscaper helped make it work by painting different planters they had on hand to compliment my palette. Finally, along the edge of the former dock, were a handful of oversized (flubber-shaped) bollards used to tie up ships. Clearly I have no idea what these things are called as I am not an old, weathered sailor. If you do, please tell me in the comments. They were nearly bar height, so we added rounded wood tops to turn them into standing tables.

               Not only did the design decisions need to be strategic, but the way I communicated my design with the team needed to also be concise. There was no time to develop my usual deliverables so a new approach was needed. Since the project was purely cosmetic, I could abbreviate my usual documentation methods. I opted for quick line drawings, hand sketches, overlaid google maps images and lots of site visits to collaborate on the spot with contractors kept the project moving without anyone waiting on me for formal drawings.

               The Winston on the Water is proof you don’t need elaborate materials or an extensive design to create something special. Being intentional with your decisions is just as impactful. In fact, the Winston in the Water is one of my favorite projects. It’s playful, photogenic and easy going. Pretty cute for a fire drill if you ask me.

PS – the correct pronunciation is “Winston on the Wooder”. I sincerely hope you read it that way.