Crowley's Restaurant posed a challenge: redefine the stereotypical image of a pool hall by transforming a convenience store into an open, well-lit, and inviting neighborhood recreation center. Though a smaller version of the store remains, the program anticipates future growth, calling for a plan which will allow the billiard hall to eventually fill the entire space.

We treated the combined bar and check-out counter as an object, capitalizing on its ability to both activate and define separate spaces within the overall volume. A line of cell-like spaces at the rear of the building reinforces the rectangularity of the hall.

Issues of image and concerns for the cost and durability of finish materials shaped our design strategy: reveal the existing; emphasize with detail; clarify with light. We exposed existing construction systems whenever possible: painted steel bar joists and mechanical ducts define the ceiling plane; painted brick walls bookend the space. Careful detailing of Birch veneer plywood highlights our use of the same material in different applications - superficially as wall panels, and structurally as cantilevered beams which support a canopy over the bar. Pendant lights spot pool tables while track fixtures wash perimeter walls with light.

Without furnishings, this project cost $33 per square foot.

Awards:

• Published in Volume 5 of Interior Spaces of the USA and Canada.