Over a hundred peg holes puncture the walls of this currywurst restaurant in Vancouver by Canadian studio Scott & Scott Architects, creating spaces to store furniture, hold lighting and display art (+ slideshow).
Located in Chinatown, sausage and beer parlour Bestie is designed by Scott & Scott Architects to accommodate a showcase of locally-produced art and design, which can be hung in different arrangements from the 116 holes in the oiled spruce lumber walls. These holes can also be used for storing for extra bar stools - whose legs slot neatly into the gaps - or for hanging customers' coats, hats and umbrellas.
A set of lights by Canadian designer Zoe Garred slot into holes above the dining tables. Seating is provided by wooden benches with brightly coloured cushions, designed to evoke the familiar look of typical highway restaurants.
Architects Susan and David Scott designed the restaurant so that owners Clinton McDougall and Dane Brown could build it themselves. "[It draws] on their shared love for matter-of-fact detailing of ad-hoc construction and high considered rational design," they explained.
"The design uses common materials that can be worked with a few simple tools and a limited amount of everyday items that are repeated, allowing the work to be completed on site with minimal shop support," they added.
The kitchen is exposed to diners and is lined with white ceramic tiles. It features an adjustable hanging system made from thin strips of copper, accommodating hooks for utensils, beer mugs and shelves.
A copper counter runs along in front alongside more of the wooden stools, which were created by Canadian designer Joji Fukushima.
Other details include a wooden cuckoo clock that is fixed onto one of the walls.
Scott & Scott Architects are based in Vancouver. Other projects by the studio include a remote snowboarding cabin on Vancouver Island.
Other restaurants and bars on Dezeen include a 1920s-style bar and brasserie in Basel, a restaurant and nightclub in a converted car park near Stockholm and a Parisian penthouse and bar containing chunky black trees.
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Photography is by the architects.
Here's some more text from Scott and Scott Architects:
Bestie Currywurst
Restauranteurs Clinton McDougall and Dane Brown open their highly anticipated currywurst restaurant Bestie this week in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown. The sausage and beer parlour is the first for the pair whose background is in art and design.
Architects David and Susan Scott designed the space around the owners’ desire to build the 25 seat restaurant themselves. The design uses common materials which can be worked with a few simple tools and a limited number of everyday details which are repeated to allow for the work to be completed on site with minimal shop support.
The project draws from the architects’ and owners’ shared love for both the matter-of- fact functional detailing of ad-hoc construction and for highly considered rational design. The work of fellow Vancouver designers is throughout the space including Zoe Garred’s Mariner lights and Joji Fukushima’s bar stools.
The loose tables and benches in the dining space allow for varied arrangement (film screening, communal dinners and removal) to facilitate changing events. The kitchen is fitted with a tool, stein and glassware hanging system that can be adjusted and added to over time.
The main wall will be an array of 116 holes and wooden pegs which will support an ever-changing rotating composition of locally produced design objects and art; coats and umbrellas; additional stools and pendant lights, and the odd copy of Der Spiegel.
As with the stripped down and direct menu of German street food made with locally sourced ingredients, the space celebrates ordinary materials and simple details with oiled economy grade spruce lumber; copper hardware and counters. The floors and walls are painted in the eating hall as an easily maintained backdrop to the benches and coloured vinyl cushions that have the familiarity of the highway restaurants of our youth.
Location: 105 E Pender Street Vancouver, Canada
Opened: 17 June 2013
Area: 750 sq‘ (70 sq.m.)
Photo Credits: Scott and Scott Architects