PROJECT Sky Azure - Small Plates & Cocktails
LOCATION Baltimore, Maryland,
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 7/20/2013
ARCHITECT Ammon Heisler Sachs architects, PC..
ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT
OWNER/CLIENT Aero Service Group
CONTRACTOR A.R. Marani, Inc.
PHOTOGRAPHER Alain Jaramillo
DESIGN TEAM Hal Sachs, Jason Hearn, Amanda Martinez
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:
During construction of the new B-C Connector at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) developed a plan to revitalize the dated Observation Gallery. Once an outdoor deck of the original Friendship Airport, the space was enclosed with a space frame during the 1979 passenger terminal expansion. The 2013 effort included a full renovation of the Maryland Aviation exhibit and the addition of an upscale, light-fare restaurant/bar concept. Not long after opening, Sky Azure Small Plates and Cocktails, once a dark, neglected corner of the prized exhibit space became its best kept secret. While aviation inspired, the design of the space represents a departure from literality of the adjacent museum. Sleek, contemporary materials and custom fabricated elements incite a fresh take on the light-fare experience. As one customer put it, “[It’s] probably the most ‘non-airport’ bar/restaurant in BWI; an aesthetically beautiful addition to the Observation Deck.” To the casual eye, the space boasts dramatic LED lighting with color-change capability to complement the natural hues of the setting sun. Stylized liquor displays allude to the passenger windows of a jet fuselage, while the semi-transparent bar top floats like a cloud. Surprisingly, one of the more inconspicuous elements is the bar itself. Custom designed and field fabricated using rivet-like hardware, the bar not only curves in the x-axis, but also the y-axis simultaneously. The complicated geometry was developed beautifully by the fabricator and the transitions are practically seamless. Hidden behind the visual ambiance are the noted challenges of working in a retrofitted mid-century structure. Located at the intersection of the original airport and the 1979 addition, the Observation Gallery and its lower level have a complex infrastructure of varying structural and mechanical systems. In order to protect the existing ceiling and systems above, a floating steel grid of cables, tubes and perforated panels fill the void above the bar space. At just 785 SF, careful planning and coordination among the airport’s architect, facilities department and multiple general contractors was essential to making the build-out a success.
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1 Sky Azure 0021; View From Entry; Alain Jaramillo Photo
IMAGE 2 Sky Azure 0022; View from top of ramp;Alain Jaramillo Photo
IMAGE 3 Sky Azure 0023; View from end of bar; Alain Jaramillo Photo
IMAGE 4 Sky Azure 0025; View from walking bridge; Alain Jaramillo Photo
IMAGE 5 Sky Azure 0031; View from Observation Gallery; Alain Jaramillo Photo
IMAGE 6 Sky Azure 0032; View 2 from Observation Gallery; Alain Jaramillo Photo
IMAGE 7 Sky Azure SU-01; Concept Rendering Birds Eye Veiw; Jason Hearn
MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF
Sky Azure - Small Plates & Cocktails
Category
AIA Maryland > Interior Architecture (AIA Maryland)
Winner Status
- People's Choice
Share