Pursuit Wine Bar | Washington, DC

The clients originally opened their wine bar in 2014 in a smaller space, and had developed a thriving business with a loyal following. In 2018 they came to us because they had decided to relocate and had just signed a lease on a space which was more advantageously located on a prominent corner, but the building had sat vacant for years. The space was in a bad state of disrepair, so the project presented an exciting and rare opportunity to re-purpose an under-utilized space in the heart of a thriving retail corridor. The high ceilings and corner exposure presented great potential for the redesigned use as a neighborhood gathering space. Working closely with the clients we were able to derive a layout that placed the small efficient kitchen and bathrooms at the rear, allowing the majority of the space to remain open and visible to the sidewalk. The existing brick wall that ran behind the east storefront was retained and the bar was designed to occupy the space within the old masonry piers - creating indoor/outdoor bar seating. The new storefront glazing includes large operable windows that can be opened in the warmer months connecting the outdoor patio to the interior space.