Following the success of its sister cocktail bars in London’s Covent Garden and Hanover Square, the stylish new Dirty Martini in Bishopsgate is promising to make quite an impact.
Having set a precedent with the design of Dirty Martini Hanover Square, design consultancy Grapes Design wanted to bring the best elements of the brand’s professional, yet accessible cocktail bars to the Bishopsgate venue.
Located within walking distance of both the Liverpool Street and Old Street tube stations, this new addition to the Dirty Martini portfolio features yet another striking interior.
Formidable graphic elements play a significant part within the space. Grapes Design conceived the idea of a giant illuminated ceiling above the entire bar, and commissioned artist Russ Mills to create a series of illustrations around this concept. These images – ranging from high fashion to manikin punk – also form the backdrop to the main cocktail lounge seating.
Stylish furniture in mauve and turquoise accents punctuates the space, with a blend of elegant club chairs and high-back parlour loungers. Meanwhile, handmade hexagonal screens separate the various private areas, and bespoke bronze shimmer beams from layers washed with amber LEDs.
Grapes Design also spent time refining all the lighting, simulating lumin levels through complex lighting programs and computer models. A series of wall, floor-standing and raft chandeliers have been created from copper mesh – a material the design team favoured for the way in which it holds light, in particular within a bar environment.
From the hand-coloured turquoise mosaic tiles, to the selection of rare vintage bottles housed in individual drinks cabinets and the metal laser-cut pattern of bar fascia, Grapes Design’s attention to detail has invested the space with a sense of occasion.
Following a promising first week of trading for Dirty Martini Bishopsgate, Grapes Design is optimistic about the potential for further sites, perhaps even overseas.
