Project Description
Vitae Spirits Distillery and Tasting Room embraces its educational roots by transforming the two-story alternative school building into a lesson in science. Above all, Vitae’s Spirits’ Tasting Room showcases its craft. A glass wall separates the tasting room from the production zone, providing a close-up view of the custom- made copper still and a didactic view into the delicate process of transforming raw botanical ingredients into small batch artisanal distilled spirits. Large, graphic wall murals of enlarged plant sections detail the organic nature of the distilling process and the company’s chemistry-inspired logo. Situated at the edge of an industrial zone, the interior architecture suggests a warm, modern variation to its industrial precedent. Planes of pickled oak hover overhead defining the intimate spaces of the tasting room and lounge. At the bar, the wood ceiling, pierced by a series of copper and black pendants, wraps down the wall creating a display area for their carefully packaged spirits and concealed cove lighting. The custom bar features a raw steel framework which was itself the form for the polished concrete countertop. A former professor of microbiology, the Vitae principal and founder required that the space maintain a level of precision and aesthetic cleanliness akin to a lab setting, while providing a tasting room that was welcoming and warm. The design team responded to this desire by specifying a restrained pallet of “truthful” materials (wood, steel, and concrete) that were clean and modern yet had visual interest and a natural depth. Vitae’s Distillery and Tasting Room offers a unique setting to learn, be inspired, and enjoy a drink.