Client: ENO Wine Bar

Overview

ENO is a wine bar located inside two former townhouses in Washington, DC’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. The small footprint called for a minimalist design approach, an open layout, and a subtle material palette in order to make wine the central focus. The core of the two-story space provided the opportunity to incorporate a large art piece, which makes a powerful and dynamic statement. The object is seen as a 'freeze-frame' portrait of a wine barrel exploding outward from the space's epicenter.

Goals

Much in the way the wine bar's new oak floors, ceilings, and millwork carved within the building call attention to its history and evolution, the sculpture also becomes an expression of the individual pieces that once made the barrel whole. Both the space and the wine barrel transcend their original functions with new purpose and energy.

Process

The large art piece was inspired, designed and fabricated by DMAC Architecture. The barrel consists of 70 staves, which are narrow lengths of wood with a slightly bevelled edge that form the sides of the barrel. Each stave height is approximately 30 inches. The core concept for this installation was to de-construct the wine barrel by fragmenting, shattering and then recovering the staves which were later charred to provide a burnt aesthetic. The staves are strung together vertically and suspended from the ceiling to create a “freeze-frame” portrait of an exploding wine barrel.