AAmp was commissioned by Death & Company to design two subterranean bars in Los Angeles’ Arts District. This space is the third outpost of the cocktail group. The design includes two bars flanking a central service core. Each bar takes cues from Death & Co’s spaces in New York and Denver while incorporating playful and patterned elements that reflect Los Angeles. The intimate 30-seat bar at the entry provides a space for patrons to wait with a cocktail for a seat in the larger 80-seat bar beyond. 

A great challenge for this project was accommodating two bars and large back-of-house space into an existing subterranean space with a number of structural constraints. This required some clever design solutions and strategizing. For example, deep concrete beams and multiple columns offered a unique opportunity to carve out nooks in the space. Pullman booths are strategically tucked between large columns throughout the space, giving an opportunity for a layered sense of intimacy within the larger space, and duct runs are placed within the millwork to avoid beam conflicts The bathrooms provide a moment to bring out more of the rich colors peppered throughout the rest of the space, each one fully saturated in a single color to immerse the patron in its glow. Materials range from brass to natural stained oak and minimalist deco-style curves and details. The pale Calacatta Caldia marble bartop  echoes those in NYC and Denver to help connect this new space back to other Death & Co locations.