Inspired by the open markets of Europe, Bar Mercato offers a meaningful sense of connection to a charming past. The restaurant is located within the new Hyatt Centric hotel (also designed by Arrowstreet) and spans the entire first floor of the new addition. With views into Quaker Lane, the full height glass allows the surrounding historic fire escapes and masonry buildings to become part of the dining experience. The variety of seating arrangement is analogous to the diverse small plate menu which appeals to individual or communal-style meals.

Arrowstreet’s design team leveraged Virtual Reality practices across three phases of the design process which was critical to getting restaurant ownership buy-in on approving furniture layouts, architectural features, and material selection all under a tight project schedule. With a unique and intimate raw base space, the immersive design process played a critical role in achieving a modern European aesthetic through exposed mechanical systems and structural elements, while simultaneously honoring the eclectic nature of the restaurant’s historic Bostonian context. The utilization of VR in place of static renderings provided opportunities for the Bar Mercato owners, hotel operations, and the construction team to work closely together to identify potential issues before they arose in the field.