The architectural branding also reflects the building’s new life as home to a distilling company with references to tools of the trade. As with the inside of bourbon aging barrels, the company’s logo in the vestibule was routered into a charred wood wall. Brass—such as on the distillery’s pot still—is used in the swagged brass pendant lights to create an intimate dining area within the main level. Brass also is used at the main bar, which features a tile face with a custom brass inlay. Even bottle stoppers appear in the form of cork wallpaper featuring a geometric brass pattern.
Finally, elements from the existing building, including elevator gears and a circular couch, have been refurbished and repurposed. Across from the bar, siding salvaged from a historic red barn, which clad the walls of the original Central Standard tasting room, was remade into signage and hung above banquette seating. This signage, along with the historic cream city brick wall, are uplit by lights recessed into the top of the banquette.
The merchandise area at the front of the main level features custom steel shelving to display a range of products. Adjacent to the merchandise area, a lounge provides a variety of seating, including custom coffee tables with legs made from joist hangers salvaged from the building.
Originally, the building’s stairway to the lower level created a barrier to the front wall. Relocating this stair allowed lounge seating to be set against the expansive glass wall at the street façade. The new stair leads patrons to the basement and its pot still focal point, then flowing into The Founder’s Room with a 20-foot-long tasting table, which seats 20 people. Surrounded by branded barrels and heavy stone foundation walls, the tasting table is a work of art. A 122-year-old tree removed from the historic Pabst Mansion property—a nod to Milwaukee’s brewery heritage—was split in half to create the table. The top of the 3,000-pound ash tree is flanked by glass panels to display the rich texture of the bark.
On the second level, The Mix event spaces include a catering kitchen, bridal suite and a second bar, which is constructed of steel slats and black granite salvaged from the original tasting room. A new elevator and stairway lead to the wooden rooftop deck. Surrounded by red railings and salvaged barnwood planters, the deck offers patrons a relaxing outdoor gathering spot and extraordinary views of downtown Milwaukee, the Historic Third Ward and Lake Michigan.
Art in the Details
Custom-crafted pieces throughout required collaboration between HGA, craftspeople and the contractor. In some cases, these were unique applications of standard building products. For the bar front, brass strips, typically used for flooring transitions, were laid out in a chevron pattern reminiscent of the grains used in distilling. In other cases, materials more common to the world of arts and crafts were leveraged. At the bar back, leather cording in yellow and two shades of blue were strung back and forth between a custom-fabricated steel armature. Here, the pattern follows the Milwaukee flag, as noted earlier, but subtler to allow visibility to the cream city brick beyond.
The success of the architectural and structural engineering retrofit of Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen resulted from a careful blend of modern technology and historical sensitivity. The effort has transformed a neglected commercial building into a vibrant new urban space.
PHOTOS: JOHN MAGNOSKI
Retrofit Team
ARCHITECT, ENGINEER, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, INTERIOR DESIGNER: HGA
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: GardnerBuilders
OWNER: Central Standard Craft Distillery
MATERIALS
METAL PANELS: Delta Concealed Fastener Panels from Firestone Building Products Co.
ALUMINUM FRAMING SYSTEM: Tubelite
WALL TILE: Daltile
TILE ACCESSORIES: Schluter Systems
WALK-OFF CARPET: J+J Flooring
WALLCOVERING: Innovations USA