Union Bar and Soda Fountain

This project was a new 6,000 s.f. casual restaurant and soda fountain, complete with large patio with play and dining options. The location serves as the gateway to the city’s Poudre River District, and this project is notable for its impact on the local dining scene.

The metal building’s exterior was enhanced with details that are reflective of railroad details, in wood and steel elements that are also brought into the interior of the dining space, which was designed to reflect both the railroad history of Fort Collins and a modern approach to an old soda fountain, with plays on hexagonal shapes and expressions of scale. The vaulted design allowed for a full glass end wall at the connection to the patio that can be opened up on nice days for an indoor-outdoor feel. The ceiling was designed with a wood plank system that allowed for additional acoustic qualities to be integral to the ceiling structure, which was integral to the design for a large restaurant space. The bar and some dining areas are accented with steel and wood structures inspired by that same railroad-type detailing, and these elements help to break up the larger space of the restaurant into smaller, friendlier areas