The angled glass facade of a modernist icon in Vancouver now covers a group cafe and bar designed by SML Studio Structure.
Ellipsis serves espresso and cocktails contained in the Waterfall Constructing, one of many last works by late Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, which he designed in 1996 in collaboration with Nick Milkovich.
Positioned inside a housing complicated near Granville Island, the geometric construction was initially designed as an artwork gallery.
Its glass cover sits at a 45-degree angle to the concrete construction, with the doorway by way of a canted triangle of concrete within the centre.

The two,882-square-foot (268-square-metre) area was renovated by SML Studio Structure to change into a group gathering area that seats as much as 47 patrons.
“Anchored in inspiring prospects to cease, sit, and keep some time, Ellipsis is a twin bar combining espresso, cocktails, and group underneath one design masterpiece,” stated the studio.

The angle of the facade signifies that the ceiling top soars above the road of banquette seating that runs the total size of the again wall.
Each the built-in benches and the eating chairs with round seats and bolster-style backs are upholstered in burnt-orange velvet.

The bold-hued material contrasts the stark concrete flooring, impartial partitions and chrome steel counters that collectively create an industrial aesthetic.
“Brushed chrome steel surfaces, geometric millwork, and first shapes – circles, triangles and rectangles – echo Erickson’s formal language, whereas reflective components are balanced with pure supplies resembling wooden and material to evoke heat and luxury,” stated SML Studio Structure.
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Chrome-finished Bell Moveable Lamps by Tom Dixon are positioned on the low black tables and the taller brushed-steel high-tops, which match the bar counter fronts.
Because the area transitions from day to nighttime, the glow of a round projected mild illuminates the again wall and attracts in company.

Extra lighting tucked beneath the service counters displays off the polished concrete ground, leading to a heat ambiance throughout the large-scale area after darkish.
“In a world that strikes sooner and sooner, I needed to create an area that invitations us to decelerate, to pause, to satisfy within the second,” stated Ellipsis proprietor Ming Yang. “It is a cafe, it is a bar, however greater than that, it is a area for presence, connection and which means.”

Different cafes in iconic buildings embody the just lately renovated eatery on the Brooklyn Museum.
Many comparable areas shift from espresso to liquor service to take advantage of income choices all through the day – we highlighted 5 examples to have fun the brand new cafe and bar class for this 12 months’s Dezeen Awards.
The images is by James Han.
Undertaking credit:
Inside design: SMLConstruction: Tetherstone ConstructionVI design: NBD