Wood Wade Brewery
When a group of beer artists, whose dedication to making fine high-gravity and unique beers, approached us to design a new brewery and restaurant for them in a historic building in downtown Birmingham, we jumped at the chance.
Through numerous conversations and in-depth research into the brewing process, several ideas began fermenting in our minds.
Discovering the owner’s insatiable draw to bar songs, we took their favorite, “Keg On My Coffin, “ and used it as the melody that tied all of the many parts and functions of both the existing building and new components together. So, with guitar in hand, we wrote out the melody and began understanding how the notes related with each other in order to assemble them into a pattern that could be placed on a pin drum in a music box. Thus, creating the silent song singing throughout the space through the intentional placement of the interior walls and ornamentation, our music box.
Additionally, we sought to harmonize the melody with the logo of the brewery. The gear, representing the company to the public, was interwoven into the flooring to interact with the melody of the walls.
As a final element for the space, we researched the single most important ingredient in creating unique beers. Studying the seed cone of the hops plant (Hum ulus Lupulus), we decided to design and build an 8’ wide by 10’ tall abstract hops flower using steel cable and aluminum sheets. This was carefully balanced from the ceiling to bounce light around the interior dining space, being strategically placed within the rhythmic qualities of the existing building's column layout.
Synchronizing these elements throughout the project was reflective of the dedication and artistry of the owners, seeking to expound their story and vision of developing and serving exclusive high-gravity beers to the public.