Twisted Hippo
Taproom and eatery interior
2019 — Built
Architectural Design, Signage Design, Environmental Graphics
Our exterior signage design and interior architecture radically transform an existing space to create identity and cultivate community for Twisted Hippo Taproom and Eatery, located in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood. By positioning vibrantly colored supergraphics and flora within a cavernous existing interior, the design deploys a budget-conscious strategy and material set to articulate a series of companionable “little worlds,” each with their own specificity, intimacy, and character. Bubbly wall and floor graphics articulate the 'Carbonated Cafe' up front; custom tables, planters, and an animated scrim position the 'Communal Core' in the middle; and a custom acoustic felt cloud installation shelters an intimate banquette and performance platform in the rear. Embracing bold graphics, color, and texture, the design cultivates a character as "weird and approachable" as Twisted Hippo.
General Contractor: Helios Construction
Signage Contractor: Right Way Signs
Felt Fabrication: TURF
Photography: Matthew Messner
