Client: Wiseacre Brewing Company

Overview

The brewery had outgrown their current space as national demand for their product increased, and after an extensive, multi-year search for a site that met their needs and aspirations, selected a vacant lot on B.B. King Boulevard in downtown Memphis.

The project was designed around the constraints of a typical pre-engineered metal building system that also required vertical space for a line of 40-foot brewing tanks. The 43,000-sf building contains offices, brewing and bottling equipment, and showcases a taproom at the southwest corner. The taproom, lined with a 20-foot glazed corner with views out to the city, spills out onto a covered porch with an amoeba-inspired biergarten creating intimate spaces within the curved walls. The interior is bathed in seafoam green and highlights a custom concrete bar showcasing views to the massive steel brewing tanks through a wall of eight-foot plastic bubbles.

The building is illuminated by a pattern of translucent façade materials with lighted murals by a local artist on the exterior. Using a limited palette of materials and structural modifications within a pre-engineered framework, the building activates a prominent site on the edge of a renewed downtown Memphis.

Goals

The visual identity of Wiseacre is very illustrative and expansive, so the goal working with the company was to incorporate designs from the variety of can and brand designs into the space, creating a cohesive experience within the campus. We wanted to push the boundary of artwork use within the indoor and outdoor limits of the brewery with a mix use of printed panels, wallpaper, sculptural elements, painted murals, light installments and additional interior and exterior design. Additionally, we wanted to pay homage to the history and participate in the vibrant community surrounding the brewery of the South Main Arts District and downtown Memphis. We wanted to create an art experience that was unique, eclectic and indelible to the city.

Process

It was important to convey the expansive design elements of the Wiseacre brand, so I worked closely with the company to showcase which designs and color palettes would be bring into the space. Working with LRK, we looked at all parts of the building’s architectural design to see where we could bring in additional art work to enhance the experience of space, both indoor and outdoors in the landscape and exterior. A major part of the process was working with Youngblood Studios in the design refinement, fabrication and installments of pivotal artwork features including the taproom “Cat Fight” cloud sculpture, outdoor murals and signage, the large-scale sculpted cuckoo clock, cat-like creature, additional beer garden sculptures, indoor dioramas and the “Eye In the Sky” LED neon sign atop the northwest corner of building. Additionally, I worked with local printers and installers for the wallpaper features in the main bathrooms and hallways.

Additional Information

Highlighted areas: Above the main entrance are large-scale dibond panels of a whimsical pattern referenced from Wiseacre’s Regular Pale Ale can design, which serves as a geoometric counterpart to the organic nature of the south wall mural art. The pattern was modified in large format to welcome patrons into the space, and illuminates at night for an enhanced experience. A southward facing painted wall mural creates a scene of wild plantlife, complete with a hidden cat-like creature sculpture peeking along the roofline (a reference to Wiseacre's Tarasque Saison can design). A large-scale cuckoo clock sculpture pays homage to the Wiseacre roots of both German beer and family, with additional reference to their Oktoberfest can design. On the northwest corner of the building is a neon-styled LED light "Eye In The Sky" rooftop installation, a nod to vintage neon signage in the vibrant spirit of downtown Memphis. The sign serves as a beacon for the company and building, as well an acting art piece that draws patrons in. Inside the taproom is a large "Cat Fight" cloud, sculpted as a focal point above the extensive tap bar, with animated lights and movement, creating a dynamic experience. Additional wallpapers referencing can designs are found in the hallway and main brewery bathrooms