“The coolest sports bar in America” was the client’s request, and that’s what architect Rand Elliott delivered. Located in a brand new upscale retail development promoting local Oklahoma City businesses, RePUBlic Gastropub is the anchor tenant of 26 storefronts. Elliott wanted to create a place that would celebrate the “spirit of sport” but at the same time be a great dining experience. The design and the accompanying material palette—steel, terrazzo, wood, leather, and glass—recall the power and grace of athletes, and make sports fans and non-sports fans alike feel comfortable in the space.

The restaurant is divided into two areas: a bar, which seats 30 customers; and a dining area, a combination of booths and tables, which seats 171. The bar’s main focus and primary source of ambient light is a 200-inch projection screen, and there are also 103-inch plasma screen TVs and a two-story beer cooler and bottle display. These elements are countered by a singular design feature: a two-tiered glass wall with a pattern of individual bubbles of different sizes (1½ and 2 inches in diameter) that wraps the entire restaurant. Composed of glass sheets (the upper panels measure 5 feet 8 inches wide by 7 feet 6 inches tall, and the lower panels measure 5 feet 8 inches wide by 1 foot 6 inches tall) coated with an amber film, full-scale drawings were used to study the right density for the bubble pattern. Backlit with LED strips, the wall becomes a continuous light datum that adds a sophisticated sensibility to this pub.

Jury Comments: Contemporary and muscular with a nice use of materials. • The bubble is a nice feature and way of introducing a singular design element. • The designer is not afraid to let the space be dark.

About the Author

Elizabeth Donoff

Elizabeth Donoff is Editor-at-Large of Architectural Lighting (AL). She served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2017. She joined the editorial team in 2003 and is a leading voice in the lighting community speaking at industry events such as Lightfair and the International Association of Lighting Designers Annual Enlighten Conference, and has twice served as a judge for the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section’s (IESNYC) Lumen Award program. In 2009, she received the Brilliance Award from the IESNYC for dedicated service and contribution to the New York City lighting community. Over the past 11 years, under her editorial direction, Architectural Lighting has received a number of prestigious B2B journalism awards. In 2017, Architectural Lighting was a Top Ten Finalist for Magazine of the Year from the American Society of Business Publication Editors' AZBEE Awards. In 2016, Donoff received the Jesse H. Neal Award for her Editor’s Comments in the category of Best Commentary/Blog, and in 2015, AL received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Media Brand (Overall Editorial Excellence).Prior to her entry into design journalism, Donoff worked in New York City architectural offices including FXFowle where she was part of the project teams for the Reuters Building at Three Times Square and the New York Times Headquarters. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., and she earned her Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.

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