Project Details
- Project Name
- Blue Moon Brewing Company
- Architect
- Roth Sheppard Architects
- Client/Owner
- MillerCoors
- Project Types
- Commercial
- Project Scope
- Adaptive Reuse
- Size
- 26,000 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2016
- Awards
- 2017 AIA Colorado Design Awards
- Shared by
- Ayda Ayoubi
- Consultants
-
General Contractor: Hyder Construction,Civil Engineer: JVA,Structural Engineer: Wallace Engineering,McGrath,Electrical Engineer: C3S
- Project Status
- Built
- Cost
- $8,000,000
Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
The Blue Moon Brewing Company’s flagship brewery and restaurant is located on a 1.22-acre site in the River North District (RiNo) of Denver, Colorado. Completed in July of 2016, the project is an adaptive reuse of an existing 26,000 SF bow truss building built in 1951 that was formerly used for distributing plumbing supplies. The project goal was to deepen the emotional connection consumers have with Blue Moon via the brand’s face, place and story by creating a new brewery, restaurant/hospitality center. This provides MillerCoors total control over the visitor experience and allowed them to create a flexible, genuine home where fans can visit to taste Blue Moon Brewing Company beers and interact with the brewmasters year-round. A deep understanding of the brand, history, program and vision of Blue Moon as well as the history of the site was used to define and create an architecturally branded identity unique to the brewery and existing building. Local and authentic materials such as concrete, stone, tile, steel and wood were used throughout the space to craft a timeless architecture that compliments the original structure. The bar and the brewhouse needed to be visually connected to give the patron the sense that the beer is coming directly from the process. A self-guided tour hall, shop and a private meeting space along with the kitchen, administration and shipping/receiving spaces were required. The project cost $8,000,000 to construct, including all brewing/production area and equipment, restaurant, private event and administration spaces.
The existing bow truss warehouse roof informed the plan parti to create the curved separation between the brew process area and the restaurant/bar area. Large glass windows allow views into the production and process areas, creating a transparent brewing process. The circular bar is the focal point and has a custom glowing 8-foot diameter Blue Moon light fixture suspended above a showcase of illuminated glassware below. 8-foot diameter industrial concrete pipes were transformed into intimate booths providing semi-private areas among the brewery’s open and informal layout of casual soft seating and table settings. These informal arrangements provide a variety of seating options that relate back to the traditional Belgium beer garden while subtly dividing the expansive space into more private zones. The circular shape of the bar, booths, and custom light fixtures recall the moon and the Valencia orange that Blue Moon Brewing Company is known for. A tour hall that wraps around the brew house allows visitors the experience of learning and seeing the process of beer making. A large meeting space used for private events sits within the brewery fermentation tanks off the tour hall. Kitchen and back of house service zones are discretely located while large expanses of wall allow for local artists to display their works.
The west façade of the building opens up with overhead glass garage doors to a large outdoor patio with views of the mountains, blurring the lines between interior and exterior.
An architectural branded identity is defined by the creative use of local and authentic materials throughout to craft a space that feels timeless, fun and memorable. The building connects to the past but has created a modern space which speaks to the artfully crafted beers that are brewed with imagination and a spark of creativity.