Buzzworks has just unveiled its new bar and music venue in Ayrshire: The T-Bar, the first designated bar in the company’s portfolio. The location for the pub is next-door to the Tree House in Ayr which Buzzworks revamped a couple of months ago. The new venue is a relaxed pub, deisgned by Jim Hamilton, that offers a large range of beers, a cocktail list and freshly baked pizzas. Irene Anderson, of Buzzworks, project manager for The T-Bar, told DRAM “We really wanted it to feel natural. That was the whole idea behind it. We were also very keen to upcycle as we had a large stock of things we could use. For instance the bar itself is the original pewter bar from Elliot’s.”
The bar faces as you come in, and it has white tiles running the full length of the bar with a small step to allow customers to rest their feet. Facing the bar is a wall of windows – which create a light and airy feel.
Looking around, there is a very rustic feel to the place: the walls are a mixture of exposed brick and wood and the table tops are aged wood. Over to the right as you come in is the stage area for the music acts, slightly elevated with professional speakers on standby and and silver industrial looking spotlights hanging above.
The wall directly to the left of this area is completely covered in aged wood frames complete with old pictures.
The more industrial aspects of the design include an iron storage cage suspended from the ceiling and you can also see the exposed ventilation pipes running across. The lights here are huge wicker affairs with very soft warm beams, tying together the mixture of the rustic and industrial themes.
Speaking about the industrial aspects of the design, Irene explained, “We weren’t really trying to make it look industrial. We wanted to stay true to the materials we already had. We didn’t want anything to look too manufactured.”
The seating is an eclectic mix of plum upholstered fixed seating running around the outer perimeter of the bar, caramel leather seats, steel chairs and stools and wooden and woven chairs. The area around the bar is very spacious with room to stand, but the edges and corners are very cosy with the fixed seating and plenty of seats. Over to the left side of the bar, the corner has what resembles a shed made entirely of wood, presumably a storage cupboard, that really fits in with the aesthetic and is completed with little wooden shelves for plants to sit on.
The use of foliage across the bar takes the base of wood and brick and adds colour and beauty to every corner. There is long artificial grass running all along the front window, potted plants sitting all about – lots of mini shelves specially created to sit these little plants.
This is particularly the case in ‘The Outhouse’, an indoor courtyard located behind the bar. The ceiling features a glass roof lantern so the area is naturally lit, giving the impression of being outside, and there are beautiful plants hanging from the ceiling. Irene told DRAM, “The Outhouse was originally an outdoor terrace area, but with the Scottish weather we realised that it wouldn’t always be put to best use. We really looked at how to get the feel of being outside while still being inside.” The terrace also has an open fire,and is also decked out with green tiles and walls, meaning that even when the weather is dull, its still bright in The Outhouse.
The T Bar is a spacious pub with cosy corners to congregate in. The rustic charm is emphasised by the contrast of the industrial features and the delicate foliage decorating the space. The space will also be acting as an intimate live music venue with performances every Friday and Saturday night.