Located on the prominent SE corner of Bond & Minnesota Ave in downtown Bend, the historic D.H. Spheir Building, which was recently accepted to the coveted National Register of Historic Places, was transformed into an elegant wine lounge for the world-class wines from Domaine Serene, Chateau de la Cree and Maison Evenstad.
A two-story wine “tower” and wrap-around mezzanine is the defining design element of the lounge. The wine lounge build-out includes a new kitchen and bar, an area for wine storage, and a variety of lounge and dining spaces with a new fireplace that creates a semi-private dining space for entertaining clients or celebrating a special occasion with a group of friends.
A unique structure full of historic character, including exposed brick and stone, rough sawn floor and roof joists and near floor to ceiling windows and transoms, the goal was to restore these original elements and enhance them through the design of the wine lounge. A glass floor was installed over the stairs leading to the basement, so that from the first level, guests are able to see the historic floor framing, stone foundation walls and the unique steel and wood stair.
In addition to the adaptive reuse of a historic building on a prominent corner in Bend’s downtown, the project subtlety communicates Domaine Serene’s brand. The quality of the space reinforces the quality of their wines through the authentic use of materials and seamless integration of old and new.