This project demonstrates a simple solution for the multiple design considerations of a cocktail lounge that is a microcosm of Chicago—sitting under the structure of the El in a residential neighborhood west of Wrigley Field. Simplicity and comfort make this bar feel like a time-honored lounge, while subtle elements of technology that appeal to a younger generation make it a contemporary bar.

A stainless steel tube brings customers from the street into the bar and opens to a large interior volume lined with wood walls and a translucent, backlit ceiling. The space is interrupted with simple volumes of stainless steel for the bar and bathroom, and of wood for built-in furniture and the back bar.

The Tiny depends on an environment that is both functional and inviting. The perimeter wood walls introduce a warm and intriguing aesthetic, constructed from six-inch wide boards individually routed with different lateral cuts of varied widths and depths. Individual pieces of wood, also cut at varying dimensions, are inserted randomly within the routed boards. The end product is a linear, irregular pattern—a machined process resulting in a handcrafted effect. Its true function is to diffuse sound waves. With special acoustical insulation mounted above the translucent ceiling, ambient sounds, such as voices, reflect on the hard surfaces and are muted in the ceiling cavity. Coupled with concealed loudspeakers, the intended result is to reduce ambient noise that rises during the evening with every cocktail and to sharpen the sound of the music.