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Party of Four | Bar & Club

application

In clubs, Party of Four may be configured as four large chairs around a table, or as a banquette or sofa located directly across from a cocktail table and two chairs. Table height and size vary, but none are high enough or big enough for dining.

research

Party of Four in club settings is not the same as a dining configuration with a Four-Top table and chairs. There are several ways to distinguish between these practices, including the size and height of a table, set-ups, distances between tables, seat height and angle of chair backs and lighting.

Tables in the Party of Four configuration are small, because they are primarily for drinks. Set-ups may include candles; historical photographs indicate ashtrays as common. The Four-Top table in restaurant settings is larger, because dinner is served. Set-ups may include silverware, napkins, chargers, plates, water and/or wine glasses, salt and pepper shakers and a flower arrangement. Party of Four tables are placed close together, because privacy is not a priority; dining Four-Tops and chairs are spaced further apart. The seat height for chairs also differentiates application. Seats in Party of Four are low to the floor, and the angle of the chair is for lounging. Chairs for Four-Top configurations are standard height; the angle of the seat is more upright than club settings. Both club and restaurant settings use low and soft ambient lighting, as well as candlelight, but in club settings, the light is very low and may also include dramatic lighting, while dining room lighting is somewhat brighter in order to facilitate recognition of the food that is served. 

Effect

The chairs that constitute Party of Four are large, sometimes described as club chairs or lounge chairs, often upholstered. The chairs are so heavy that they cannot be moved or rearranged easily. Party of Four caters to couples, or a small group of friends. The close proximity of the club chairs of Party of Four also discourages rearrangement to include a larger group. Club or lounge chairs that are a central feature of Party of Four imply that patrons will be comfortable, and therefore, extend their stay. 

Party of Four is often located adjacent to, or behind the bar, or placed in its own dedicated area. Some historical photographs of piano bars also portray Party of Four arranged near a dance floor with a live band playing nearby. Since private conversation is not central to club entertainment, Party of Four acts as an observational hub so that the clientele watch other patrons. When the chairs include a swivel base, views are expanded. When these seating arrangements are placed in the center of open bar spaces, each user is offered a different vantage point. The sightlines can be focused centrally on the internal group of people, or externally to the dance floor, bar or other lounge spaces. Those looking in from the perimeter or passing by also observe the activity within Party of Four. Thus, Party of Four achieves a significant goal of the bar and nightclub industry-that of seeing and being seen. 

Chronological Sequence

This chronological sequence is based on primary sources, including the following design trade magazines: Interior Design, Architectural Record and Hospitality Architecture + Design. In addition to these sources, evidence comes from historical photographs, especially those from the American Memory Collection in the Library of Congress. The photographs are particularly informative when they picture people smoking, drinking, conversing-activities that are often missing in design trade sources. These historical sources also reveal the use of Party of Four not only in bars and nightclubs, but also on boats and ships. 

The Decade of 1930

Prior to wine tastings as entertainment, liquor distillers created "entertainment suites" for tastings within the corporate workplace. Seagram's Distillers Corporation (1939) constitutes the first documented example of this setting.1 Employees could enjoy an in-house happy hour with co-workers and clients. For Seagram's corporate office in the Chrysler Building, designer Morris Lapidus located Party of Four on the wall across from the bar. He placed two armchairs and a small cocktail table across from a curved banquette. As photographs suggest, smoking was a significant activity; the tiny tabletop included a large centered ashtray that left little room for drink glasses. Those seated in chairs could view the hand painted mural above the banquette, while those seated on the banquette observed the bar space and viewed the mural as a reflected image in the mirror. 

Between 1920 to 1950, politicians, business people, lawyers, lobbyists and reporters gathered at the most important bar in the world-the Club Bar in the Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC.2 The Club Bar was understood to be the place to discuss business or to get tips on breaking stories and scandals. Photographer Theodor Horydczak captured the Party of Four space at two different times-the first, without people, and the second, with many drinkers, bartenders and servers. The open floor plan around the highly embellished Art Deco-style bar had groupings of four large, vertically striped, club chairs placed around a small cocktail table. The photographs illustrate patrons leaning in towards the center of the table to engage in conversation.  

The Decade of 1940

Three photographs provide the application of Party of Four on a cruise ship, the SS America, a 1940 United States Liner that traveled from New York to Australia. However, shortly her completion, the Navy called the SS America to service as a World War II troop transport. After transporting over 550,000 troops, her career as a luxury hotel ocean liner began again. Egger & Higgins Architects created relaxed, maritime inspired spaces for the 1,000 passengers on the ship including their private cabins and open observation decks. The brochure highlighted the Smoking Room as a bar and lounge space of sophistication with a curved glass bar in the back with a mural of constellations.3 Guest seated in Party of Four settings watched the changing patterns of the ocean through floor to ceiling windows. In 2010, the ship's custom lounge chairs, lighting fixtures and other salvaged items were auctioned off.4

The Decade of 1950 

For the United Nations building, Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer incorporated a bar and lounge area into the complex design for its 1952 completion. Based on photographs, the long view of the space looking toward the bar indicates that Niemeyer assembled Party of Four down the center of the space.5 Two rows of club chairs and sofas alternated down each side, opposed in type of seating (sofas across from chairs, but reversed every other grouping). The low furniture emphasized the ceiling height. In September 2010, Architectural Record announced that the U.N. Headquarters was getting a $1.8 billion facelift, including a renewal of the bar and lounge space.6 

For Manhattan's Bombay Bar at Essex House (1956), industrial designer Raymond Lowey centered Party of Four, flanked on one side by the bar, leaving just enough room to walk between the two settings.7 This placement facilitated interaction with, and views of people, in the lounge and bar space. Leather club chairs surrounded a much smaller marble-topped table. The height of the space and special finish of the ceiling was emphasized to those seated at Party of Four. 

The photographic record of Eero Saarinen's TWA terminal (1948-1963) at Idlewild Airport (now the John F. Kennedy International Airport) included the Lisbon Lounge, located next to the bar.8 The Lounge hosted a captured audience-those waiting in the airport. The flying public had unlimited access to this space throughout the day, so it needed to accommodate the morning coffee crowd as well as daytime drinkers with pre-flight jitters and those about to venture off on holiday. Photographed in 1958, the Lounge accommodated the bar at one end of the space. Most of the floor area, however, featured Party of Four. Modified wing-back chairs at a dining seat height, and larger than usual cocktail tables (more like coffee tables), reveal the compromises evident in solving the special design problems of a twenty-four hour space. 

Cruising experienced a resurgence of popularity in the late 1950s and 1960s when royalty and celebrities embarked on month-long holidays all over the world. Post-World War II cruising also proved to be a more economical travel choice than air travel for the middle and upper classes. Photographs of the SS Brasil (1958), a Raymond Loewy project for the Moore-McCormack Lines, reveals luxurious spaces. The steamship accommodated 550 travelers sailing from New York to Buenos Aires Argentina.9 The scheme for the lounge and club space alternated between curved walls with murals and flat walls with opaque panels. Large rectangular booths were aligned along the rounded perimeter. The majority of the floor space was dominated by Party of Four with alternating dark and light lounge chairs at each table. Unlike the tables at the Lisbon Lounge, the table was also dining height.

The first example of Party of Four that was published in Interior Design occurred in 1959.  Hotel and resort planner, developer and decorator, Jac Lessman,10 updated the Sky Bar at the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. His client, owner Wilbur Clark, gave Lessman the goal of making sure each interior space was practical and had "cash register appeal." What had originally been a heavy space with little natural light and large club chairs was refreshed with open windows, views of the desert and Party of Four arrangements. Obviously, casinos derive a large portion of their revenue from gambling and alcohol sales so that another goal for the space was accessibility to betting and drinking. Lessman's Party of Four included a cocktail table and lightweight chairs similar to Eames fiberglass chairs. Lessman's chair choice, however, appeared lightweight to the point of instability.11

The Punch Bowl (1959) was an after-hours spot for guests staying at the Colony Motel in Atlantic City. Neal Prince of Walter Ballard Corporation designed this cocktail lounge to create a sense of intimacy and escape for its inhabitants. One of the techniques used to achieve this atmosphere were the plantings placed between the folding screens that divide the space. Party of Four was located with the sofa back parallel to the shady wall. A sunburst Greco mosaic was crafted for the cocktail table top, serving as a central point of visual interest within the grouping. The seating was oriented perpendicular to the bar. Everyone seated in this formation focused their attention inward to the group of people with whom they came.12  

The Decade of 1960 

In 1960 Italian maritime furniture designer Gustavo Pulitzer developed furniture, and the interior design of the Bamboo Room, Galleon Bar and Riviera Nightclub aboard the SS Victoria. A conscious effort was made to maximize leisurely public spaces on the floating resort. The lounges were only some of the several mini-drinking and dancing environments on the ship that cruised between New York City and the Greek Islands of the Mediterranean.13 The Bamboo Room Nightclub was located against the bow of the ship, creating a sweeping curve at the end of the space and a lowered ceiling plane. Using dark turquoise banquettes, small-surfaced built-in tables and chairs with turquoise upholstered seats and backs, Pulitzer wrapped Party of Four around the perimeter of the space. An ancillary space to the banquettes was also populated with Party of Four. All seating arrangements took up little floor space and were confined to a burgundy colored carpet, so that the parquet wooden dance floor became the focus of activity. 

The bar in the Top of the First (1961), Ponce De Leon Calle, San Juan, Puerto Rico, was designed by the internationally known industrial designer Raymond Loewy and his partner William Snaith.14 The lounge was located behind sliding screens that separated the space from the bar in a narrow hall-like space only large enough to line up Party of Four settings with a circulation path to the side. Party of Four was comprised of low streamlined pieces-a dark leather, armless, two-seater sofa sat opposite two upholstered armchairs. Several sets of Party of Four ran the length of the space. The space felt intimate, because of the constriction of space and a decorative ceiling surface that visually lowered the ceiling. Similar to the configuration in the Bamboo Bar on the S.S. Victoria, close-knit groupings faced either the bar or took in the view from fifteenth floor windows. 

In Gil Hodges Lanes (a large bowling alley) in Brooklyn, the upscale cocktail lounge was a main attraction. Bowlers obtained refreshments during or after the games with other team members and friends. Several archetypical design practices were incorporated in the lounge, including Bottoms Up, Down the Line and Party of Four. Designer Elise Remmert situated four metallic mustard-color armchairs around small cocktail tables. Along the perimeter of the room another two sets of Party of Four were comprised of two chairs placed across from blue tufted sofas. A Party of Four of blue Eero Saarinen Side Chairs (1957) with wooden legs also appeared at the end of each of the bowling lanes as lounge seating between rounds.15

For the cocktail lounge adjacent to the Rib Room restaurant (1964) in the Hotel America, the firm of Roland William Jutras Associates brought Party of Four to Connecticut's capital by installing straight-back two-seater sofas set across from two deeply tufted side chairs.16  This Party of Four was organized in the center of the lounge space, with no backing walls at all. However, both the sofas and the chairs were high-backed, providing a kind of half-wall. A Wunderkammer17 wall displayed awards, recognitions and artifacts.

The Bacardi Rum Headquarters (sometimes known as the Bacardi Tower Building) in Miami, was designed in 1964 by Latin Modernist interior designers Adela P. Estrada and Alberto Fernando Pla. Unlike the bar in the Seagram's Distillers Corporation workplace (1939), Bacardi's bar area was located within a conference room that could be separated by a partition and opened when it was necessary to mix business with pleasure. A semi-circular gold-glazed brick bar provided the background for Party of Four. In this example, the tables were of a larger diameter than most cocktail tables in order to accommodate paperwork that clients and sales personal took with them to the bar.18 

The Finger Contract Supply company outfitted all of the interior spaces in the Houston Astro's stadium, including the ninth level Skydome Club (1965). In order to achieve a space that reflected the "out-of-this-world" baseball team, a large three-dimensional space-age mural ran the length of the interior. This narrow space, defined by a curved wall on one side, and on the other side, floor-to-ceiling windows, was organized by a center circulation path. Two sets of Party of Four flanked both walls. Along the curved wall, molded Plexiglas seating with cushions was placed around low, plastic tables. Chunks of a "metallic meteor-like" stone were placed on the floor to suggest space life. On the window wall, Party of Four was achieved with large leather club chairs on castors, resulting in one side that was light in visual weight and another side that was heavy. Nevertheless, patrons could choose which side they favored, a space age side of mural and Plexiglas seating, or a window wall with traditional chairs and a night view.19  

The cocktail lounge of the Pompano Park Racecourse Club House (1965) was open to the public, but it served primarily as a dedicated space for regular betters. The room offered a standing bar and a view toward the tracks. The lounge was open daily to conduct business or carry out conversations with friends. More often than not there was a lack of atmospheric sound in the public venues offering other activities-specifically so patrons would know if they won a bet or race, or lost. Five or more Party of Four arrangements were accomplished with white laminate cocktail tables too tall for the low leather seating.20

At the Chateau Fleur-de-lis restaurant (1966), the bar and lounge occupied an equal amount of space as the dining area. This space also functioned as a waiting area for the restaurant and after-hours drinking when the kitchen closed. From the central hub, an oval shaped bar dropped down into the floor while the drink service remained at table height. Directly behind the bar were Party of Four and a banquette. Both the chairs and the banquette were upholstered in heavy, gold tufted velvet with a generous reclining back.21

At the Le Parasol in the Regency Hyatt in Atlanta, a saucer-shaped cocktail lounge was encased by a steel birdcage-like ceiling structure that opened to the sky above. The lounge in the lobby functioned for meetings between guests and their friends or associates. The semi-circular bar swept into the space and a line of chairs followed Down the Line. Beyond the bar, sets of four tufted leather armchairs were organized around a small white marble cocktail surface. The Party of Four chairs swiveled to provide 360° views of the activity within the interior. The real drama, however, was the overhead space.22

Bratenthal Residential Community bar (1967) in Cleveland, Ohio served as a gathering place for a transitional living facility that catered to older members of the community so that they did not need to travel as far to enjoy leisure time and space. The components of Party of Four were adjusted so that the furniture became more accessible for the user. The dark leather lounge chairs were not as low or reclined as some of the previous examples. The Knoll cocktail tables were small, and low to the ground, which enabled wheelchairs to have a direct approach and a more universal solution for this age group/demographic.23

In 1969 Interior Design published photographs of the café and the supper club at Circus Circus Casino (1969) in Las Vegas. In the color vocabulary of the late 1960s, and a circus theme, designer Bert Franklin brought vivid red and magenta colors and striking motifs into all the casino's spaces. The Ding-A-Ling-A-Ring bar located on the edge of the casino floor, gave spectators a preview of the action on the gaming floor, as well as the aerialist that performed above the space. The circular bar was surrounded by a ring of chairs arranged Down the Line at the bar edge and then engulfed by a sea of Party of Four. The Hippodrome Theater and Supperclub's Party of Four included four fuchsia chairs around a small teal cocktail table. Similar in shape to the Ding-A-Ling-A-Ring bar, the Horse-A-Round bar also featured a rotating floor for a merry-go-round, which varied the point of view of the stationary user at Party of Four. Café Metropole was the main restaurant, and exhibited Party of Four with brightly tufted banquettes, two hot pink club chairs and a two-foot round table with just enough room for fanciful cocktails.24

The Decade of 1970

Located on Chicago's North Rush Street, Alfie's, (1971) originally a gathering spot for beer-drinking teenagers, was revamped for professional executives to have after-work cocktails. Designer Brock Arms provided a full bar on one side of the space which left the rest of the open area for multiples of Party of Four. Groupings of four marigold molded plastic chairs or black leather Egg chairs were situated around low faux-wood Formica tables. The sculptural nature of the Egg chairs guaranteed privacy in public spaces, such as the Royal Hotel lobby in Copenhagen where this design had first appeared.25 The remaining surfaces of the club were covered in a black and yellow plaid and wooden shingles. Surprisingly enough, this space still resembled the feel of a young drinking hide-away or clubhouse, which could be considered an escape for those leaving the workplace and coming to Alfie's to unwind.26

In Plantation, Florida Jacaranada Country Club (1972) was located in a modern setting with floor to ceiling windows that faced the golf course. Photographer Alexandre Georges photographed a Scene Seen27 effect that was published by two leading design trade journals. During the day the space was shot from the inside looking out (scene) in Architectural Record. At night the space was captured from the outside looking in (seen) for Interior Design. The firm of Terry L. Rowe & Associates collaborated with designer Donald Singer to create a contemporary venue that was rare among country clubs which tended to be dark, traditional and wood paneled. Party of Four was assembled with red, fuchsia, green and blue Arne Jacobsen's Swan chairs (1958) and speckled black granite cocktail tables. This Intype was placed between the window wall and the bright orange laminate bar with Down the Line seating.28

Ellen McCluskey designed the interiors for Crown's Hamburg Plaza (1973) in West Germany. McCluskey's designs had been praised for the innovative solutions that were responsive to the local climate, cultures, traditions and needs of each client.29 Like the nighttime venue of Jacaranda Country Club, the Blue Satellite discotheque, located on the roof level of Crown's thirty-two story complex, was photographed during the day. A birds-eye-view depicted Party of Four along the edge of the room with a backdrop of two-story windows that framed a Borrowed View30 of the city. Mirrored surfaces reflected four round Thonet chairs arranged around square cocktail tables. 

The Crown's lounge space for the Galleon Bar overflowed into the ballroom's pre-event space. In this instance, Party of Four was arranged as an upholstered forest green wool sofa across from two burnt-orange club chairs. The sofas doubled as the wall for the edge of the space, while the chairs, equally spaced from one another, brought contrast in shape and color to the space. The orientation of Party of Four, located between the window wall and a circulation path, provided visual interest in the form of public access as well as privacy within the grouping. Those seated with their backs to the space were presented with a view out of the window while the opposed members watched activity develop in the center of the space. When the users engaged in discussion or desired more privacy, their focus was adjusted to the center of the group.31 

Jutras + Nicholson Associates also designed an "extremely contemporary and sophisticated interior space with no traditional identity items" for the Bristol Place Hotel in Toronto. The designers believed that this concept provided guests with a memorable interior experience catering to unique amenities that also attracted non-hotel guests.32 In November of 1973, Interior Design published the concept's execution in the hotel's Dr. Livingston's Disco. Patrons escaped their routine in the discotheque filled with antique African carvings and contemporary paintings juxtaposed by glowing lights and high-gloss surfaces. Party of Four was composed of four wicker chairs around a low cocktail table. The lounge space's material culture artifacts were directly contrasted with the contemporary Float dance floor.33 Mirror-polished chrome panels as the ceiling element reflected movement on the dance floor and those seated in Party of Four.

In the same period, the interiors for the Grand Saloon and lounge (1977) on the Mississippi Queen steamboat were decidedly traditional and vaguely stylistic. Designed by David Beer of Welton Becker & Associates, the Grand Saloon included a full bandstand, stage and dance floor located at one end of the space. The spatial center included several plush, blush-beige Party of Four arrangements. Banquettes located on either edge of the lounge space were paired with two armchairs. Since the boat was constantly in motion, the changing views served as a positive distraction for the external viewpoints for this Intype. In terms of an escapist environment, this steamboat physically removed the users from their typical day-to-day lives to another and gave them several public and private spaces to indulge in the experience.34

In creating an Art Deco installation for the Jonathan Egret (1977) restaurant, Jack Cosner's main concern for the space was that it "express the glamorous association with the era and how well this style adapted to commercial projects." This design included Padded Perimeter in one section of the space,35 as well as Party of Four in the lounge adjacent to the bar. A gilded railing defined the boundary between the bar and the lounge space where four red upholstered chairs were arranged around a mirrored cocktail table. Floor to ceiling etched glass panels, and an oxblood-lacquered baby grand piano in the lounge completed the darkly glamorous installation.36

Resorts International Casino (1978) was considered the largest gambling and hotel complex in Atlantic City during the decade of 1970. Interior designer Valerian Rybar, known as the creator of opulent rooms and extravagant designs for wealthy clientele, designed the décor, renovations and space planning of the former Chalfonte-Hadden Hall.37 Although the structural bones of the vintage hotel were compatible with his new vision for the space, Rybar commented about how the traffic pattern, flow and sightlines from one space to the next needed extensive reworking. The Rendezvous Lounge was primarily adorned with monochromatic tones of vivid red-orange complimented by bronze-tinted reflective surfaces. At the bar, red upholstered bar stools placed in a Down the Line formation interrupted the striped wall and bar counter front. With numerous gatherings of Party of Four on a plinth raised from the casino floor, this vantage point allowed seated patrons to watch the high energy on the casino floor. From any of the centered-focus seating arrangements or reflected views from the bar mirror, patrons could also see the bar, the entrance to A.C. Disco and several of craps tables.38  

The Decade of 1980

As an adaptive reuse project for the Belvedere Hotel,39 Rita St. Clair Associates were featured in Interior Design for their scheme of the Thirteenth Floor cocktail lounge (1980). The club space capitalized on the large, semi-circular sofas and strategic placement of Party of Four that was removed from the livelier, social areas of the lounge and located to intimate corners. Four wicker armchairs were located at the termination points of the main axis that ran the width of the space. Mirrored walls and columns offered different perspectives of the space. This arrangement and surrounding materiality helped to maintain solid visual connection to the high-energy atmosphere and provide privacy among the users within Party of Four.40

In 1981 The New York City Landmark Preservation Commission designated The Sherry Netherland Hotel41 as a part of the Upper Eastside Historic District of Manhattan.42 A year earlier, Valerian Rybar had completed the dual-functioning Doubles (1980) in the basement of the hotel. Rybar's love for color (specifically red) and an abundance of mirror and shiny metal detailing became part of his signature styling. The posh Manhattan dining-disco combination provided a variety of spaces for the club members. The bar and lounge functioned as a transitional space for the two main areas. The size of this area was already considered fairly intimate, and the orientation for the lounge seating pushed the notion a little further. Party of Four was doubled and stationed behind the bar space on either side of the entrance. Textured side chairs that folded down to the metal base sat across from a bright red love seat. The lounge chairs were faced away from the bar, focusing the patron's attention to those seated on the sofa against the wall. At the same time, the sofa faced the bar, but the stool backs dominated the view so that the focal point was adjusted back to the opposing two chairs.43

In Toronto, Barton Meyers Associates included a transitional bar and lounge space when the firm renovated three Victorian townhouses for the Bellair Café and Grill (1982). The designers managed to achieve a contemporary idiom while maintaining the domestic scale of the upstairs space. In order to obtain the desired level of drama, the designers pushed through the ceiling to the attic, exposing the pitched ceiling. Several deep blue velvet lounge chairs were arranged around black cocktail tables for Party of Four. Windows were increased to door size views out onto the street and large openings in the walls created sightlines to both of the dining areas. The placement of this Party of Four allowed for the person with their back to the live movement to grasp alternative exterior views through these openings. The black marble bar served as a central hub of the space; Party of Four provided nodes of rest for people waiting on drinks or to be seated for dinner.44

In 1987, the Chicago Art and Architecture firm won the IBD (Interior Business Designers) silver medal for their design of the Tango restaurant. Principals Garret Eakin and John Banks felt as if it was not just the design, furniture or accessories, but the way people filled and animated the space that was considered a valuable asset. A black and gray scheme provided a backdrop in a "style-less" interior. When the dining space was approached through the bar and lounge, Party of Four shaped the edge of the room. As Down the Line blended into the bar on one side of the space, lightly padded gray sofas were paired with two side chairs on the other. Those seated at the sofa extended their sightline pass the two chairs in order to watch people pass through the space and entertainment at the bar. Inhabitants of the two opposing chairs however, were left with a blank wall, causing them to refocus on the internal interests of the group.45  

Branson Coates Associates worked with fashion and industrial designer Takeo Kikuchi to make his boyhood dreams a reality. Inspired by street-styling and vintage eras, Kikuchi created an "artistically makeshift" installation in Bohemia Bar (1987). Architectural Record noted that Bohemia's design concept drew from the creative mind of a musician, as if one had listened to Brazilian jazz on an airplane that landed in a London Soho basement, located in Tokyo, Japan. Kikuchi collaborated on the structural design for the large metal exhaust piping between each seating grouping to further push the concept.46 The materiality within the space was derived from the bold syncopation of color and pattern that represented a visual expression of musical improvisation in the jazz club. Coates incorporated Party of Four, again occurring behind the bar and Down the Line, as a row of old British Airway plane seats that acted as the banquette component across from custom chairs. 

The consistent proximity of this Intype to the service counter continued in the entertainment room of the Norfolk Airport Hilton (1988), where Party of Four was utilized to occupy the open floor space adjacent to the bar. The design studios of Ahearn-Schopfer and Associates substituted structural columns for vertical Light Body47 structures that identified the edge of the bar space. Along that boundary, Party of Four consisted of rounded, upholstered red armchairs around the circumference of a small cocktail table, complete with matching tablecloths. The proportion of the lounge chairs compared to the drink table appeared to be exaggerated more than previous examples of the Intype. Party of Four was arranged on a diagonal line in order to prevent patrons from having his or her back to the entertainment space, enabling visual engagement of their peripheral for live performances.48

The Decade of 1990

Architect Hiroshi Hara placed the Stardust Lounge (1994) atop one of the two forty-story towers that created the Shin-Umeda Sky City complex in Osaka, Japan. The interior design firm, Atelier, strived to create tension among contrasting materials. Entering the space, one passed through a hard, high-gloss portal to the lounge where soft materials and forms prevailed. The Padded Perimeter back wall had a grid of red and purple upholstered panels that extended up as the banquette backing. Party of Four, located between the piano's stage and the bar, provided  the only seating option in the lounge with the exception of bar stools. A single polished-chrome pen light was attached to the center of a cocktail table, adding a starry quality to the intimate lounge. Around each twinkling light were sets of four red upholstered armchairs.49  

The Decade of 2000

Jackie (2005), a dramatically designed nightclub and restaurant in the Rotterdam Club, featured a row of mannequins dressed in Jackie products. Each mannequin was incased in a cylindrical Vitrine50 and theatrically lit in intense multi-color tones of magenta and cyan. The vitrines formed an undulating boundary that redefined the vertical plane, pulling the walls away from a rectangular room. Round-backed chairs upholstered in of aqua, melon and citrine surrounded black-topped round cocktail tables. In the back portion of the lounge, Party of Four was created with a curving banquette, two chairs and square tables.51 

The Guinness Storehouse was originally constructed in 1904 as a Chicago-style steel framed structure. When operations transferred elsewhere, the complex was abandoned in 1980. In 2005, Architectural Record featured the restoration by RKD Architects for fermentation operations, conference facilities and corporate training. The designers maintained the industrial character of the original building and used glass to create uninterrupted views of the Storehouse's vast scale and composition. Diagonal escalators ran between the floors within the large Guinness pint-glass shaped atrium that rose through the center of eight stories. Each connected a different space within the Storehouse, including three functioning bars that served Guinness on tap.  Gravity, a circular bar located at the building's northwest corner, featured a floor-to-ceiling window walls that overlooked the highest point in the city. Party of Four included Arne Jacobsen's Swan chairs that were upholstered in navy blue wool. The quartet of chairs surrounded a low, reflective cocktail table with a star base. Party of Four was situated on the perimeter of the space, providing the users with panoramic views overlooking Dublin's cityscape.52 

Semiramis (2005), a boutique hotel in Athens, emerged from the international traveling interests that had been triggered by the 2004 Olympic Games. A celebration of art and technology inspired the vision of owner who hired famed industrial and interior designer, Karim Rashid, to design everything in the hotel to reflect the high energy of the surrounding area's retail, restaurant and nightlife venues. The lobby was transformed by a Chameleon53 of multi-color changes, such as vibrant pink, lime green, orange and yellow light that slowly rotated behind glass walls around the hotel's core. The bar provided ample lounge space on the curved pool decks in the form of Party of Four, a configuration that was also carried through to the lobby. Rashid created the low, two-toned, pink and white upholstered seating and placed it by the revolving walls in the lobby. The placement at the intersection of the circulation paths gave those seated in Party of Four settings various interior prospects.54

The suburbanites of Horseshoe Bay, Texas insisted that the architecture for the Marriot Horseshoe Bay Resort (2006) fit appropriately into existing residential development. To meet this mandate, Glover Smith Bode used warm, earth tones, exposed woods and natural stones on both the exterior and interior to express a vernacular architecture. The former tennis center was renovated into a double-height lounge that showcased a stone wall with cutouts for bottle display as the back bar.  Party of Four was implemented in the center of the space. The internal focus of this seating group was on board games provided by the hotel while the external sightlines pushed past the bar and out of the two-story window wall.55

The Hotel Valley Ho, designed by architect Edward L. Varney in 1956, was added to the Scottsdale, Arizona Historic Register in 2002 as one of the best mid-century motor hotels in the country. In 2006 Architectural Record featured the rehabilitation and expansion of the hotel as a Building Types Study. Originally Varney had included a tower addition in his initial plans and engineered the building's foundation to accommodate the structure. It was not built until the firm of Allen + Philp revamped the property. Party of Four established a lounge atmosphere adjacent to the contemporary hooded fireplace located adjacent to the original stone wall.56

Decade of 2010

The Yas Hotel project in Abu Dabi was a frequently published design by Asymptote Architecture. Its standout feature was two twelve-story hotel towers, one of which was constructed in the middle of a racetrack. The tower was connected to the other structure overlooking a marina by a steel and glass bridge over the track. One of the technological highlights had been an organic shell composed of diamond shaped LED illuminated panels that surfaced the two buildings. The lines of the interior were reflective of the fast-paced motion on the racetrack that ran above and below the lobby bar's lounge. Hotel designers planned the lobby space so that within the vast scale, each grouping became more approachable and versatile. People generally did not work or meet with as much formality as they have in the past, thus a casual cocktail atmosphere had been introduced. Party of Four settings were grounded by purple carpeting that mimicked glowing cut-outs on the ceiling. Lighted recessed color lines installed in the floor created pattern and denoted circulation.57

In 2010 the life of Robert Isabell, an American event planner, was celebrated in the Robert restaurant atop the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) in New York City. A number of firms (Philip Michael Wolfson, Johanna Grawunder, and Schefer Design) collaborated to create an appropriately flamboyant interior as a tribute to Isabell. Grawunder's extravagant lighting installation featured neon pink acrylic and metal rectangles hung from the ceiling; these were intended to create an optical illusion that the bright forms floated on the surfaces below. Wolfson designed several pieces of sculptural furniture. The project architect was Vladimir Kagan of Schefer. The restaurant offers views of Columbus Circle, Central Park, Broadway and Central Park West. Patrons may dine sitting on sofas in the central lounge area or be seated at the windows to enjoy the views. In the central lounge Party of Four settings reflected the upbeat movement and color in the space with transparent polycarbonate Flower Chairs (2009) designed by Pierre Paulin and glass cocktail tables.58 

Conclusion

The chronological sequence builds a strong base of evidence for the practice of Party of Four as archetypical. It is seen in stand-alone establishments for bars and clubs, and also recognized throughout other practice types and venues, such as hotel lobbies, restaurant lounges, recreational facilities, transportation, and even in a few instances, workplaces.

Bar and club interiors during the decades of 1950 and 1960 were almost as staid as interiors in corporate workplaces or the post-war home. Colors were muted, "natural," or "earth tones". Very little modern furniture was used in Party of Four settings. Often the chairs are over-sized, possibly gendered for males. Little theming occurred during this period with the exception of the Ninth Floor Bar in the Houston Astrodome (1965) and the Circus Circus Casino (1969). 

Some of the seating choices gained consistency with the exception of Arne Jacobsen's Egg and Swan chairs that appeared in the early examples for the 1970s. The Swan chair was also used in the 2000 decade, proving to be a transcendent choice for designers in this Intype. Ergonomic mechanisms were slowly being incorporated into the design of the seating. The most common selection during the 1970s were chairs with rounded backs and supports that were bent in the front and balanced by the weight of the person in the seat. 

In the 1980s many bars and clubs were located in adaptive use projects of historical buildings that were transformed into nightlife entertainment venues. Compared to previous decades when Party of Four was often located at the edge of a dance floor, during the decade of 1980 the furniture configurations were directly adjacent to a bar, or removed as an intimate conversational grouping. 

The decade of 1990 was the only instance in which there were few examples in printed and photographic sources. It is possible that the interior archetype Shuffle became the preferred furniture arrangement during this period. Shuffle59 is more flexile than Party of Four, because it accommodates various sized parties and occupies less floor space. During the decade of 2000, many of the "would be" Party of Four applications were in spaces that transitioned from daytime dining to nighttime clubbing. The tables used in these spaces were much too large to be considered a cocktail table, and served as a Four-Top transitioned into a bar-like setting. 

The published examples of Party of Four during the 2000s include more custom designed seating that is lower to the ground plane. The vertical height of the spaces was further emphasized and refocused the patron on the intimate grouping that the Intype creates. This chronological sequence is largely located within hotel lobbies. 

From 1930 to 2010 the height of the cocktail table varied greatly, ranging from low to high. The distinguishing feature, however, is that the table is not large enough to accommodate dining purposes. Regardless of its height, the table is just large enough for drinks and a bowl of snacks.

This archetype is so engrained in hospitality settings that it seems inconceivable that the practice has not been named. As this study argues, Party of Four differs significantly from a restaurant's four-top seating configuration.60 

end notes

  1. 1) Bar, Seagram's Distillers Corporate Office [1939] Morris Lapidus, interior design; Chrysler Building, New York City in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G612- 35838, LC-G612- 35851; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc.
  2. 2) Photographic Caption: "Politicians, business men, lawyers, lobbyist and reporters would gather at what was understood to be the most important bar in the world-the Carlton Hotel, Club Bar"; Carlton Hotel, Club Bar [1920-1950] Designer Unidentified; Washington, D.C. in American Memory, (LC-H824- 1951-003; Library of Congress); PhotoCrd: Theodor Horydczak.
  3. 3) SS American, Piano Bar & Smoking Lounge, United States Lines [1940] Eggers & Higgins Architects, Smyth, Urquhart & Marckwald; Various Locations in Reuben Goossens, "Maritime Historian: SS America" ssMaritime.com; http://www.ssmaritime.com/ss-america-australis.htm (accessed: Apr. 23, 2011). 
  4. 4) Fred A. Bernstein, "Décor from Post-War Ships," New York Times Web; Sept. 2010; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/garden/09ship.html (accessed Apr. 23, 2011).
  5. 5) Bar, United Nations Building [1952] Oscar Niemeyer, architect; New York City in American Memory, (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 62658; LC-G613- 62660; LC-G613- 62659; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner.
  6. 6) C.J. Hughes, "UN Headquarters Gets $1.8 Billion Facelift; Upgrading an Icon," Architectural Record Web; Sep. 2010 http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/09/100920UN_Campus.asp (accessed: Apr.23, 2011).
  7. 7) Essex House, Bombay Bar [1956] Designer: Raymond Loewy & Associates; New York City in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 69793; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc.
  8. 8) Lisbon Lounge, Idlewild Airport [1958] Knox & Murphy LaFarge; New York City in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 71789; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc.; "Trans World Airlines Flight Center, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York; Eero Saarinen & Kevin Roche," Landmarks Preservation Corporation, http://www.npclibrary.org/db/bb_files/Trans-World-Airlines-Flight-Centre.pdf (accessed: Apr. 23, 2011).
  9. 9) Nightclub Lounge, Steamship Brasil, Moore McCormack Line [1958] Raymond Loewy Associates; Goossens, Reuben, "Maritime Historian: Moore-McCormack Lines, SS Brasil" (ssMaritime.com); http://www.ssmaritime.com/ss-america-australis.htm (accessed: Apr. 23, 2011).
  10. 10) The architectural records and papers (1925-1975) of Jac Lessman are located in the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University. The collection includes a significant number of original and reprographic interior design and architectural drawings for interiors designed by Lessman throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Records are primarily for hotel, restaurant, club, and resort commissions. Also included are office files and scrapbooks related to his projects and business practices. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/archival/collections/ldpd_6882189/ (accessed Oct. 1, 2011).
  11. 11) Sky Bar, Desert Inn [1959] Jac Lessman, design; Las Vegas, NV in Anonymous, "Jac Lessman's Las Vegas," Interior Design 30, no. 10 (Oct. 1959): 149; PhotoCrd: Virginia McIntire.
  12. 12) Punch Bowl Cocktail Lounge, Colony Motel [1959] Neal Prince, AIA, ASID, Walter Ballard Corp.; Atlantic City, NJ in Anonymous, "Hotels," Interior Design 30, no. 10 (Oct. 1959): 168; PhotoCrd: Anonymous.
  13. 13) Goossens, Reuben. "Maritime Historian: M.S. Victoria" ssMaritime.com; http://www.ssmaritime.com/dc-victoria-photo.htm (accessed:  Apr. 23, 2011).
  14. 14) Top of the First [1961] Raymond Loewy, William Snaith Inc; San Juan, Puerto Rico in American Memory (LC-G613- 76589; LC-G613- 76589; Library of Congress); PhotoCrd: Samuel Gottscho.
  15. 15) Gil Hodges Lanes, Cocktail Lounge [1962] Elsie Remmert, esign; Brooklyn, New York, NY in Anonymous, "Bowling Alleys," Interior Design 33, no. 10 (Oct. 1962): 209; PhotoCrd: James Vincent; historic postcard, http://brooklynpix.com/photoframex1.php?photo=/photo1/F/flatlands50.jpg&key=FLATLANDS%2050 (accessed Oct. 2, 2011).
  16. 16) Rib Room Bar, Hotel America [1964] Roland William Jutras, Curtis And Davis; Hartford, CT Anonymous, "Hartford's Hotel America," Interior Design 35, no. 7 (Jul. 1964): 73; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges. 
  17. 17) Most web sites about the Bacardi Tower building credit the other interior designer as Alberto Fernando Pla. Wunderkammer describes an historic exhibition aesthetic in which entire walls or ceilings were covered by a multitude of artifacts arranged by taxonomy. Contemporarily, the term refers to assemblages that cover entire interior planes of related or disparate objects. Jasmin Cho, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Practices of Contemporary Restaurant Design." (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2009), 65-75; Joori Suh, "Theory Studies: Contemporary Museum and Exhibition Spaces," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2003), 117-20; The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=51 (accessed Oct. 6, 2011). 
  18. 18) Bacardi Office Bar [1964] Adela P. Estrada, Alberto Fernandez; Miami, FL in Anonymous "Bacardi Moves to Miami," Interior Design 35, no. 5 (May 1964): 126-128; PhotoCrd: Ernest C. Graham. 
  19. 19) Houston Astrodome [1965] Finger Contract Supply Co., furnishings; Charles H. Barton, Carol Willhite, William V. Griffin, Manning Mann; Houston, TX in Anonymous, "Houston's Astrodome," Interior Design 36, no. 7 (Jul. 1965): 77; PhotoCrd: Anonymous. 
  20. 20) Cocktail Lounge, Pompano Park Racecourse Clubhouse [1965] Homer A. Shrewsbury, Jr.; Pompano Park, FL in Anonymous, "Win, Place, Show," Interior Design 36, no. 10 (Oct. 1965) 213. PhotoCrd: Anonymous.
  21. 21) Chateau Fleur De Lis Restaurant, Bar [1966] Alan Ferry, Hugh Latta, Cooper, Salzman & Carry Architects; Atlanta, GA in Anonymous, "Restaurants," Interior Design 37, no.4 (Apr. 1966): 190; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges.
  22. 22) Club Atlantis, Regency Hyatt [1967] Edwards and (John) Portman, Roland William Jutras; Atlanta, GA in Anonymous, "Regency Hyatt House," Interior Design 38, no.9 (Sept. 1967): 142; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges.
  23. 23) Bratenahl Residential Community Bar [1967] Theodore Hofstatter and Company, Julian B. Abbott, A.R. Kupilik, Designers;  Cleveland, OH in Anonymous, "New Concepts for Gracious Living," Interior Design 38, no.11 (Nov. 1967): 104; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges.
  24. 24) Circus Circus Casino [1969] Franklin Design (SF), Jo Harris, Rissman & Rissman Architects; Las Vegas, NV in Anonymous, "Circus Circus," Interior Design 40, no. 3 (Mar. 1969): 96-101; PhotoCrd: Anonymous. 
  25. 25) Arne Jacobsen designed Egg Chair in 1958. It is still manufactured by Fritz Hansen. http://www.fritzhansen.com/en/egg-easy-chair-3316 (accessed: Oct. 8, 2011). 
  26. 26) Alfie's [1971] Brock Arms, Addkison Enviromental Designers; Chicago, IL in Anonymous "AID Conference: Brock Arms," Interior Design 42, no.8 (Aug. 1971): 126-127; PhotoCrd: Idaka. 
  27. 27) Scene Seen describes two views that occur in a building comprised of transparent walls. By day the emphasis for occupants is about seeing outside to view a landscape or skyscape. By night, however, when the transparent interior is artificially lit, the emphasis is about others looking in, and the occupants and furnishings are seen by those on the outside, in effect, becoming a scene for others to view. Marta Mendez, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Practices of Contemporary House Design," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2008): 98-115. The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed Nov. 2, 2011). http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=88
  28. 28) Jacaranada Country Club, Bar & Lounge [1972] Terry L. Rowe and Associates, Donald Singer, interiors; Plantation, FL in Anonymous, "The Jacaranada Country Club," Interior Design 43, no. 7 (Jul. 1972): 60-65; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges.
  29. 29) New Hamburg Plaza, Blue Satellite Discotheque [1973] Ellen McCluskey, interiors; Hamburg, West Germany in Anonymous "Hamburg Plaza Crowns New German Complex," Interior Design 44, no. 7 (Jul. 1973): 78; PhotoCrd: Anonymous; Ellen Lehman McCluskey, http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/mccluskey-ellen-lehman (Accessed: Oct. 8, 2011).
  30. 30) Borrowed View originates from a traditional Japanese practice of visually incorporating an extraordinary adjacent or distant exterior view into the interior. Najung Kim, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Practices of Contemporary Luxury Apartment Design." (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2009): 119-27; The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed Nov. 2, 2011), http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=6
  31. 31) New Hamburg Plaza, Cocktail Lounge & Discotheque [1973] Ellen McCluskey, interior design; Hamburg, West Germany in Anonymous "Hamburg Plaza Crowns New German Complex," Interior Design 44, no. 7 (Jul. 1973): 77-79; PhotoCrd: Anonymous.
  32. 32) Bristol Place Hotel Bar [1973] Jutras + Nicholson Associates, interiors, Webb, Zerafa, Menkes, Housen Architects; Toronto, Canada in Anonymous, "Teamwork in Toronto," Interior Design 44, no. 11 (Nov. 1973): 128-132; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges. 
  33. 33) Float is a weight-bearing floor plane comprised of a translucent material that is lit from below, giving an unnatural effect. Joanne Kwan, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Artificial Lighting Practices in Contemporary Interior Design," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2009), 143-66; The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed Nov. 2, 2011), http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/expanded.cfm?erID=165.
  34. 34) Grand Saloon & Lounge, Mississippi Queen Steamboat [1977] Albert P. Hinckley, James Gardner; David Beer, Welton Becket & Associates; New Orleans, LA in Anonymous, "A Luxury Hotel Designed to Float Down the Mississippi to New Orleans," Architectural Record 162, no. 5 (Oct. 1977): 113-15; PhotoCrd: Marvin Rand. 
  35. 35) Padded Perimeter is an upholstered wall or walls, or a portion of a wall. The archetype is identified in restaurant and hotel practice types, as well as bars and clubs. Carla Wells, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Practices of Contemporary Bar and Nightclub Design," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2012): 47-68. The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed Nov. 2, 2011). http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=82
  36. 36) Egret Bar, Restaurant Jonathan[1977] Jack Cosner; New Orleans, LA in Anonymous, "Restaurant Jonathan," Interior Design 48, no. 7 (Jul. 1977):100-104,107; PhotoCrd: Jamie Ardiles-Arce.
  37. 37) Chalfonte-Hadden Hall: The Chalfonte Hotel was built in 1868 by Elisha and Elizabeth Roberts. Hadden Hall was estsblished across the street by Samuel and Susanna Hunt in 1869. The two buildings were merged by Leeds & Lippincott via skyway to create the complex. Historical American Buildings Survey (HABS, Library of Congress): HABS NJ,1-ATCI,4, Survey number HABS NJ-869; http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:5:./temp/~ammem_4ruM, (accessed: Oct. 8, 2011). 
  38. 38) Rendezvous Bar & Lounge [1978] Valerian Rybar, interior design; Atlantic City, NJ in Anonymous, "Resorts International," Interior Design 49, no. 11 (Nov. 1978): 180-87; PhotoCrd: Jamie Ardiles-Arce, Carl Shuman. 
  39. 39) The Belvedere Hotel: In 1903, Parker and Thomas constructed the hotel with a French Beaux Arts style. It was a popular lodging location for several political figures and celebrities. The Belvedere was considered historically significant because it shaped a great deal of the Baltimore City skyline during the first quarter of this century. The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic places in August of 1977; National Register of Historic Places: Properties in Baltimore City. Maryland Historical Trust, http://mht.maryland.gov/nr/NRDetail.aspx?HDID=429&COUNTY=Baltimore%20City&FROM=NRCountyList.aspx?COUNTY=Baltimore%20City (accessed: Oct. 8, 2011).
  40. 40) The Thirteenth Floor, Cocktail Lounge & Bar, Belvedere Hotel [1980] Adaptive Reuse (Parker and Thomas, 1903), Rita St. Clair Associates, Victor Frankel; Baltimore, MD in Anonymous, ‘Upbeat Ambience in Downtown Baltimore,' Interior Design 51, no. 4 (Apr. 1980): 242-5; PhotoCrd: Ron Solomon.
  41. 41) Sherry Netherland Hotel: Located on the corner of East 59th and Fifth Avenue, the site was originally occupied by the 1890 construction of The Netherland Hotel, designed by William Hume. This hospitality project was built by Schultze & Weaver (Leonard Schultze and S. Fullerton Weaver) as a design collaboration with Buchman & Kahn (Albert Buchman and Ely Kahn), completed in 1927.; Norval White & Elliot Willensky, "AIA Guide to New York City," Fourth Edition (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000): 382. 
  42. 42) New York City Landmark Preservation Commission, "Guide to New York City Landmarks," Fourth Edition, (New York: Wiley, 2009): 154.
  43. 43) Doubles Bar & Lounge, Basement of Sherry Netherland Hotel [1980] Valerian Rybar; New York, NY in Edie Cohen, "Two by Valerian Rybar," Interior Design 51, No. 4 (Apr. 1980): 230-35; PhotoCrd: Jamie Ardiles-Arce.
  44. 44) Bellair Café and Grill [1982] Barton Meyers Associates; Toronto, Canada in M.G., "Barton Meyers Associates," Architectural Record 170, no. 3 (Mid-Feb. 1982): 101-103; PhotoCrd: Michel Proulx.
  45. 45) Tango Restaurant, Bar [1983] Chicago Art & Architecture, Garret Eakin, John Banks; Chicago, IL in Anonymous, "IBD/Interior Design Awards," Interior Design 54, no. 11 (Nov. 1983): 172-73; PhotoCrd: David Clifton. 
  46. 46) Bohemia Bar [1987] Branson Coates Associates; Takeo Kikuchi, design collaboration; Tokyo, Japan in D.K.D., "Blame it on the Bossa Nova," Architectural Record 175, no. 11 (Mid-Sep. 1987): 150-51; PhotoCrd: Paul Warchol; Takeo Kikuchi Bio, http://www.world.co.jp/takeokikuchi/index.html, (accessed: Oct. 9, 2011).
  47. 47) Light Body is a large translucent three-dimensional architectural object, or element, such as a column, that is lit fully from within to produce a glowing light. A Light Body is not planar. Joanne Kwan, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Artificial Lighting Practices in Contemporary Interior Design." (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2009): 126-42. The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed Nov. 2, 2011). http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=111
  48. 48) Norfolk Airport Hilton Hotel Bar [1988] Ahearn-Schopfer and Associates; Norfolk, VA in John D. Coville, "Hotel & Restaurant Design, Norfolk Airport Hilton" Interior Design 59, no. 1 (Jan. 1988): 294-99; PhotoCrd: Peter Vanderwarker.
  49. 49) Stardust Lounge, Shin Umeda City Complex [1994] Hiroshi Hara, architect; Atelier, interior design; Interspace Time, lighting design; Osaka, Japan in Clifford A. Pearson, "Lighting; High Wire Act," Architectural Record 182, no. 2 (Feb.1994): 36-41; PhotoCrd: NACA'SA & Parters.
  50. 50) Vitrine is a glass showcase for the display of significant or ordinary objects. Kristin Malyak, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Retail Practices in Contemporary Interior Design," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2011), 232-95. The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (Nov. 2, 2011). http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=126.
  51. 51) Jackie Nightclub [2005] Dam & Partners Architecten; Rotterdam, Netherlands in Marta Serrats, Bar Design (New York: Daab, 2006): 46-51; PhotoCrd: Luuk Kramer. 
  52. 52) Gravity bar and lounge, Guinness Storehouse [2005] RKD Architects; Dublin Ireland in Anonymous, "Glass and Steel Pour On the Charm," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (Nov. 2005); PhotoCrd: Gerry O'Leary.
  53. 53) Chameleon describes the transformation of an interior by manipulating and varying solid areas of colored light over time on a single plane or throughout the entire spatial envelope. The event emerges when multiple colors cycle at regular intervals on programmable control or by manual means. Elizabeth Erin Lee, "Theory Studies: Contemporary Archetypical Practices of Transformative Interior Design, (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2010), need page #s. The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (Nov. 2, 2011). http://www.intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=66
  54. 54) Semiramis Hotel Athens [2005] Karim Rashid; Athens, Greece in Anonymous, "Checking into an Artwork," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (Nov. 2005); PhotoCrd: Jean-Francois Jassaud.
  55. 55) Marriott Horseshoe Bay Resort, Lobby Lounge & Bar [2006] Glover Smith Bode, Ryan Eshelman; Horseshoe Bay, TX in Bruce Adams, "Hill Country," Hotel Design (Apr./May 2006): 98-100; PhotoCrd: Mark Knight. 
  56. 56) Hotel Valley Ho [2006] Allen + Philp Architects; Scottsdale, AZ in Anonymous, "Restoration and Expansion," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (Nov. 2006); PhotoCrd: Mark Boisclair Photography Inc., Historic Photography Courtesy: Hotel Valley Ho; Hotel Valley Ho, http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/Public+Website/historiczoning/SHRrptHotelValleyHoI.pdf (accessed: Sept. 10, 2011).
  57. 57) Lobby, Bar, Lounge, The Yas Hotel [2010] Asymptote Architecture; Yas Island, Abu Dabi in Anonymous, "The Yas Hotel," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (May 2010); PhotoCrd: Gerry O'Leary.
  58. 58) Lobby, Bar, Lounge, Robert Restaurant [2010]Philip Michael Wolfson, Johanna Grawunder, Schefer Design; New York City in Nicholas Tamarin, "Atop the Museum of Art & Design," Interior Design Web Archives (Jan. 2010);PhotoCrd: Anonymous; Flower Chair [2009] Pierre Paulin, design; Magis, manufacturer in Italy. http://www.magisdesign.com/#/products/3/118/gallery/sheet/ (accessed: Oct. 8, 2011).
  59. 59) Shuffle is an informal seating group composed of lightweight backless seat-furniture that can be rearranged easily to produce a random order. Shuffle accommodates a variety of group sizes and spatial configurations and implies mobility, flexibility and open authorship of a space for temporary seating purposes. Carla Wells "Theory Studies: Archetypical Practices of Contemporary Bar and Nightclub Design." (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2011): 194-241.  
  60. 60) Evidence for the use and the chronological sequence of Part of Four as a bar and nightclub archetype was developed from the following sources: 1930 Bar, Seagram's Distillers Corporation Office [1939] Morris Lapidus, interior design; Chrysler Building, New York City in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G612- 35838, LC-G612- 35851; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. / Club Bar, Carlton Hotel [1920-1950] Designer Unknown; Washington, D.C. in American Memory, (Library of Congress): LC-H824- 1951-003, LC-H814- 1555-002-x; PhotoCrd: Theodor Horydczak / 1940 Piano Bar & Smoking Room, SS American, United States Lines [1940] Eggers & Higgins Architects, Smyth, Urquhart & Marckwald; Various Locations in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G612- 38104; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. / 1950 Bar, United Nations Building [1952] Oscar Niemeyer, architect; New York City in American Memory, (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 62658; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner / Piano Bar & Smoking Room, SS American, United States Lines [1954] Eggers & Higgins Architects, Smyth, Urquhart & Marckwald; Various Locations in Reuben Goossens, "Maritime Historian: M.S. Victoria, Princess" ssMaritime.com; PhotoCrd: Rueben Goossens / Essex House, Bombay Bar [1956] Designer: Raymond Loewy & Associates; New York City in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 69793; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. / Lisbon Lounge, Idlewild Airport [1958] Knox & Murphy LaFarge; New York City in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 71789; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. / Nightclub Lounge, Steamship Brasil, Moore McCormack Line [1958] Raymond Loewy Associates; American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 73066, LC-G613- 73081; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. / Sky Bar, Desert Inn [1959] Jac Lessman, design; Las Vegas, NV in Anonymous, "Jac Lessman's Las Vegas," Interior Design 30, no. 10 (Oct. 1959): 149; PhotoCrd: Virginia McIntire / Punch Bowl Cocktail Lounge, Colony Motel [1959] Neal Prince, AIA, ASID, Walter Ballard Corp.; Atlantic City, NJ in Anonymous "Hotels," Interior Design 30, no. 10 (Oct. 1959): 168; PhotoCrd: Anonymous. / 1960 Bamboo Room Nightclub, M.S. Victoria, Incres Line [1960] Gustavo Pulitzer, furniture design in Reuben Goossens, "Maritime Historian: M.S. Victoria, Princess" ssMaritime.com; PhotoCrd: Ruben Goossens / Bamboo Room Nightclub, M.S. Victoria, Incres Line [1960] Gustavo Pulitzer, furniture design in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 75142, LC-G613- 75141; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. / Top of the First [1961] Raymond Loewy, William Snaith Inc; San Juan, Puerto Rico in American Memory (Library of Congress): LC-G613- 76588; LC-G613- 76589; PhotoCrd: Samuel Gottscho / Gil Hodges Lanes, Cocktail Lounge [1962] Elsie Remmert, design Brooklyn, New York City in Anonymous, "Bowling Alleys," Interior Design 33, no. 10 (Oct. 1962): 209; PhotoCrd: James Vincent / Gil Hodges Lanes, Cocktail Lounge [1962] Elsie Remmert, design; Brooklyn, New York City, historic postcard, http://championsofthering.com/Gil%20Hodges%20Bowling%20Alley%20pc.jpg (accessed Oct. 2, 2011) / Rib Room Bar, Hotel America [1964] Roland William Jutras, Curtis And Davis; Hartford, CT Anonymous, "Hartford's Hotel America," Interior Design 35, no. 7 (Jul. 1964): 73; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges / Bacardi Office Bar [1964] Adela P. Estrada, Alberto Fernando Pla.; Miami, FL in Anonymous "Bacardi Moves to Miami," Interior Design 35, no. 5 (May 1964): 128; PhotoCrd: Ernest C. Graham / Houston Astrodome, Sky Dome [1965] Finger Contract Supply Company, furnishings; Charles H. Barton, Carol Willhite, William V. Griffin, Manning Mann; Houston, TX in Anonymous, "Houston's Astrodome," Interior Design 36, no. 7 (Jul. 1965): 77; PhotoCrd: Anonymous / Cocktail Lounge, Pompano Park Racecourse Clubhouse [1965] Homer A. Shrewsbury, Jr.; Pompano Park, FL in Anonymous, "Win, Place, Show," Interior Design 36, no. 10 (Oct. 1965): 213; PhotoCrd: Anonymous / Chateau Fleur-de-lis Restaurant, Bar [1966] Alan Ferry, Hugh Latta, Cooper, Salzman & Carry Architects; Atlanta, GA in Anonymous, "Restaurants," Interior Design 37, no.4 (Apr. 1966): 190; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges / Le Parasol, Regency Hyatt [1967] Edwards and Portman, Roland Wm. Jutras; Atlanta, GA in Anonymous, "Regency Hyatt House," Interior Design 38, no.9 (Sep. 1967): 142; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges / Bratenthal Residential Community Bar [1967] Theodore Hofstatter and Company, Julian B. Abbott, A.R. Kupilik, Designers; Cleveland, OH in Anonymous, "New Concepts for Gracious Living," Interior Design 38, no.11 (Nov. 1967): 104; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges / Piano Bar & Smoking Room, SS American, United States Lines [1967] Eggers & Higgins Architects, Smyth, Urquhart & Marckwald; Various Locations in Reuben Goossens, "Maritime Historian: M.S. Victoria, Princess" ssMaritime.com; PhotoCrd: Rueben Goossens / Ding-a-Ling-a-Ring Bar (left), Circus Circus Casino [1969] Franklin Design, Jo Harris, Rissman & Rissman Architects; Las Vegas, NV in Anonymous, "Circus Circus," Interior Design 40, no. 3 (Mar. 1969): 99; PhotoCrd: Anonymous / Hippodrome Theatre & Supperclub, (right), Circus Circus Casino [1969] Franklin Design, Jo Harris, Rissman & Rissman Architects; Las Vegas, NV in Anonymous, "Circus Circus," Interior Design 40, no. 3 (Mar. 1969): 100; PhotoCrd: Anonymous / Horse-A-Round Bar (Left), Circus Circus Casino [1969] Franklin Design, Jo Harris, Rissman & Rissman Architects; Las Vegas, NV in Anonymous, "Circus Circus," Interior Design 40, no. 3 (Mar. 1969): 101; PhotoCrd: Anonymous /  Café Metropole (Right), Circus Circus Casino [1969] Franklin Design, Jo Harris, Rissman & Rissman Architects; Las Vegas, NV in Anonymous, "Circus Circus," Interior Design 40, no. 3 (Mar. 1969): 101; PhotoCrd: Anonymous. / 1970 Alfie's [1971] Brock Arms, Addkison Enviromental Designers; Chicago, IL in Anonymous "AID Conference: Brock Arms," Interior Design 42, no.8 (Aug. 1971): 126; PhotoCrd: Idaka / Alfie's [1971] Brock Arms, Addkison Enviromental Designers; Chicago, IL in Anonymous "AID Conference: Brock Arms," Interior Design 42, no.8 (Aug. 1971): 127; PhotoCrd: Idaka / Jacaranada Country Club, Bar & Lounge [1972] Terry L. Rowe and Associates, Donald Singer, interior design; Plantation, FL in Anonymous, "The Jacaranada Country Club," Interior Design 43, no. 7 (Jul. 1972): 65; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges / Jacaranada Country Club, Bar & Lounge [1972] Terry L. Rowe and Associates, Donald Singer, interiors; Plantation, FL in Anonymous, "Jacaranada Country Club," Architectural Record 152, no. 5 (Oct. 1972): 120; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges / New Hamburg Plaza, Blue Satellite Discotheque [1973] Ellen McCluskey, interior design; Hamburg, West Germany in Anonymous "Hamburg Plaza Crowns New German Complex," Interior Design 44, no. 7 (Jul. 1973): 78; PhotoCrd: Anonymous / New Hamburg Plaza, Galleon Bar, Cocktail Lounge [1973] Ellen McCluskey, interior design; Hamburg, West Germany in Anonymous "Hamburg Plaza Crowns New German Complex," Interior Design 44, no. 7 (Jul. 1973): 79; PhotoCrd: Anonymous / Bristol Place Hotel Bar [1973] Jutras + Nicholson Associates, interior design, Webb, Zerafa, Menkes, Housen Architects; Toronto, Canada in Anonymous, "Teamwork in Toronto," Interior Design 44, no. 11 (Nov. 1973): 131; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges / Grand Saloon & Lounge, Mississippi Queen Steamboat [1977] Albert P. Hinckley, James Gardner; David Beer, Welton Becket & Associates; New Orleans, LA in Anonymous, "A Luxury Hotel Designed to Float Down the Mississippi to New Orleans," Architectural Record 162, no. 5 (Oct. 1977): 115; PhotoCrd: Marvin Rand / Egret Bar, Restaurant Jonathan [1977] Jack Cosner; New Orleans, LA in Anonymous, "Restaurant Jonathan," Interior Design 48, no. 7 (Jul. 1977): 104; PhotoCrd: Jamie Ardiles-Arce / Rendezvous Bar & Lounge [1978] Valerian Rybar, interior design; Atlantic City, NJ in Anonymous, "Resorts International," Interior Design 49, no. 11 (Nov. 1978): 182; PhotoCrd: Jamie Ardiles-Arce, Carl Shuman. / 1980 The Thirteenth Floor, Cocktail Lounge & Bar, Belvedere Hotel [1980] Adaptive Reuse (Parker and Thomas, 1903), Rita St. Clair Associates, Victor Frankel; Baltimore, MD in Anonymous, "Upbeat Ambience in Downtown Baltimore," Interior Design 51, no. 4 (Apr. 1980): 245; PhotoCrd: Ron Solomon / Doubles Bar & Lounge, Basement of Sherry Netherland Hotel [1980] Valerian Rybar; New York City in Edie Cohen, "Two by Valerian Rybar," Interior Design 51, No. 4 (Apr. 1980): 232; PhotoCrd: Jamie Ardiles-Arce / Bellair Café and Grill [1982] Barton Meyers Associates; Toronto, Canada in M.G., "Barton Meyers Associates," Architectural Record 170, no. 3 (Mid-Feb. 1982): 101; PhotoCrd: Michel Proulx / Tango Restaurant, Bar [1983] Chicago Art & Architecture, Garret Eakin, John Banks; Chicago, IL in Anonymous, "IBD/Interior Design Awards," Interior Design 54, no. 11 (Nov. 1983): 173; PhotoCrd: David Clifton / Bohemia Bar [1987] Branson Coates Associates; Takeo Kikuchi, design collaboration; Tokyo, Japan in D.K.D., "Blame it on the Bossa Nova," Architectural Record 175, no. 11 (Mid-Sep. 1987): 150; PhotoCrd: Paul Warchol / Norfolk Airport Hilton Hotel Bar [1988] Ahearn-Schopfer and Associates; Norfolk, VA in John D. Coville, "Hotel & Restaurant Design, Norfolk Airport Hilton" Interior Design 59, no. 1 (Jan. 1988): 297; PhotoCrd: Peter Vanderwarker. / 1990 Stardust Lounge, Shin-Umeda Sky City Complex [1994] Hiroshi Hara, architect; Atelier, interior design; Interspace Time, lighting design; Osaka, Japan in Clifford A. Pearson, "Lighting; High Wire Act," Architectural Record 182, no. 2 (Feb.1994): 40; PhotoCrd: NACA'SA & Partners / Stardust Lounge, Shin-Umeda Sky City Complex [1994] Hiroshi Hara, architect; Atelier, interior design; Interspace Time, lighting design; Osaka, Japan in Clifford A. Pearson, "Lighting; High Wire Act," Architectural Record 182, no. 2 (Feb.1994): 41; PhotoCrd: NACA'SA & Partners. / 2000 Jackie Nightclub [2005] Dam & Partners Architecten; Rotterdam, Netherlands in Marta Serrats, Bar Design (New York: Daab, 2006): 46; PhotoCrd: Luuk Kramer / Gravity bar and lounge, Guinness Storehouse [2005] RKD Architects; Dublin Ireland in Anonymous, "Glass and Steel Pour On the Charm," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (Nov. 2005); PhotoCrd: Gerry O'Leary / Semiramis Hotel Athens [2005] Karim Rashid, design; Athens, Greece in Anonymous, "Checking Into an Artwork," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (Nov. 2005); PhotoCrd: Jean-Francois Jassaud / Marriott Horseshoe Bay Resort, Lobby Lounge & Bar [2006] Glover Smith Bode, Ryan Eshelman; Horseshoe Bay, TX in Bruce Adams, "Hill Country," Hotel Design, (Apr./May 2006): 99; PhotoCrd: Mark Knight / Hotel Valley Ho [2006] Allen + Philp Architects; Scottsdale, AZ in Anonymous, "Restoration and Expansion," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (Nov. 2006); PhotoCrd: Mark Boisclair Photography Inc. / 2010 Lobby, Bar, Lounge, The Yas Hotel, [2010] Asymptote Architecture; Yas Island, Abu Dabi in Anonymous, "The Yas Hotel," Architectural Record Web Exclusive Archives (May 2010); PhotoCrd: Gerry O'Leary / Lounge, Robert Restaurant [2010] Philip Michael Wolfson, Johanna Grawunder, Schefer Design; New York, NY in Nicholas Tamarin, "Atop the Museum of Art & Design," Interior Design Web Archives (Jan. 2010);PhotoCrd: Anonymous / Lounge, Robert Restaurant [2010] Philip Michael Wolfson, Johanna Grawunder, Schefer Design; New York, NY in Anonymous, "Robert Restaurant," http://robertnyc.com/ (accessed: Sep. 9, 2011).

bibliographic citations

1) The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed month & date, year).

2) Wells, Carla. "Theory Studies: Archetypical Bar and Nightclub Practices in Contemporary Interior Design." M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2012, 139-92.