Tall, Dark & Handsome | X Macallan Bar by Jingle Design

An otherworldly hideout that appeases yet stimulates the senses, Jingle Design’s rendition of an immersive bar is an emotionally, and physically, transportive work of art

Image credit: TOPIA VISION

Good design should dismantle stereotypes, reshape scene interactions and drive towards business goals within the logic of returns and market trends and beyond creative formulas and aesthetic laws. Enigmatic and seductive, the Shenyang-based X Macallan Bar by Jingle Design perfectly achieves this goal by interpreting a scene of drinking whisky with friends, composing a melody of classic style and creating an immersive space beyond the hustle and bustle of city life. Upon entering the space, one feels as if they were sitting in an Irish pub, enjoying an atmospheric film by Wong Kar-wai or engrossed in romantic blues. A variety of retro styles will cater to different guests, allowing them to enjoy themselves in respect, intimacy and comfort.

The huge space, stacked construction of oak barrels and matrix arrangement forms an incredibly unique feeling of space. The hundreds of oak barrels which some can even say doubles as a huge art installation playfully reflects the light and shadow that bounces on it, becoming the folding metaphor of contemporary art and constructing an experience across time and space. A quintessential design element, the rugged texture of the walls evokes a bohemian sense of freedom that celebrates diversity.

With its wood and metal texture, the bar counter gleams under the appropriately dim light, allowing guests to experience the classical atmosphere of the bar, while its metal background will bring them back to reality. The untouched colours and details of these pure materials, whether it is the rough texture of the ceiling or the solid wood of the beam, instantly captivate the senses and teleports one to another era. “There is no need to add some patterns to the material if it can be used fully and skillfully, since decorative beauty is additional and artificial, while the beauty of materials is natural and original,” remark the designers.

The surrounding glass wine cabinets resemble delicate show windows in a unified sequence, inside each of which there is a bottle of wine from a different year; this unique display not only looks intriguing but also reinforces the upscale taste and irresistible charm of the space. The designers also employed a leather sofa, wooden grating and a touch of brilliant orange, creating a warm and cosy space that embraces people’s emotions and shelters them from the isolating outside world.

Design-wise, the X Macallan Bar showcases the sheer power and seduction of simplicity by strategically playing with light, material and forms under a cloak of obsidian. Its seemingly effortless setting appears complex upon close range, embracing you in an instant and leaving an impression to last the ages.

This article was originally featured in Metropolitan Home