The Union Trading Company

For years listed as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars and recently one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, the honor of helping the beloved Union Trading Company relocate to a new home came with a healthy dollop of pressure. Yao Lu, owner, award winning mixologist, and overall great guy, simply requested that the bar’s new (and smaller) home maintain the essence of a night out at the Union Trading Company. Working closely with the client, the proposal was led by identifying the emotional touch points of the original bar location and relied on the ethos of keeping the best parts and upgrading the rest.
The design process involved recounts of countless nights at the neighborhood favorite bar and discussions with regulars to identify the broad strokes of what they remember of the original space’s interior decor.
The experiences of opening the door to see familiar faces looking up at you from behind the bar, rubbing elbows with other guests to order another drink, Yao standing on the bar to make important announcements, and looking at the wall hung photos of guests while you wait for the rest room, these were the things that Yao, his team, and the bar’s loyal patrons wanted preserved.

The design proposed to allocate the budget appropriately to surfaces that were high touch points, such as the bar countertop crafted from solid American walnut that included a custom elbow rest, and comfortable booths that provided more privacy on the second floor.
With a name like The Union Trading Company that harkens to the historical days of America, vintage details like wood wainscots and custom industrial lamp fixtures over the bar were designed. The staircase connecting the two floors made it a natural choice to hang all the photographs of guests, making the high traffic area a more interesting experience.

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