RESTAURANTS + BARS
Eno Wine Bar
Washington, DC
ENO is a wine bar offering small bites and located inside two former townhouses in Washington DC’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. The small footprint called for a minimalist design approach, an open layout and subtle material palette in order to make wine the central focus. The existing structure housed core functional elements including space for food prep, dining on two levels and private dining on the lower level. The project scope called for a two-story addition along the back alley for primary bar circulation, wine storage as well as a more modern entry for guests coming from the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel.
The original masonry walls are exposed and juxtapose new oak flooring and ceiling for a warm and comfortable feel. A central double-height open volume encourages social interaction and connects the two seating levels while focussing attention on the main wine bar below, the heart of the restaurant. At the center of this double-height space is a large art piece inspired and designed by the DMAC team. The object is a “freeze-frame” moment of a wine barrel exploding outward from its epicenter. Much in the way the new, rich oak floors, ceiling and millwork are carved within the original structure and call attention to its history and evolution, the wine barrel sculpture, too, becomes an expression of the individual pieces that once made the barrel whole. It transcends its original function with new purpose and energy.
