Bronzeville Winery has opened at 4400 Cottage Grove, a new mixed-use complex in Chicago’s South Side. Designed by locally based architecture studio Future Firm, the contemporary concept emphasizes flexibility and openness to accommodate dining, exhibition, performance, and events.
“When approaching the restaurant design for Bronzeville Winery, we aimed to create a multisensory experience that encompassed the diversity that makes Chicago so beautiful,” says restaurant owner Cecilia Cuff. “We created unique memorable moments and also leveraged our restaurant opening to help contribute toward a circular economy by providing work and exposure for local artists.”
A minimal steel trellis outfitted with planters filled with vines and vegetables punctuates the arrival experience with an organic canopy. The linear 2,500-square-foot space frames views of the neighborhood via floor-to-ceiling windows that infuse abundant daylight. Warm, pre-finished Baltic birch surfaces offset the design’s industrial qualities, like a wire mesh canopy, metal pendants, and custom black powdercoated decorative metalwork that is suspended above a seating nook.
In addition to brickwork that forms a backdrop for rotating artwork, focal points include the wine bar centerpiece, ∂which is installed before a custom wine wall that highlights bottles from Black-owned wineries. Microgreen plantings also line the interior along with locally crafted furnishings that showcase Chicago through a design lens.
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