Cass students raise the bar News from the School of Art, Architecture and Design

Furniture students design and build a new pop-up bar working in collaboration with industry ready for school social events in our post-social distancing future.

Prior to the closure of the University buildings due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the last celebratory communal event to have taken place at The Cass on the Aldgate campus saw the unveiling of a recently realised pop up bar designed by Furniture and Product Design BA and Furniture FdA courses.

The bar has been designed to enable and encourage students across the campus to meet and share ideas in a sociable environment, to cross pollinate and multiply their knowledge and thoughts over a friendly drink.

In response to a brief set by Andrew Stone, the Head of School, the students worked in collaboration with Meantime Brewing Company who launched the project with fascinating information about drinking habits down the ages and including a tour of the company’s East End Brewery with experience manager and sommelier Ryan Hess.  Using sustainable maple generously provided by the American Hardwood Export Council and self-sourced steel and copper the students created a pop up bar that can be easily mounted and demounted in different locations across the school for events that require a bar.

The project saw five pop up bar proposals submitted by students before a final one was chosen by a panel including the head of school and course team. The finished weatherproof bar structure which allows rapid set up and dismantling without specialist tools or skills was launched at an event organised by MASS at CASS the student architecture society on the 12th March.  

The participating students were Niamh Arklie, Harry Lamb, David Cheverton and Aude St Joanis, and the project was led by Peter Marigold, Will Smith and Cathy Stack. 

Talking about the project, Peter Marigold Associate Professor said, “Socialising with people outside of your normal field is a massively important part of a college experience. Bars are where friendships are made, ideas are shared and future relationships (of every sort) are formed. After a night meeting with people outside of your everyday studio existence the chances of waking up with a head full of new ideas is multiplied and I’m thrilled that our students have been involved in creating such a richly functional and smart environment for everyone.

The bar represents a coming together of the students and the campus departments, and once the current fracturing troubles have at last blown over us, we look forwards to repeating such communal experiences again.”

Thank you to our generous supporters Meantime Brewing Company and the American Hardwood Export Council. To see image sof the finished bar and the making process visit our facebook gallery here