ALA Studio puts a New York–take on beer gardens for Talea Beer’s Bryant Park location

Same But Different

By Kelly Pau
A taproom with dark green walls and metal archways from ALA Studio

The fourth taproom for Brooklyn-based brewing company Talea Beer has opened near New York’s Bryant Park. ALA Studio designed Talea Bryant Park, making it the second collaboration with the woman-owned brewery. Following the previous collaboration on the West Village location, the Midtown drinkery continues the colorful and welcoming design language—but with a twist.

Dark green archways lay behind the bar at Talea Beer Bryant Park
A quartz countertop and Mosa Tiles make up the bar (Brooke Holm)

The latest takes inspiration from its neighbor, revolving around the theme of beer gardens. Thus, dark green coats the walls, while the interior is punctuated by an arcade of powder-coated steel arches, a nod to an element commonly found in New York City’s public spaces. The arches continue to define zones as shelving nooks behind the bar or as ways to define seating alcoves.

The Talea taproom in Midtown has floor-to-ceiling windows
Archways create shelving behind the bar for glassware and taps (Brooke Holm)

The architects used contextual geographic references to further differentiate this location from the previous. Comet chandeliers from Artecraft, for instance, make allusions to the ones found in the New York City Public Library across the street.

The peachy dining room at the back of Bryant Park Talea was designed by ALA Studio
Behind the rearmost archways is a more private dining area (Brooke Holm)

But the outpost isn’t too disparate from its predecessors. Tiled bars, mauve and taupe tones, and wooden banquettes make the Bryant Park outpost cohesive with the brand’s other locations, along with the punchy and graphic qualities that take after the brand’s sour beers. The same but different locale attests to ALA’s ability to evolve and execute a theme in fun, new ways.

×