Tucked behind Atlanta’s historic dairy factory and sandwiched against a mall and courtyard (a post-industrial, urban design from Perkins&Will), is an awkward 5,444-square-foot lot that doesn’t see the light of day. While most would shy away from the dark, hidden site, it became the perfect place for Omar Ferrer and Gabe Bowen to open a cocktail lounge and club. Atlanta-based Square Feet Studio turned the den into a party of the senses. As its name suggests, El Malo greets guests with an air of mystique.
Due to the enclosed locale of the club, access to the building requires going around the perimeter of the factory to the back. The club begins with a vestibule where large, patinaed doors introduce the almost ominous, mysterious style of the space. “Then there’s a long, linear corridor along the back end that brings you into the rear of the space, which is a clever trick. For a lot of varied spaces when you enter right at the front, you don’t really want to get to the deepest part of the space, so this flips that on its heels. We’re going to take you to the back, and then you kind of transition back to the front of the space,” said Sean Flaharty, partner at the studio.
The rear of the space houses the DJ booth with a private room tucked behind it. The front houses a wrap-around bar that can also easily serve those in the back patio. It sits adjacent to another seating niche with the remainder of the walls anchored by custom banquettes.
“[The clients] wanted the space to be bathed in darkness, so we became really intentional about how we utilize light in the space,” continued Flaharty. This begins with the corridor’s own red-lit glow to the fluted columns that anchor the dancefloor and line the back bar. The LED backing of the columns, whose millwork was provided by ALKMY, also changed color. The sculptural intervention nods to Atlanta clubs of yore. “There was a lot of early inspiration that came from a few old clubs in Atlanta. One of them had a more sculptural back bar that was really hot in the ‘90s,” said Emily Mastropiero, partner at Square Feet Studio.
The dark, moody theme is continued with color and material choices. Cement, stained with a glowing pattern, lines the floors. In the front room, dark green upholstery completely clads the walls, offering a cozy, soft area away from the main floor. The ceiling is mirrored, reflecting the cement pattern back up. Other accents used throughout the project, like brass and antique decor, help make the space feel inviting and indulgent. One bright departure is the patterned walls that line a series of banquettes, carved out within scalloped walls.
The established and varied zones allow the space to adapt so El Malo can open earlier in the day and serve food and more elaborate cocktails. “[El Malo] does a really good job at giving people who want to come and see the space—and maybe not in a crowded environment—the opportunity to come and actually eat and drink.” The space is able to accommodate the casualness and intimacy of earlier attendees without feeling too empty or odd.
A mix of rich materials, patterns, monochrome tones that avoid saturation, and a nifty spatial arrangement keep El Malo fresh and intriguing. For Ferrer and Bowen, the design fits within their desire to avoid things that are tacky or predictable for a club. This is reflective of the one rule given to DJs: No Bad Bunny allowed.