A Historical Hotspot Grows in Brooklyn

Formerly home to a wire loom factory, an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn became the perfect spot for an Italian wine bar with a beer garden.

Ainslie, a 10,000-square-foot, multi-level space from South Village Hospitality, was modernized from the once-producing copper and brass factory to a space serving up wood-fired pizza and artisanal cocktails. The result was a rustic-chic Italian wine bar, beer garden, restaurant, and 1,000-square-foot, 50-person rooftop, all of which can accommodate 340 diners, making it one of Brooklyn's newest hotspots.

Riva Hospitality Design & Construction and South Village Hospitality Group's Sergio Riva, Ainslie's conceptual creator, designer, and builder, explains that the space was a dream come true.

“For years, we were looking for a large warehouse in Brooklyn to be able to create our concept, combining an Italian wine bar with a beer garden." From the moment they walked in, says Riva, they knew the warehouse at 76 Ainslie Street—the last remnant of the factory complex that once occupied the entire block—was something special.

Warmth Abounds

“The first thing that stood out about the space was the sawtooth roof, its high ceilings, and a bay of sky lights every 20 feet. This isn't something you see very often," says Riva. "I knew there was a lot of work to be done but felt if we could achieve our vision, it would be very special."

The team was intent on maintaining an industrial warehouse feel but with warm textures, materials, and colors throughout.

“We wanted to create four smaller distinct environments, each with its own draw," explains Riva. The wine bar features an open kitchen and wood fired oven. A rear beer garden and bar boasts indoor and outdoor space complete with a 30-foot retractable hanger door. A plush living room in the mezzanine is showcased by velvet curtains and couches, while the rooftop features a 1,000-square-foot outdoor bar area.

When the team started the deconstruction of the warehouse, they salvaged many of the original elements, such as the tin ceilings and roof's wood beams. The items were repurposed to create new panels, tables and shelving as historical finishing touches in the new space.

The original facade had a loading dock in the center bay and windows on the sides, says Riva. They added an arch to the opening to give it a vintage feel.

"All of the brick was power-washed and lightly white-washed to give it a more uniform look," he adds. "We added reclaimed bricks to complete the facade."

The team removed the roof of the last bay and recycled all of the original roof beams into large communal tables and shelving throughout the space.

The front bar area in Ainslie serves as its wine bar, explains Riva, with the exposed kitchen facing the storefront. High-top marble and wood tables were added directly in front of the U-shaped bar to enhance the wine bar vibe. He also notes that the dramatically high exposed wood beam ceiling adds character and depth to the space.

The rear beer bar is facing the 30-foot hanger door that opens out into the outdoor beer garden. "The high-top communal tables in front of the beer bar were built with the roof beams that were removed to create the open space in the rear of the building," he explains.

The hanger door was fabricated by Schweiss Doors and installed by their team's on-site crew. According to Riva, the door weighs 5,700 pounds (without the glass), and the bar top is made of African mahogany wood.

Because the rear of the building is facing south, Riva says patrons are able to enjoy direct sunlight in the garden from 9am to 3pm in the warmer months.

"Our landscaper added a few different vine varieties along the perimeter of the garden and two 16-foot trees," he says. The large communal tables were built with the old wood roof joists that were removed.

Giving Life to the Living Room

The living room is an intimate space to kick back with a cocktail or simply mix and mingle. It's located directly above the kitchen in the center of the main floor plan. The crew used structural steel and light gauge steel joists to create the additional space. As for the floor, says Riva, they used wide plank white oak flooring with a walnut finish.

The front and rear parts of the space were left open so guests can see the action going on below in the wine bar and beer garden bar. Additionally, velvet curtains and furniture were added to soften the environment.

According to Riva, adding the rooftop element turned out to be complicated—they had to cut out a section of the roof in order to add the stairs and bulkhead needed, and add structural steel to create the new roof deck and bulkhead.

"We used 6-inch planks for the decking and cedar panels for the perimeter walls," he says. "The roof bar frame is made out of steel frame with cedar inserts and the bar top is made from formed concrete, and the concrete top was polished and sealed on site."