You may not need a secret password or knock to get in, but once you’ve entered City Foundry STL’s newest cocktail lounge, “None of the Above,” in St. Louis, you’ll swear you traveled back in time to a prohibition-era speakeasy.
Architectural firm Lawrence Group, partnered with general contractor Integrate Construction Partners, were challenged with transforming the dark and dingy tunnels beneath City Foundry STL into an upscale speakeasy-style bar complete with a hidden room, moody décor, and dimly lit passageways.
City Foundry STL is a transformative “live, work, play” community featuring a food hall, movie theater, shops and more located in St. Louis’ growing midtown neighborhood. The site’s $217 million redevelopment of former Century Foundry is one of the largest historic redevelopments in St. Louis history. Integrate has worked on several key projects at City Foundry including the Alamo Drafthouse, Sandbox VR and kitchens within the food hall.
Developed and owned by New + Found, None of the Above officially opened to the public on Dec. 14, 2023. The 1,586 sq. ft. space features a full bar; table seating for 80 people; and custom finishes such as dark wood appointments with brass and jewel-toned accents; Art Deco flourishes; built-in velvet booths; dark, mirror-accented walls; and a 10-seat, custom-made wooden bar. A hidden back room for private parties, known as The Library, is located behind a gold-framed mirror and features additional seating and a faux fireplace.
True to the nature of its design, patrons access the bar through an unassuming gray steel door on the outside of the building, lighted by a single red light above it. Upon entering, visitors are met with another door disguised as an electrical panel that opens to a staircase down to the Foundry’s original concrete tunnels. Behind one last door visitors find the dimly lit cocktail lounge.
Integrate faced some unique challenges while constructing the bar. Because the project is located in the foundry’s basement level, access for haul-off of demolished material, as well as delivery of new materials to the site were limited and challenging. New concrete had to be brought in via elevator and wheelbarrow to where slab patching was performed at new infrastructure installations.
Also, one of the main electrical distribution centers for the Foundry Food Hall and City Winery was in the renovation space, so special consideration, planning and installation had to occur prior to the bar’s construction to ensure a pathway for any future electrical expansion.
