Dylan’s Candy Bar
COMPANY
CHUTE GERDEMAN
PROJECT
NYC + Chicago
2015
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
ENVIRONMENTS DESIGNER
Dylan's Candy Bar embarked on a project to revitalize an outdated and weary cafe, originally designed in 2001 and situated on the second floor of their renowned Third Ave location. Following the successful completion of this redesign project by the team at Chute Gerdeman, Dylan's Candy Bar decided to expand its horizons, seeking a complete store redesign for locations in both Chicago and New York's Union Square.
The Union Square location in New York carried a unique historical significance, having previously housed a studio owned by the iconic Andy Warhol, located directly above Dylan's new store on the street level. Drawing inspiration from this historical connection, Dylan's envisioned a distinctive ambiance for the Union Square store, setting it apart from their other Candy Bar locations. This vision entailed a darker interior, vibrant neon accents, and striking, bold lighting, creating an entirely different and memorable experience compared to their other establishments.
Key design objectives included:
🍭 Leveraging size and scale to emphasize specific areas within the store, generating visual excitement and moments of serenity.
🍭 Crafting well-lit areas of neutrality that serve as a backdrop for accent colors to shine, allowing the brand's palette to come alive in a controlled and harmonious manner. This approach considered monochromatic expressions of the brand palette while maintaining a unique yet interconnected feel.
🍭 Elevating the quality of furniture, fixtures, graphics, and lighting to cater to a diverse audience, appealing to individuals of all ages.
🍭 Building upon the existing Dylan's Candy Bar visual brand language and extending it further to ensure continuity and recognition while enhancing the overall experience.
🍬 NYC - UNION SQUARE 🍦
🍬 CHICAGO - MICHIGAN AVE 🍦
