Bar Agricole

San Francisco, USA

Photo © Matthew Millman

Drawing © Aidlin Darling Design

Architects: aidlin darling design

Location: 355 11th Street, 94103 San Francisco, USA
Year: 2010

With a name inspired by farmhouse rums of the Caribbean, Bar Agricole embodies the urban and the agricultural in its seasonal fare, biodynamic wine, and artisanal spirits. Located on a gritty San Francisco street, the space balances the rough and the refined to create a sensually rich dining experience.

Using a collaborative design-and-build process, the architect and owner worked with local artisans and fabricators to highlight individual craft and experiment with new materials and techniques within a cohesive environment. The long, tall warehouse interior is given intimacy and scale by a wooden “hull” crafted of reclaimed whiskey barrel oak, lapped in a scale-like texture. Delicate glass sculptures descend from skylights, distributing daylight throughout the space. Two bars, made of board-formed concrete and old barn beams, anchor both space and activity. Contrasting their orthogonal geometry are sinuous banquettes formed from a seemingly-impossible one-inch thick Ductal concrete ribbon. The dining room connects to an outdoor courtyard and garden where herbs are homegrown for artisanal cocktails.

Much like the restaurant's use of hand-foraged produce sourced from local farms, the construction uses durable materials, fabricated locally, to achieve the greatest effect in a minimal and efficient manner. Bar Agricole is on target to achieve LEED Platinum certification.