With its distressed metal furniture and the use of harsh materials like metal mesh, bare plywood and paint-splattered concrete, the bar has the feeling of an underground drinking spot; meanwhile, the choice of pastel pink for the walls, vintage seats and light fixtures alludes to the aesthetic of classic American diners. Neon and fluorescent lighting has been custom-designed and installed to highlight architectural details such as ceiling beams, while each area of the bar uses colours and materials that correspond to parts of the former supermarket: milky paint covers the wall where the dairy shelves used to stand, cork has been used to remind us of the nuts and dried-fruit corner, and red covers the bar counter, which is where the butcher used to be.

In this 1980’s New York setting comes a reference to the work of Basquiat in the form of quotes, sketches and collages of materials; in fact, the whole project has been conceived by the designers as one big collage where text, colour and images are superimposed, just like in Basquiat’s work. On top of all the layers come quotes from the artist’s texts in the form of writing on the bathroom mirrors, neon signs in the space and baffling mottos on the building’s façade, creating the impression that the man himself was here and angrily graffitied the place. The bar’s graphic identity was inspired by Hobo signs, an element that is also present in Basquiat’s work.