The revival of downtown Detroit is an ongoing affair, and real estate management, development and design company Method Co. has pitched in with an intimate watering hole. Called The Aladdin Sane, it’s situated in the subterranean level of the Book Tower, a historic skyscraper built in Italian Renaissance-style by architect Louis Kamper (1861-1953) and was recently restored by developer Bedrock. Featuring only 32 seats, nine at the bar and 23 lounge seats, the bar pairs homey comfort and period style, albeit from a bygone era. The interior design, created by Philadelphia-based design practice Stokes Architecture + Design, takes cues from traditional Japanese cocktail bars in Tokyo which serve as extended living rooms to discerning city dwellers, and The Aladdin Sane is no different. Anchored by a well-stocked bar, adorned with custom hand-tooled leather and a striking, single-piece mahogany slab, the chosen aesthetic takes cues from iconic venues nearby.
The inspiration sources include Masonic Temple and now shuttered opulent Michigan Palace. Additionally, both the bar’s design and name are also a firm nod to David Bowie‘s flamboyant persona and musical versatility in the early 1970s. Most of The Aladdin Sane‘s furnishings are custom-made, while carefully sourced items, such as a 1972 Pioneer receiver and vinyl turntable from Ecotopia, a legendary local hi-fi music shop, add up to the meticulously calibrated setting, and as such, atmosphere. In the aforementioned Japanese cocktail bars’ style, The Aladdin Sane is a meeting place for connoisseurs, serving, as said, cocktails, but also a remarkable collection of rare whiskies, including the extremely rare Yamazaki 18 100th anniversary edition and the only bottle of Glenfiddich 29-year Grand Yozakura available in the entire state of Michigan. © superfuture
The Aladdin Sane
Book Tower, 1265 Washington Boulevard (Downtown)
Detroit, MI 48226
Tue-Thu 5pm-11pm
Fri-Sat 5pm-12am
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
