District 42

DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE, NC
BRANDING, RETAIL DESIGN + WEB

 

District 42 is a craft cocktail bar in the heart of downtown Asheville. The owners Martha and Peter Pollay really wanted the brand to encapsulate some of Asheville’s unique downtown history. The name District 42 is inspired by the original 42 lots along Biltmore Ave. and an ode to the past, present and future eras of downtown Asheville.

In the logo design, each letter occupies its own space to reflect that district/territory feel. The supporting brand elements were styled with a 1920s, Art Deco flair celebrating when literary celebrities would regularly frequent and party in Asheville. A vintage map illustration of Asheville from 1891 is a central visual component of the brand that extends across the menus, custom wallpaper, postcards, etc.

The Solution

 

We wanted the look and feel of District 42 to be reminiscent of the 1920s. For the custom iconography set, we styled Zelda Fitzergald (who lived and died in Asheville) to sit in a cocktail glass and a pig wearing a top hat to represent that era in Asheville and the market/pig trading that happened up and down Biltmore Ave. The business cards were designed to celebrate calling cards and social cards used during the turn of the century.

For interior design, we created a signature geometric, deco pattern that we pulled into all of the signage, custom metal screens and ceiling sculptures to help the large space feel more intimate and cut back on noise.

It’s our hope that customers will enjoy the full expanse of the bar, intimidate seating areas and subtle nods to Asheville’s history.

VIEW WEBSITE

VIEW WEBSITE

VIEW WEBSITE

Custom wallpaper photo by Cris Molina for Hotel Arras.

Martha Pollay
Chief Creative Officer at District 42 + Mandara Hospitality Group
​‌“We teamed up with Atlas to launch our new restaurant concepts. I can't image finding a better creative partner. Aside from having an incredibly talented and efficient team, they are easy to communicate and work with. They have the knowledge and capabilities you’d expect to find in New York firm with the added benefit of being transparent, approachable and economical. I absolutely treasure our relationship and look forward to our next project together."