In 2015 Tom Black Architects were approached by Moose Coffee Ltd, to help them develop an outdoor seating area to increase the number of covers their new restaurant, ‘Moose and Moonshine’ would be able to cater for. Moose Coffee Ltd is a Liverpool coffee shop business with a number of outlets in Liverpool and Manchester defined around bringing an American Diner influenced breakfast and brunch experience to customers in the North West. Moose and Moonshine would be the company’s first licenced late opening outlet and is based in Liverpool’s fashionable theatre district on Hope Street in the city centre.
The city centre context and the fact that the building housing Moose and Moonshine is a listed building made added additional challenges to the brief. The existing design of the public realm at the front of the premises which incorporates large set of external steps and a ramp, meant that the client would be restricted to simply installing external tables and seating with parasols at this location. However, a strip of external paving at the side of the restaurant, would allow the client to install something more permanent which was in line with the original brief.
Two alternative options were initially explored, the first a pergola clad in fibre cement board wrapping around the seating area and incorporating planters. This was viewed as a more permanent structure and the council ultimately proved resistant to granting approval. The second option was for a fixed timber structure that wrapped around the seating area and incorporated planters. Rather than have a fixed roof, this option merely sits below a series of retractable awnings which incorporate the company log and colour scheme.