Recently, STA participated in Design Museum Boston’s Design for Dining, a public exhibition showcasing the importance of all design disciplines in the creation of the ultimate dining experience. The exhibition showcases 7 Downtown Crossing restaurants, and pairs them with 7 local design firms to create a memorable dining experience. When the STA team learned that we were paired with Silvertone, we were all very excited! Each of us had been to Silvertone before, with friends and family, and loved it for its familiar feeling, retro character, amazing comfort food, creative cocktails, and casual eclectic atmosphere inspired by and adorned with radios, architectural details and collectibles, and old photos.
But it was not until we met with Silvertone that we realized the importance of all the history, and in particular, the photos. As we toured the restaurant, we heard the stories of who was in each of the photos – every photo had a story of a person with a connection to Silvertone. This led us to our idea – to expand on the story-telling, and to create a way to bring the stories of Silvertone’s guests into the history and space as well. We created the “Family Photo Booth”!
Excited by the direction, the Silvertone staff came up with the idea of the “photobomb” cocktail, a delicious concoction of bourbon, prosecco and ginger – Order one and have your photo taken with our present day Polaroid-type camera, and become part of the history!
The design takes an existing booth and transforms it with eclectic, bistro and retro elements, while inviting the guests to share their stories and become part of the story. An oversized ceiling mounted gilded mirror defines the experience zone. The mirror reflects and captures the entire dining experience, and gives diners the opportunity to take the all-important group shot selfie! With new 3D printed custom hardware, the existing railing surrounding the booth becomes a gallery for photos. Open gilded frames on the wall invite diners to add their own Polaroid photos, and become part of the story. The custom designed tabletop reflects a retro stream-lined form and material, while its curvaceous forms make the cozy booth more comfortable and communal.
Last Thursday, Design Museum Boston held the “Downtown Table Tour”, where guests were invited to experience all of the restaurant exhibitions. It was exciting to see people experience our table, look up in awe at the mirror above, and excitedly have their polaroid and selfies taken!
This project could not have happened without the teamwork and generosity of our incredible partners: BostonArt, who provided the mirror; Aurora Builders and Salmon Falls Woodworks who created the table; 3DI Models who provided the 3D printed frame clips at the railing; and Reflex Lighting who provided the lighting.
While it was great fun participating in this project, the best part was to see how the STA team came together as a family to take part in creating this experience. Every single person took part in the process, contributed ideas, contributed time, and joined in the celebration. A special thanks to STA’s Luis Araque for leading the charge, to all of our partners who contributed to the project, and to Design Museum Boston for including us! Come visit Silvertone, and become part of the family – Take your own photos and share #DMBDining #Silvertone #STADMBDining #FamilyPhotoBooth!
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