The Watch That Ends the Night is an exciting restaurant situated at the base of King’s Wharf in Dartmouth where customers can enjoy stunning views of Halifax. Located within walking distance of Dartmouth’s emerging downtown and the public passenger ferry, the project is easily accessed by locals on both shores of the Halifax harbour. This project uses a rich, mid-century modern aesthetic to foster a variety of engaging social interactions within the sapce. Our firm’s integrated design-build approach allowed us to generate a serene, handcrafted, tactile experience that immerses patrons in a rich nightlife setting.

Although there is a recent resurgence of the Scandinavian mid-century modern aesthetic that favours subtle birch and maple wood tones paired with crisp white walls, our initial design intent with The Watch was to play with an eclectic interpretation of this style. By choosing clean finishing lines and an honest representation of materials common to designers of this period, we combined the warm and inviting hues of teak and mahogany favoured by Hans Wegner or Rudolf Schindler. Furthermore, our design team drew inspiration from the textile and patterning traditions found in the work of William Morris and later Frank Lloyd Wright.

Our firm takes great pride in designing and building custom millwork and furniture in nearly every project. The space showcases a wide variety of rich mahogany finishes and dark, patterned wallpaper that pays direct homage to mid-century interior aesthetics. Our design firm worked tirelessly with our internal millwork team to ensure a high level of craftsmanship throughout the entirety of the project. The mahogany, under-lit bar draws customers into a spacious lounge that overlooks the Halifax harbour. A large, handcrafted banquette provides a spatially interconnected, tactile experience tailored to a wide range of social interactions. Custom mahogany storage units behind the bar provide an efficient and aesthetically cohesive environment for the busy serving and kitchen staff.

Channelling a wide range of mid-century inspiration allowed us to create a warm and inviting social space with a unique and playful aesthetic. The Watch displays the firm’s commitment to continually learning and drawing direct inspiration from previous generations of designers and craftsmen. The handcrafted approach to the interior design provides an opportunity to dine in a completely immersive social experience.

Awards

EnRoute Magazine - Canada’s Best New Bars 2018 - Awarded national first place, 2018

Architecture and Design : Peter Braithwaite Studio Ltd. (Peter Braithwaite, Matt Gillingham)

Construction : Peter Braithwaite Studio Ltd. (Peter Braithwaite, Ben Biggley, Tom Lutes, Ryan McNeill)

Art and Branding : Land Faculty Design Studio

Drawings and Models : Peter Braithwaite, Matt Gillingham

Photographs : Alex Cude, Julian Parkinson