120 TAPAS
Set within a historic brick structure in downtown Rogers, 120 Tapas is an exploration in restraint and reveal, an interior architecture that finds power not in overlaying, but in exposing. The design strategy is subtractive: stripping the space down to its essential materials (brick, steel, concrete) then composing a single freestanding system to act as both anchor and armature.
At the center of the space, a custom steel fin structure, designed and crafted by Emily Baker, defines the project’s identity. Bent and perforated, the system operates as screen, wine rack, light filter, and spatial divider. Its rhythm is both consistent and dynamic, creating shifting views, regulating privacy, and producing an intimate scale without enclosing the space. The rawness of the steel echoes the honesty of the historic shell, reinforcing the dialogue between old and new, found and made.
Rather than disguise wear or imperfection, the architecture embraces it. Patina, scar, and age become surface condition and spatial texture. The industrial materiality is elevated through proportion, detailing, and light, creating an atmosphere that is raw yet refined, grounded yet airy.
120 TAPAS
YEAR 2021
SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS
Photos by Andrew Camarillo
Construction by Heart & Soule Builders
Engineering by HP Engineering
Steel Design and Fabrication by Emily Baker
Flanking the central steel shell, two linear elements organize the plan: a communal dining table on one side and a mirrored linear bar on the other. Together they establish a spatial frame, drawing movement and visual focus inward. A narrow window at the kitchen wall creates a sliver of theater, offering patrons a glimpse into the choreography of food preparation beyond.
120 Tapas is a shell within a shell, a minimal intervention with maximal effect. It demonstrates how a single, well-executed architectural system can hold space, guide experience, and allow the past to remain legible through thoughtful restraint.