COMMISSARY CAFE - FILM EXCHANGE

Between 1930 and 1975, major movie studios (Paramount, MGM, Fox, Columbia and RKO) used the Film Exchange for editing and distributing films, hosting private screenings, and offering a home base during production in the Northwest. In old Hollywood, the commissary was where the film stars and crew met to have their meals - inspiring the name of the cafe and a commitment to providing local residents and businesses a gathering place to enjoy community and food. Our studio was given carte blanche to develop the interior environment and brand, identity, and graphics for Commissary. 

The Film Exchange's history inspired the aesthetic direction with touches of glamorous emerald green and metallics as a subtle nod to early Hollywood. The over-scaled mirror and wood installation was custom-designed by our studio and executed by Terra Firma. Geometries found in Deco design influenced this installation and it has become the calling card for Commissary. The wood screen at the barista bar as well as the dining table tops and benches are fabricated from Fir reclaimed from the site during renovations. Relics from The Film Exchange’s past were unearthed in the basement and film vaults and are on display on the café; steel film canisters stamped with MGM’s logo and perfectly preserved paper film boxes serve as a community board for patrons to post business cards.

Press
Goop:  "Indie Coffee Shops to Perch & Work" 2015
A weekly lifestyle publication, curated by Gwyneth Paltrow

Willamette Week // Coffee Issue 2014

Awards
IIDA Design Excellence Award, Best of Restaurant Category

Project Snapshot
Location: Alphabet District, Portland, OR
Size: 800 sq. ft
Completion: Fall 2013
Contractor: Terra Firma
Identity and Branding: Guggenheim Studio
Photography: Josh Partee