An authentic yet playful tribute to the speakeasy bars of the roaring 1920’s prohibition era

Inspired by speakeasy bars of the 1920’s during prohibition, Charlies is located on the rooftop of a restored Art Deco mansion in the historic UNESCO heritage site of Galle Fort. Now operating as luxury boutique hotel, The Charleston, Charlie’s is the in-house Bar & Bistro that spills out from the hotel to a terrace with breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean. To transport guests to the roaring 1920’s, we carefully analysed old matchbooks and archival imagery of bars, menus and ephemera from the same era to emulate a sophisticated, authentic aesthetic that feels like a step back in time.

OUR ROLE:

Visual Identity, Brand Language, Illustration

We scoured archival sources to find authentic references of matchbooks and calling cards from 1920’s bars and restaurants, and emulated these, creating custom illustrations of the venue

"Studio Nice One have been integral in helping us realise our brand and identity. Their creative talent helped us guide our thoughts and ideas into a polished product, and their high level of professionalism instilled structure to the entire process. We never thought that a branding exercise could be so enjoyable and fulfilling."

Naufal Ali

Director of Creative Projects - InSitu Asia

Client: 

CREATIVE LEAP

Location: 

Sri Lanka

CREDITS: 

PHOTOGRAPHY - PHOTOS BY SAMPATH & CREATIVE LEAP

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