Famed Scottish brewery BrewDog have recently begun opening a chain of bars creating a special outlet for their unique blend of craft beer. The first two are located in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, and are designed by local firm CM Design. Drawing on the maverick brewery’s edgy punk reputation and a request for a revolutionary pub brand – the designers decided on a ‘Cold War chic meets abandoned factory’ concept. Also under strict instructions to rebel against big budget contemporary design bars, inspiration for the concept design was found in old and abandoned factories in Eastern Europe…

After stripping both sites to a stark, stripped down interior, the designers went about adding new recycled materials such as reclaimed gym flooring for wall cladding – complete with old sports markings. Special concrete bar tops were commissioned at 100mm thick with rough finish and reclaimed bricks added to complete the look. Both bars have a mixture of polished concrete floors and Durbar non-slip industrial steel sheet flooring used widely in factories and as manhole covers. Most of the bars’ fixtures and fittings were sourced from architectural salvage yards, auctions, antique shops, eBay and the occasional skip. Get along and whet ye whistle in a perfect beer drinking environment this summer – with a new outlet opening in Glasgow very shortly…