Merchant & Trade – Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel

Charlotte, NC

Merchant & Trade is a rooftop bar, lounge and event space atop the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel in Charlotte, NC, located in the heart of the city's uptown neighborhood. Marrying modern sophistication with Southern charm, the 18-story Kimpton Tryon Park incorporates sweeping glass, polished marble, and glimmering crystal along with familiar finishes such as warm mahogany woodwork for a contemporary, yet welcoming, feel. It was designed to create a true indoor-outdoor hotspot to take advantage of Charlotte's mild climate.

Merchant & Trade's design features include an exterior street entry with a glowing amber canopy and vortex fire feature. In-ground lights lead guests from the street entry to the rooftop-exclusive elevator that jets guests to the roof. The fire element repeats at the rooftop lounge with a large stone fireplace behind a walnut slab host stand accented with polished stainless steel. When guests exit the private elevator they are met with a perforated cloud-patterned ceiling backlit with LED lights that change colors, subtly transforming as the sun moves from a daylight scene to sunset to an evening sky. The bar has an amber-glowing bar die with a radiant, amber-glowing over bar shelf. It's positioned so that guests enjoying their beverages have an unobstructed view of the city below.

The glass walls and operable doors featured within the bar allow guests a full view of the skyline. Through the glass doors guests will find a lounge lawn with a retractable roof and a video wall that can be customized to display art, entertainment and ambient video. The exterior lounge doubles as private event space. A synthetic grass floor makes the space feel like an aerie. In fact, it was designed to feel like a lofty front porch. Cozy lounge furniture creates varying types of seating at the exterior lounge with a backdrop of ipe wood slats, white concrete three-dimensional geometric tiles, and a feature television wall. Rocking chairs and custom floor lamps offer an intimate view of the city and reinforce the Southern aesthetic.

The sky-high refuge also offers an intimate VIP lounge that comes with its own television. The space, which accommodates 20, offers an exclusive experience on a private terrace illuminated by gas-fired sconces. Cooper Carry's Hospitality Studio collaborated with The Johnson Studio on the design of Merchant & Trade.

What Others Are Saying

Charlotte's Best Rooftop Bars

design services

Interior Design, Architecture

Awards

  • 2019 ASID Georgia Design Awards, Commercial Hospitality Restaurants, Bronze
  • 2019 ICSC North America Design & Development Awards, Restaurants, Gold