Local Chef John Varanese had already turned an old, prefabricated metal boat storage into the popular, high-end River House Restaurant and Levee at the River House. When he was ready to expand, he contracted with Luckett & Farley to help him renovate the upstairs space into an elegant event venue.
The 11,000 SF space seats up to 300 people for private events. It includes a custom dance floor, wine cellar for private tastings, and 1,100 SF of deck with premium river views.
The primary challenge Luckett & Farley’s architects and engineers faced in designing the space was how to create a private space upstairs for events with speakers and live music when you have a full restaurant and bar with its own live music downstairs.
The use of special drywall, acoustical glass, and flooring underlayment, as well as additional treatments to the prefab beams supporting the structure, provides the privacy the upstairs needs be the city’s premiere riverfront event location. The large space can be partitioned off into as many as four separate events thanks to acoustic wall panels weighing 500 pounds each.