Josh Greenspan Designs Manhattan Cocktail Lounge Using Modular USM Haller Systems
USM Haller steel modules define the structural architecture of Chelsea's intimate VV's Cocktail Room.
1Modular Architectural Transformation
Restaurateur Josh Greenspan collaborated with Swiss modular furniture maker USM to design VV's Cocktail Room in Manhattan's Chelsea neighbourhood. The interior relies almost entirely on Steel Blue USM Haller modular components, shifting the classic furniture system into a structural framework that encloses the venue rather than simply outfitting it.
2Intimate Omakase Seating Capacity
Named after Greenspan's daughter Vivienne, the venue accommodates just 18 guests to emulate the focused intimacy of Japanese omakase bars. Inside, bartenders guide visitors through multi-course cocktail tasting menus, translating high-end dining formats into a hospitality lounge setting influenced directly by Greenspan's travels across Tokyo and Hong Kong.
3Spatial Envelope and Materiality
Guests access the lounge through an exterior glass block wall partition before entering the blue-enclosed room. Navy blue USM panels form the surrounding perimeter walls and extend seamlessly behind the counter into functional back-bar shelving, creating continuous architectural surfaces that integrate structural storage directly into the building envelope.
4Contrasting Interior Material Palette
Dark walnut timber surfaces on the bar top and loose tables counterbalance the industrial steel framework. Seating features burgundy upholstered bar stools alongside custom banquettes built by Greenspan's father, Michael Greenspan. These warm finishes soften the industrial precision of the modular panels throughout the compact floor plan.
5Lighting and Artistic Accents
A custom wavy pendant fixture by New York-based Studio Kawabi spans the entire length of the primary bar counter. Mounted directly onto the modular rear wall, an original painting by Japanese artist Keita Morimoto anchors the space, supporting an aesthetic grounded in late-twentieth-century East Asian retro-futurism.
6Structural Systems Collaboration
Greenspan worked directly with USM architectural development director Ian Mutschelkanus to construct the spatial layout. By applying standard Haller components as self-supporting walls and storage partitions, the project demonstrates how standardized commercial industrial units can serve as primary building elements rather than passive freestanding interior furnishings.
7Collaborative Hospitality Program
The operational program pairs architectural experimentation with established industry figures. James Beard Award winner Neal Bodenheimer and partner Vincent Favela developed the omakase cocktail program, while author Dorie Greenspan curated the accompanying food offerings. This ensures high culinary rigor within an avant-garde structural testing environment.
8Expanding Modular Commercial Applications
VV's Cocktail Room reflects an emerging trend of adapting industrial storage systems into bespoke retail and hospitality environments, following similar panel applications at Coperni in Paris. The project highlights growing commercial demand for flexible modular infrastructure capable of fast reconfiguration within high-density urban footprints.