Angler bait Jimmy Buffett might have written a song about Dania, Fla.'s Islamorada Fish Co. & Marlin Bar. An enlarged format based on a long-standing Florida Keys fresh fish market, the restaurant is an anchor component to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. In the category of Themed Restaurant, Bass Pro Shops Inc. Architects, Springfield, Mo., was awarded the 2000 SADI for its design work on the project.
Striking features and placement over the water clearly tie the restaurant to its Florida Keys roots. These include an 1,800 gallon aquarium containing moon jellyfish and topped by a metal catwalk to the converted bed of a 1936 Chevy truck that doubles as a table. In the dining room, furniture selections and a bamboo thatch-covered ceiling allude to island heritage and the crafts of Keys Native Americans. The restaurant can seat 400, including 106 seats on the verandah.
In the Marlin Bar, lush details pay tribute to the favorite catch of upscale offshore fishermen. Rich mahogany paneling, custom cabinet work, copper "nautilus" bar lights and different varieties of Marlin depicted in leaded glass panels all complement the bar's namesake. The 2,454 sq. ft. octagonal bar seats 86. Arriving guests pass a small spring near the entry that is also visible from the interior.
AWARD RECIPIENT BASS PRO SHOPS INC. ARCHITECTS Springfield, Mo. Gar Muse (principal-in-charge); Angelo Carusi, AIA (project manager); Vern Yip (project interior architect); Deborah Lee Imsande (project designer)
CLIENT BASS PRO SHOPS OUTDOOR WORLD INC. Springfield, Mo. Product Manufacturers/Suppliers: Visualizations, Springfield, Mo. (detailer); HOK Studio E, Orlando, Fla. (architect of record and MEP engineering); Spaid Associates, St. Louis (landscape architect); Randy Burkett Lighting, St. Louis (lighting design); Jenkins & Charland, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (consulting structural engineers); Bass Pro Shops Inc. Development, Springfield, Mo. (project management); Bass Pro Shops Inc. Fabrication Shops, Nixa, Mo. (custom fixtures); Lou Campanile, Weston, Fla. (civil engineering); Centex Rooney Construction Co., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (general contractor); ADT Security Services Inc., Kansas City (security); Awning & Sign Engineering Corp., Pompano Beach, Fla. (awnings); Cayman Manufacturing Inc., Deerfield Beach, Fla. (millwork finishes); Edward Don & Co., Chicago (kitchen equipment); Nautical Furnishings, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (nautical fixtures); Pipe Welders Marine Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (lighthouse structure); Professional Service Industries Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (construction materials testing and threshhold inspection services); Reed Landscaping Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (exterior and interior landscaping)