Menu Extra and Atelier Zébulon Perron joined forces to create Bar Extra, a temporary installation that became the social hub of Montreal Design Week. The culinary studio, known for hosting dinners in architecturally significant spaces, partnered with the local interior design firm to transform a Mile-end storefront into a stylish gathering spot for festival attendees.
The centerpiece of Bar Extra was a custom chandelier designed specifically for the space, establishing the bar as both a functional venue and a design statement. The collaboration exemplifies how Montreal's creative community continues to blur boundaries between food, hospitality, and spatial design. Menu Extra brings its reputation for curating experiences in exceptional locations, while Atelier Zébulon Perron contributed its expertise in transforming ordinary spaces into compelling design interventions.
Montreal Design Week serves as a platform for such cross-disciplinary projects, attracting designers, architects, and food professionals who see their work as interconnected rather than siloed. Bar Extra operated as proof that a temporary installation can carry the weight of serious design while remaining accessible and welcoming to the public. The storefront location in the increasingly design-conscious Mile-end neighborhood positioned the bar within an ecosystem of galleries, studios, and independent businesses that have transformed the area into a creative destination.
This kind of collaboration reflects broader trends in contemporary design practice. Studios increasingly view their work across multiple mediums and disciplines. A bar becomes a design gallery. A dining experience becomes architecture. Menu Extra and Atelier Zébulon Perron's partnership demonstrates how Montreal's design scene values experimentation and cross-pollination between different creative fields.
THE TAKEAWAY: Temporary design installations can establish themselves as cultural touchstones when they successfully merge aesthetics with genuine hospitality.