The Making of Tayēr

Feb 22

The design ethos of the Tayēr series, renowned for its seamless fusion of form and function, embodies a commitment to excellence in ergonomics, efficiency, and flexibility. From its inception to its latest updates, Tayēr continues to redefine industry standards with the recent launch of the 2.0 update.

The Tayēr station's origins can be traced back two years before the opening of the venue, Tayēr + Elementary in 2019, as Alex and Monica embarked on a journey from bars to kitchens and eventually biomimicry. Alex, having toiled behind poorly designed bars throughout his career, grew increasingly frustrated with the working conditions and the time-consuming process of crafting drinks. The toll on his back and body led to a realization that a radical change was necessary.

Drawing inspiration from the flexible kitchen setup at the original Noma in Copenhagen and admiring the station at The Aviary in Chicago, Alex and Monica envisioned a modern bar that prioritized flexibility, efficiency, and storage maximization. During their research, they stumbled upon the concept of biomimicry, where great designs are inspired by nature. This revelation led them to the hexagon, a shape prevalent in nature, known for its flexibility, efficiency, and perfect interchangeability.

"The hexagon is the most perfect shape that appears in nature, a shape that is completely flexible, the most efficient building structure and perfectly interchangeable."

The Tayēr station, a modular system born from this inspiration, offers total flexibility. Bartenders can arrange equipment and tools based on ingredients, concept, season, or personal preference, accommodating both left-handed and right-handed individuals and allowing for linear or circular setups. The hexagon, with its perfect shape, stores more bottles than any other, becoming a central element in the design.

“We came to Behind Bars after being told our idea was impossible by several other companies. From the first moment Ruas (Alex Ruas, co-founder of Behind Bars) and Samantha (Creative Director) saw our sketches, they were fully on board. As a bartender himself, Ruas understood right away what we were trying to achieve. This is Behind Bars’ strength as bar designers. They understand how bars and bartenders work and they’re not afraid to innovate”

— Monica Berg

This modular system adapts to different needs, enabling the adjustment of ice well size in summer and facilitating a hot water bath in winter. Each hexagon serves a unique purpose, accommodating various inserts for different tools. Moreover, each station incorporates electric points and the option for a data point installation.

Having been implemented in their London venue since May 2019, the Tayēr station has proven to be everything Alex and Monica envisioned. Its flexibility empowers team members to customize their stations for optimal execution of their progressive concept, showcasing the success of their Innovative design.

As Monica describes;

“We came to Behind Bars after being told our idea was impossible by several other companies. From the first moment Ruas (Alex Ruas, co-founder of Behind Bars) and Samantha (Creative Director) saw our sketches, they were fully on board. As a bartender himself, Ruas understood right away what we were trying to achieve. This is Behind Bars’ strength as bar designers. They understand how bars and bartenders work and they’re not afraid to innovate”.

For us at Behind Bars it was a ‘hallelujah’ moment. We understood the operational possibilities instantly, the ergonomic benefits quickly also became apparent. Obviously taking an idea like this through the entire process of ideation, initial design, prototyping, production was a long intense process. We relied heavily on a collaborative approach and input right the way through with Alex and Monica. We began 3D modelling and ‘stress testing’ in Virtual Reality before moving in to engineering and production. It’s safe to say that the original station has been a complete success.

In 2020 we released the Tayēr Single, a more compact version of the Tayēr Double (the original) and since then have produced +100 Tayēr stations for our clients all around the world.

Following this incredible response from the industry, we’re now launching the Tayēr 2.0 that has a range of design developments and upgrades, which we’re really excited about.

#tayērevolution

Click and watch on Youtube a conversation between Monica Berg and Behind Bars Co-Founder Sam Millin, where Monica explains the reasoning behind some of the decisions, and how the Tayēr Station can improve the comfort and performance of the bartenders who work with it.

More at World Class Youtube channel: Behind Bars x Tayēr + Elementary