Space Case: Carry On
Aviation-themed restroom interior of Carry On in Downtown Phoenix, an immersive 1970s airline-inspired cocktail bar designed by Peter Bowden of PETERMAX Co.
PHOENIX magazine takes a closer look at the design of Carry On, the immersive Downtown Phoenix cocktail experience created inside a former chiropractor’s office. The feature focuses on Peter Bowden’s two-year process of transforming the space into a luxury, jumbo jet-inspired environment rooted in the warmth and character of 1970s design.
The article gets into the details that make the illusion work: curved wood-paneled architecture, vintage aircraft-inspired swivel chairs, simulated windows displaying footage captured above California and Mexico, automated lighting and show controls, and a custom beverage cart used for tableside martini service. It also highlights the three-dimensional carpet installation created by textile artist David Nott, one example of the highly custom approach Bowden brought to the interior.
Rather than treating the aviation concept as decoration, Carry On uses design, service, lighting, sound, and movement to build the experience around the guest. As Bowden explains in the feature, virtually everything guests see, touch, and feel was custom—a level of detail that helps turn a Downtown Phoenix bar into a convincing trip back to the era when air travel itself was part of the adventure.
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