Since its 2017 theatrical run, Blade Runner 2049 has evolved into a sci-fi classic that earns ongoing praise for its cinematography. On Letterboxd, the social networking site built around movie rankings, one top-rated review summarizes the film perfectly: “I want every shot of this movie framed on my wall.” Among the many people who have fallen in love with the striking visuals of the Denis Villeneuve-directed (and Roger Deakins-lensed) masterpiece are Darcy Hanna and Emma Sims, the designers behind Vancouver design firm &Daughters. The duo describe the movie’s distinctive style as “a post-apocalyptic golden haze” — and when it came time to design Ama, a Vancouver cocktail and Japanese raw bar, they set out to recreate that same exact ambiance.

Granted, while it may be beautiful, Blade Runner 2049 is not necessarily the sort of movie that you’d want to step into — there is, for instance, that whole post-apocalyptic thing. With that in mind, Ama’s first major feat is managing to evoke the film in a space that still feels comfortable and inviting. It helps that the scene that Ama most closely mirrors is one of the film’s rare moments of calm in which the two main characters (played by Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford) enjoy a glass of whiskey in an abandoned Vegas casino bar — and who doesn’t want to channel a rugged leading man while enjoying their nightcap?

Photo by Ian Lanterman

To achieve its desired neo-noir effect, &Daughters developed a carefully calibrated lighting strategy. The first sign of this is, appropriately, the bar’s street signage: a fixture developed by graphic designers Glasfurd & Walker that initially appears to be a simple metal rod, but that forms the bar’s name in shadow when light is beamed down through it from above. Consider this intriguing entryway marker the opening credits to the many more special effects that await upstairs.

Once visitors ascend, they step into an environment that exists in “infinite dusk.” With the windows sealed off, the bar’s glow comes entirely from indirect, diffused light; wrapping around the perimeter of the space, a cove cut out of the central bulkhead casts light downwards onto the venetian plaster walls. Backlit shelves of sake and other spirits create another bright focal point.

Orange velvet curtains continue the warm palette, while dark cherry brown Marmoleum flooring and black banquette seating introduce moments of moody contrast. The polished black granite bar top and glossy table surfaces land somewhere in between these two dominant hues — reflecting their surroundings in a way that can appear both orange and black. Golden mirrors further heighten the play of light and colour.

Monolithic geometry is the final move in the set design, with the U-shaped bar creating a strong visual anchor while also honouring Blade Runner 2049‘s love of brutalist forms.

Of course, part of what makes Blade Runner 2049 so memorable is the way that it uses new colour palettes to differentiate major scenes. Officer K and Deckard may share their drinks in the latter’s whiskey-soaked hideout, but other moments play out amidst backdrops of green, purple, or white. Similarly, while Ama’s bar area goes all-in on dusty oranges, the stairwell experiments with marine blues. Look for a hanging, jellyfish-like fibre optic light installation, plus a lightbox with an image of a diver — a reference to the Japanese cold water divers that harvest seafood and pearls, who give the bar its name.

And while there’s definitely a sense of theatricality to the mixologists and chefs crafting drinks and sushi behind the bar, it doesn’t take a Voight-Kampff test to know that Ama is the real deal. It may have its roots in cinematic imitation, but it nevertheless achieves an authentic spirit all its own.