BARCADE LA

Los Angeles, CA


Founded in 2004 in New York City, Barcade is the original retro arcade bar that pairs a celebration of vintage 1980s and 1990s arcade games with a love of craft beers.

Barcade LA is located within the Highland Park community of Los Angeles and seeks to adapt the aesthetic of a beloved New York institution to a Northeast Los Angeles lifestyle.

Media coverage:
Eater LA



The design focused on preserving as many elements as possible from a masonry building that dates back to 1923, exposing existing brick and roof structure. The building was organized into two spaces to house an extensive collection of rare arcade and pinball games, and two separate bars.



The building renovation included extensive structural upgrades to improve safety of the building including installation of new steel frames to strengthen the building in the event of an earthquake.

The division of the space into large connected spaces provide an entertainment venue that is simultaneously spacious and intimate, serving a comfortable and welcoming space both for weekday lunch service as well as during busy weekend evenings.


Project team: Michael MacDonald, Bryan Libit, Andrew Alcala
Structural engineer: FJ Engineering
MEP engineer: Building Solutions Group
Food service consultant: Robert Rooze
Contractor: CalAsia Construction


© Studio MacDonald Libit | Photography by Wonho Frank Lee & SML
Studio MacDonald Libit
1751 Colorado Blvd #348
Los Angeles, CA 90041

(323) 989-4072
info@gosml.com
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