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The client asked for something that doesn’t exist in the Apparis catalogue: a professional beachfront hospitality unit that looks like a surf bar, works as a party zone and closes into a secure whole in a single move. We don’t just manufacture custom modular units — we design them from the first sketch. We found our inspiration in Streamline Moderne architecture: aerodynamically rounded volumes, horizontal speed lines and smooth roof bands inspired by nautical aesthetics.
Our two key reference motifs come from the Streamline Moderne era — the 1920s to the 1940s. When surfing spread to California and Australia in the early 20th century thanks to Duke Kahanamoku, a new kind of coastal architecture was needed: bathing pavilions, beach clubs and kiosks with rounded volumes, horizontal bands and ship-like details. The first motif is precisely those coastal pavilions and their interiors — smooth rounded volumes with a rhythm of lines that become the landmark of a beach. The second is the classic bar cabinet with tambour doors — slats gliding along a curved track, hiding the entire bar inside an elegant oval form.
We merged those two motifs into a single object: the pavilion became the oval volume of the bar with its accentuated roof band, and the tambour slats were built at full scale — as accordion doors running around the entire perimeter, opening and closing with the same logic as the cabinet doors. The surf bar is, in essence, an art deco cabinet scaled up to architecture.
The result is an oval surf bar that serves guests in 360 degrees, opens in under 5 minutes and arrives on site in one piece — ready for its first cocktail shift. So how do you get from a hundred-year-old reference to a unit working on a beach in Makarska today? Here’s the whole process — in numbers, sketches and welds.
The project in numbers
hours of design and engineering
of custom-built bar
accordion-door slats
of serving counter
from closed to open
The challenge: curve around everything the standard offers
A standard container is a rectangle — and a rectangle doesn’t serve guests from all sides or look like a beach landmark. Our task was to go around, quite literally, everything the standard offers: oval geometry means there is no off-the-shelf profile, fitting or track we could simply order from a catalogue.
There was an additional operational requirement: a unit on a public beach must close every night into a secure, vandal-resistant whole — and open in the morning within a couple of minutes, without tools and without two workers on ladders.
The design process: from sketch to production documentation
The answer to both requirements was found precisely in the tambour principle from the inspiration photos — it just had to be proven at full scale. Through 3 design iterations and 10+ 3D visualisations, every custom bar we build goes through the same path:
- Brief and moodboard — together with the client we define purpose, capacity and visual direction. This is where the art deco reference was born.
- Concept sketches and floor plan — we work out the oval geometry: counter diameter, slat radii, equipment positions and staff circulation.
- 3D visualisations — the client sees the unit on the actual location before the first sheet of metal is cut.
- Structural engineering and production documentation — every slat, joint and bracket gets a workshop drawing. Design, engineering and documentation are created under one roof.
Structure and materials: built to withstand the coast
Paper endures everything; the coast does not. Salt, UV radiation and wind are merciless to seaside equipment, so every material in the documentation was chosen against that criterion:
- Load-bearing steel structure — [hot-dip galvanised and powder-coated], welded in our own production facility and dimensioned for wind loads on an open beach
- 50+ accordion-door slats with protective coatings, gliding along a curved track around the entire perimeter, with no visible hardware
- Roof cornice in a RAL colour of the client’s choice — the unit’s visual signature, prepared for a logo and lighting
- Moisture-resistant slatted wooden ceiling with integrated LED and scene lighting
- Floors and finishes for heavy hospitality traffic — anti-slip, corrosion-resistant and easy to maintain.
The solution: professional bar equipment in an oval floor plan
While the exterior is a sculpture, the interior is a service machine. The inside follows the oval logic: 15 metres of work surfaces, professional refrigeration, cocktail stations, an espresso machine and a POS till are laid out with no dead corners — the bartender has everything within reach even at peak pressure.
The massive bar top with its natural rope detail lifts the experience far above what anyone expects from a “modular unit”. This is a party hub that guests photograph.
Logistics: to the beach in one piece
The unit was fully manufactured and tested in our hall — including a trial opening of all the slats and hook-up of the equipment. It arrived at the location in Makarska assembled, in one piece, and commissioning took 1 day of installation plus power and water connections.
Off-season, the bar closes up and is protected from the elements, with the option of relocation — an investment that doesn’t depend on a single location.
Budget and timeline: what to expect
Every project is different, but roughly, for a unit of this level:
- Design and engineering: 3–4 weeks, 120+ hours of designers’ and engineers’ work
- Production: 6–8 weeks from sign-off of the production documentation
- On-site installation: 1 day
- Investment: depends on size, equipment and level of customisation — we prepare an exact quote after the first meeting.
If you buy a ready-made container from a catalogue, you’ll pay less — but you’ll get a box like every other beach has. A custom bar is an investment in recognisability: a unit that guests photograph is free marketing every season.
Design as a service, not an add-on
This project best shows what sets Apparis apart: we don’t deliver boxes — we deliver concepts. Colours, materials, the roof band and the details were executed according to the client’s visual identity — the SURF branding, logo and illustrations are integrated into the very facade of the unit.
From the art-deco-inspired moodboard, through 3D visualisations, to the last weld in production — the whole process is led by one team. The same 1930s reference that opened this story now stands on a beach in Makarska — in aluminium, steel and a colour tailored to the client.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a custom cocktail bar cost?
The price depends on size, equipment and the level of customisation. We prepare a quote with an exact price after the first conversation.
How long does it take to build a modular surf bar?
From first sketch to delivery, 10–12 weeks on average — design 3–4 weeks, production 6–8 weeks, installation 1 day.
Do I need a building permit for a modular bar?
Modular units generally have a simpler procedure than conventional construction, and it depends on the location and concession. We advise you through the entire process of obtaining the necessary documentation.
Do you also make smaller mobile bars for events?
Yes — alongside fixed units we also offer mobile hospitality trailers for festivals, events and seasonal operation.
Planning a beach bar, pool bar or party hub?
We design and manufacture custom cocktail bars — from oval surf bars to mobile bars for events and festivals. Architectural design, professional equipment and mobility in one solution.
