Johnson Architecture project Chesapeake’s West earns Keep Knoxville Beautiful award
By Scott Bird

Chesapeake’s West, designed by Johnson Architecture, has earned a 2020 Keep Knoxville Beautiful Orchids Award for the transformation of a tire center into a modern, nautical dining experience. Award winners were announced at a ceremony Feb. 25.

Chesapeake’s West, designed by Johnson Architecture, earned a 2020 Keep Knoxville Beautiful Orchids Award at a ceremony on Feb. 25. A former tire warehouse has been transformed into an upscale restaurant and event space at 9630 Parkside Drive.

To accomplish their vision, the owners, Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants, collaborated with longtime partner Johnson Architecture to artfully remake the cinderblock building into a 17,600-square-foot restaurant and event space.

“Starting with the shell of a tire warehouse in an unassuming location required us to be creative about how to bring life into the space,” said Daryl Johnson, founder and president of Johnson Architecture. “Our solution was a shipboard-comfortable environment with a sleek, industrial look. The entire team appreciates this recognition for the finished product from Keep Knoxville Beautiful.”

The Orchids Awards are presented annually to recognize Knoxville’s most beautiful properties and the local businesses and organizations who work to create them. Chesapeake’s West was honored in the restaurant/café/bar/brewery category.

The restaurant includes an open dining room, bar area, wine vault and heated patio. The site also features a private dining and meeting room, as well as two large banquet areas, one with a private patio and fireplace. It is served by two full kitchens, one for the restaurant and one for catering.

Formerly a nondescript building, Chesapeake’s West now draws attention with its mix of calming blues, soft lighting and industrial aesthetic. The upscale restaurant and event space at 9630 Parkside Drive elevated the building as well as its surroundings.

In 2019, Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation’s Five Points 2, an affordable housing complex in East Knoxville designed by Johnson Architecture and Ross/Deckard Architects, earned an Orchids Award in the new architecture category.

About Johnson Architecture Inc.
Founded in 1994 by Daryl Johnson, AIA, Johnson Architecture is a design firm that provides architecture, planning and full in-house interior design services for facilities of all types. Johnson Architecture has designed various sized projects for numerous purposes, including commercial, educational, healthcare, residential, restaurant, tourism and spiritual. Notable clients include Blackberry Farm, Clayton Homes, First Presbyterian Church, Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation, Covenant Health, DENSO, Zoo Knoxville and The University of Tennessee.

Published March 6, 2020