Benjamin Lory translates bowling heritage into Bazaar Hall’s identity

For over three decades, an industrial building in Saint-Brieuc housed a bowling alley with eight wooden lanes, pool tables and arcade games. When Benjamin Lory and his collaborators decided to transform the space into Bazaar Hall – a 1,300-square-metre food hall, brewery and cultural venue – the challenge wasn’t erasing that history, but building on it. The name itself signals the approach. ‘Bazaar’ nods to bustling markets where cultures intersect, while ‘Hall’ suggests an open, welcoming space. Together, they capture the venue’s spirit: a place of exchange, discovery and what Lory calls “charming disorder.” That sense of eclectic energy shaped every design decision, from the architecture to the graphics. Working with SEA Architects, Agence Sul Sul and Félix Lebourgeois, the team preserved and reimagined elements of the original bowling alley. Old lanes became tables, benches and counters. Machinery parts and pins were repurposed as lighting fixtures. The industrial bones of the space remained visible, creating a raw backdrop for something entirely new. The typography anchors the identity with unapologetic personality. Lory selected Standard 100 by Benoît Bodhuin as the primary typeface, drawn to its unconventional energy. “It’s this perfect ‘freak’ typeface to me: its quirky shapes feel playful and unexpected while staying legible, especially at large scale,” he explains. Ballpill Medium complements it with angular forms and circular counterforms that recall bowling balls and classic arcade iconography. Together, they establish a visual language that’s both playful and legible across signage, menus and environmental graphics.