THE TRADITION AT SMOKEY'S CLUB

Before it was home to The Tradition, a modern, upscale apartment complex just off the UW–Madison campus, the site at the corner of University Avenue held a different kind of legacy: Smoky's Club — a cherished Madison supper club with decades of history, colorful stories, and even a bit of scandal.

Flad Development, the team behind The Tradition, didn’t want to erase that history. In fact, the Flad family had been regulars at Smoky's for years. The property carried personal meaning. Their vision? Incorporate the story of Smoky’s into the very fabric of the new space.

Thysse’s Facility Branding team, led by Senior Experiential Designer Kris Marconnet, was brought in to interpret the history of Smoky’s Club and translate it into an on-brand, modern interior experience for The Tradition’s residents.

"It was fun to dig into a piece of Madison history I didn’t personally experience," Kris said. "But I felt like I got to know the place. It made me wish I’d had a martini there."

The result was a three-part branded experience within the building:

• Dimensional letters and die-cut trophy fish—a nod to the eclectic décor inside the original supper club.
• A historic photo of Smoky's bar, color-adjusted to match the new interior palette.
• A reproduction of the original menu, capturing that mid-century supper club charm.

"It wasn’t just about visuals," Kris noted. "It was about personality. Smoky’s had fishing nets, taxidermy, martinis, and a kind of swagger. We tried to get all that into the space."

• A more understated logo application near the elevators, helping tie together the branding from the main entrance.
• Fabricated to scale and placed for maximum visual impact, despite limited architectural views during design.

• Entryway signage styled in vintage gold-foil lettering.
• A printed vinyl wall graphic paired with dimensional accents.
• A highlight piece: a dimensional replica of the original neon Smoky's sign—built from archival images.
• Custom storytelling content by longtime local writer Doug Moe, chronicling the club's rich (and sometimes wild) past—from bootlegging and jail time to martini fame.

• Entryway signage styled in vintage gold-foil lettering.
• A printed vinyl wall graphic paired with dimensional accents.
• A highlight piece: a dimensional replica of the original neon Smoky's sign—built from archival images.
• Custom storytelling content by longtime local writer Doug Moe, chronicling the club's rich (and sometimes wild) past—from bootlegging and jail time to martini fame.

The finished installation is more than decoration—it's a narrative thread running through The Tradition.

• It resonates with older Madisonians who remember Smoky's.
• It offers newer residents a taste of local character.
• And it honors the Flad family’s connection to a place that helped define a neighborhood.

"I don’t know if the young punks who live there care," Kris joked, "but it’s cool. It brings a little depth to the space."

Whether they appreciate the history or just love the vibe, the residents of The Tradition are now part of a story that began long before the first lease was signed. And that’s really a big part of what experiential design and facility branding are all about—telling stories in ways that honor the past and connect the present to it.

If you’d like to explore ways your vision can become indelibly infused into physical spaces, Thysse can help. Take the first step and reach out.