EAST VILLAGE — The notoriously grungy and dilapidated Mars Bar wasn’t the kind of place that made you think of art.
More like blood stains, fruit flies, leaky plumbing and improvisatory body piercing.
But for Mars Bar's patrons and fans, it was also an endless source of only-in-New York stories: a landmark of the drunk and disorderly.
That is why the bar, shuttered last summer, was included on a list of 12 razed “historical sites” where salvaged lumber will be used for a furniture-design exhibition.
The event, called 12 x 12, will pair a dozen contemporary furniture designers with lumber reclaimed from a dozen demolished New York City structures, including many with deep links to the city’s cultural, architectural and economic history.

She plays a French Vogue editor in next month's The Muppets Movie, but in the pages of November's InStyle magazine, Miss Piggy is all centerfold, modeling custom designs by the likes of Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung in an eight-page spread. For their part, the designers were more than game, explaining to WWD the inspirations behind their creations. "I didn't want to dress Miss Piggy in anything that would take away from her bold personality so I went with a simple, classic dress and neutral color," said Gurung of his white duchesse-silk dress, adding, "the Empire waist really complements her figure."
Wu, on the other hand, described his feathery frock as "decadent," reflecting Miss Piggy's "humor, flamboyance and joie de vivre." But perhaps it was shoe designer Brian Atwood who most succinctly expressed his approach to outfitting the stylish swine, saying simply, "The strappy sandal seemed to work best to complement her hoofs."