Gastro bar hits London

23rd September 2008, 5:14pm

Sophie Douglas, of Fusion Design and Architecture Ltd, has created a 'gastro' bar at The Refinery which is perfect for its location in the heart of London.

What was your aim when designing this venue?

To create a "gastro" bar suitable for its location and clientele. Bankside is quite an edgy area, and obviously the building contains a lot of journalists. The operation must work throughout the day, providing a venue for any desire, just to grab a coffee, have a proper lunch, anytime snack, drinks after work or full on evening out.

We also wanted it to be stylish, not a style bar, to be both masculine and feminine, and to focus on a really quality food offer with visual excitement and theatre without compromising the simple drinking element of the offer, which is at the heart of the operation. 

The design has to be eclectic and quirky providing visual interest without assaulting the senses. It also has to be able to divide up the space into intimate and more open areas, with plenty of booking opportunities and at the same time, to be sensitive to the architecture of the building, which is clearly strong,  without being too overtly contemporary.

And how did you achieve this?

The mezzanine floor that houses the toilets and back of house breaks up the massive space and provides a perfect location for a massive high-level wine store/display, which is surrounded by a textured wallpaper depicting an abstract cityscape.  This is at the heart of the concept as it combines the function of the wine store with an exciting illuminated design element, It also offers visual impact both internally and externally.  The mezzanine also houses a private dining area, accessed via a simple but stunning concrete and glass "floating" stair.

The contrast of the traditional style timber bar and the incredibly slick and contemporary white food counter are at the heart of the eclectic design scheme, and this contrast runs though all elements of the scheme, the mix of the contemporary black and white furniture with the well worn old leather chairs, the chrome and oak tables mixed with the old farmhouse dresser type wait stations.

A combination of old and new, natural timbers and painted, slick and rustic styles are combined with a variety of heights and sizes, classic dining tables, refectory style tables and benches, high drinking tables and bar stools and a variety of fixed seating.  The upholstery is a combination of tan leather and more luxurious fabrics used throughout the space with freestanding circular booths in the dining area giving a sense of privacy within the bustle of a busy restaurant, and these are on castors, offering ultimate flexibility.

Where did you get your inspiration from?

The inspiration is very much drawn from the eclecticism of the area, comparing the contemporary Blue Fin building where it is housed, with the old world charm of Borough Market.  Along with this, ideas were drawn very much from the domestic design arena and the all day nature of some of the cafes and bars in New York.

What is the size of the venue?

The total site is about 6,500 square feet.

How many people can it sit?

About 200.

What was the fit out cost?

The project cost was about £1 million.

Timetable – how long did it take from start to finish?

The project ran for about 6 months in total, and the time on site was less than 10 weeks.

What would you describe as the key and unique features?

The key features are the fantastic lighting scheme making it feel light and bright during the day but adapting to provide a really atmospheric night time environment, the wine display wall shows the clients commitment to their wine offer as does the Enomatic wine dispenser allowing top end wines to be purchased by the glass using the Oyster Card technology and the division of the space to provide a number of enticing but very different experience.

Final comment of the finished project

We and the client believe that it has fulfilled its brief and is just a really nice place to hang out!

Weblink: www.therefinerybar.co.uk

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