The new and transformed Rum & Sugar

19th July 2011, 11:43am

Dave Davies and his team at Front, create and deliver 'Rum & Sugar', Canary Wharf's latest restaurant and bar venue. Front give Eat Out magazine the inside story on how they transformed the Grade 1 listed warehouse at The Museum of London Docklands to offer a luxurious dining area.

What was your aim when designing this venture?

Principally to create a versatile, contemporary, casual, dining experience and to reinvigorate what is a great space, and build on its fascinating heritage as a rum and sugar store at the heart of a real trading capital.

How did you achieve this? For example what fabric and furniture did you use? 

We used reclaimed natural materials such as oak, copper and leather that compliment the magnificent exposed brick walls and the original wooden warehouse floor. Old leather Chesterfield sofas contrast with high drinking tables and industrial-styled poseur chairs. And the long, reclaimed rustic bench tables add personality and embrace the sharing style interaction between diners. 

The distressed tan leather banquettes frame the space, but soften it also. It all has a luxurious yet down-to-earth feel. The lighting, with vitreous-enamel pendants over the bar and large sackcloth drum shades in the seating area are important to create atmosphere and the right ambience.

What would you describe as the key and unique features? 

Firstly, the large reclaimed wood and copper central bar. You can sit and dine on one side, with a chef preparing and serving Great British food (with a twist), while the other side of the bar is for drinks and socialising in groups. Then the authentic French oak barrel wine-rack, engineered by our in-house joinery team, which makes a striking feature as a wine display as well as adding to the overall integrity of the scheme. We found ourselves scouring the country, searching high and low to find just the right reclaimed furniture to fit the concept.

Does your team have a particular signature style? 

We approach every project with a view to creating a bespoke and individual response. Every project is a new and exciting task where we aim to offer value and bring our clients success. We believe our creative integrity is our signature.

Stage by stage, how did you approach this project? 

Through a series of detailed discussions with all involved, such as the museum and the operators, to advance the initial concept towards the final creation.

Where did you get your inspiration from?

Everything around the location - the museum, the docks, the colourful past of the building, plus the outstanding British food on offer.

What is the size of the venue? 

We created three zones: 120sqm for 80 covers on the restaurant dining side of the bar, with 120sqm for bar-side drinking and dining, then a further 140 covers outside under cover of umbrellas on the cobbled terrace.

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

We created the initial concept for presentation in October 2010, and after development and Grade 1 listed building planning consent, we completed on 6 May 2011.

If you were to change or improve anything about the design, what would it be?

We feel Rum & Sugar is a great concept, one that we believe could be adapted and developed for similar environments elsewhere.

Who are the key members of the design company?

Rory our Creative Director will say he is! But in reality we're a very close and strong unit. All at Front have a vital role in every project and the team works really well together.

What are your recent projects?

Recently we've been working for corporate clients, such as Disney, Goldman Sachs and KPMG and developing new exciting future opportunities.

What are your plans for the future – are you working on any other hotels, restaurants?

We're extremely proud to have been appointed by Ampersand to create the dining facilities for the Historic Royal Palaces estate, covering Kensington Palace, Hampton Court and the Tower of London.

What do you like most about the design of the venue?

The ambience and feeling it now has. It's warm, it's confidant, it has a strong independent personality and a real sense of belonging. It's functional for both the staff and visitor, and offers a huge variety of choice for the customers. The structured elements are casual in their appearance and allow the fabric of the building to shine through.

What made you use the tones and shades you went for?

We created a palette to complement the fabric of the building. We wanted the materials to portray the heritage, and to represent the nature and history of the building – that of a rum and sugar store, this is echoed in the pictures on the walls and what we wanted to achieve from the objects we sourced. We wanted to make the space feel lived in, and we looked for large industrial elements that would fit into what's a deceptively large open space.

The existing ductwork was lost before, but we thought it would provide structural focus for the space. The alley behind the warehouse used to be known as 'blood alley', so we looked for blood-red reclaimed chairs and distressed materials for the upholstery, which contrast with the whites and greys elsewhere to create visual stimulation. The name Rum & Sugar came from working with the museum staff, and we created graphics which referenced the typography from tea and transport crates.

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