A Luxurious Restaurant Designed in a Former Film Theatre

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a luxurious bar-restaurant design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, Albion & East.

What was the client’s brief? 

To create a 300 cover bar-restaurant with a grand, centre-piece bar, a very open kitchen integrated into the space and two iconic outside terraces.

What inspired the design of the project?

The building is the former 1930’s Forum Theatre, designed by Mr Stanley Beard who specialised in cinema architecture, but had long since closed and remained abandoned for 15 years until we resurrected it as Teatro Hall. The original interior had an Italian Renaissance style design with high ceilings and large columns. Our inspiration was to resurrect the building in ‘Stile Liberte’, an Italian variant of Art Nouveau and named after Arthur Liberty and the store he founded Liberty’s. We were rediscovering, resurrecting and reawakening and building of grand proportions in a subtle, not slavish, mind to its history.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

With new Brexit laws, delivery of bespoke items made for us in Europe needed careful planning and challenged budgets. Coupled with increases in raw material costs we had to focus hard on design elements which were stand out. Having to work harder than ever before, we didn’t compromise on design and hit budgets through planning and extending our network of suppliers of bespoke and hand made items.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

A grand island bar takes centre stage with a tall backdrop of etched blue Venetian Glass housed in cherry wood, marble bar top and pale parchment under tiled counter. Our Clock Tower is reminiscent of seating in the Waldorf Astoria lobby in NYC. Banquets, with rich midnight velvet seats and pale cream linen curtains, create intimacy. Four handmade Murano glass chandeliers, with over 100 glass columns each, create grandeur that the space demands.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Having followed the awards for several years, I have always been impressed at the quality and diversity of the finalists. It has been a source of interest and inspiration for me over the years as I have been developing my company. SBID is a well recognised and prestigious organisation and it’s an honour to be a finalist with you.

Questions answered by Sarah Weir, Lead Designer and the Founder & Managing Director, Albion & East.