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    Niceworkshop applies artificial wood grain texture to Seoul cafe interior

    South Korean studio Niceworkshop has designed a pared-back interior for a cafe in Seoul, where concrete walls and stainless-steel furnishings are finished to mimic wood.

    Set in the city’s multicultural Itaewon district, HaHouse Cafe operates alongside an exhibition space on the floor above, designed by Niceworkshop founder Hyunseog Oh in 2022.
    Niceworkshop has given Seoul’s HaHouse Cafe a pared-back makeoverThe initial demolition phase revealed a pair of concrete walls that informed the spatial arrangement of both the gallery and the cafe, as well as influencing the raw material palette applied across both interiors.
    Oh used concrete, metal and wood to reference the project’s urban setting, adding natural textures to the manmade materials to create a sense of visual cohesion.
    The studio etched a wood grain pattern onto stainless-steel furnishings”The wood inside HaHouse Cafe serves as the basis for the texture that expresses nature,” the designer explained. “It bridges the modern urban environment with nature, symbolising their coexistence.”

    The interior applies the same principles as Oh’s Neo-Naturalism furniture series, which features a wood grain pattern etched onto geometric stainless-steel seats and tables.
    Hand-sanded doors with opaque framing lead to a storage area and restroomThe use of concrete for the walls and ceiling was informed by the two existing walls that delineate the space. Concrete applied to the surfaces was stamped with wood to create a natural texture.
    The serving counter and utility spaces along one wall are clad in aluminium with a subtly reflective satin finish.

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    A pair of doors leading to a storage area and restroom feature reflective surfaces that Oh sanded by hand to create an opaque frame around the edges.
    “Through the opaque reflective surface, I wanted to show both the artificial nature inside the space and the real nature outside the window,” he told Dezeen.
    Individual NN stools combine to create a larger bench with a concave seatMuch of the furniture used in the cafe was created especially to complement the interior’s pared-back material palette.
    Expanding on the Neo-Naturalism furniture series from 2023, the chairs and lights were engraved using a Dremel tool to create a wood grain pattern.
    The tactile Neo-Naturalism tables are made from solid ash and red oakThe NN tables are made from solid ash and red oak, bringing warmth and tactility to the otherwise austere space. The legs and tops are joined at the corners using simple nuts and bolts.
    Other furniture items include the NN stools, which are informed by standard-sawn timber logs. Four of the 20-by-20 centimetre sections are combined to create a stool with a concave seat.
    Niceworkshop also created a series of custom lights for the cafeAccording to Oh, the main objective with the HaHouse project was to create a cultural space that appeals to a variety of people and provides them with a new spatial experience.
    Previous experimental projects from Niceworkshop include a furniture collection made using skyscraper formwork salvaged from construction sites that was presented at this year’s Milan design week.
    Oh founded his studio in 2021 after completing a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture at Soongsil University. He works alongside Sangmyeong Yoo, who manages the office’s business affairs.
    The photography is courtesy of HaHouse Cafe.

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    Touch Architect shapes French patisserie like “the curve of a croissant”

    Bangkok studio Touch Architect has created French Kitsch III, a patisserie in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, with a design that references French cathedrals and pastries.

    The 360-square-metre board-marked concrete building was informed by an idea of Frenchness that drew on many different sources, including religious architecture.
    French Kitsch III is located in Nakhon Ratchasima”French cathedrals have an architectural identity dating back to ancient times; they are merely one of the initial inspirations when thinking of Frenchness, aligned with the concept of the ‘French Kitsch’ brand,” Touch Architect co-founder Parpis Leelaniramol told Dezeen.
    In addition to cathedrals, the studio also looked to another French icon when designing the patisserie – the croissant.
    Touch Architect referenced different French symbols for its designThe studio used the shape of a croissant to create French Kitsch III’s interior, which features a number of arches with slightly uneven shapes.

    “The architectural space is formed by rhythmic arches, with the shape of four different arches created by the curve of a croissant in cross-sectional cut,” Leelaniramol said.
    “Moreover, the board-formed concrete material used throughout the building serves as a metaphor for the croissant stripes,” she added.
    Its interior has arches modelled on the shape of a croissantTouch Architect also used concrete for the structure to add to the “concept of imperfection”.
    “Not only croissant stripes, using concrete as the material also strengthens the concept of perfection of imperfection where the wall is not completely smooth, but it reflects the authenticity of the material, which can be beautiful by itself,” Leelaniramol said.
    The board-marked concrete was intended to resemble a croissant’s stripesSome of French Kitsch III’s curved forms double as solar shades, helping cool the building in Nakhon Ratchasima’s hot climate, which can reach 37 degrees in spring.
    “Thick walls and the inverted curves on the upper floor act as shading devices and reduce heat from direct sunlight,” Leelaniramol explained.

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    Inside, the arched concrete walls are lit by slender LED lights that emphasise their shape, while arched windows provide views of the exterior.
    “When light passes through the arched window, it creates reflections on the floor, similar to that of cathedral glass,” the studio said.
    LED lights illuminate the interior and emphasise its shapeA long counter is placed along one wall on the ground floor and can be seen from the second floor. Here, the studio carved voids into the concrete to let in more light.
    Touch Architect also added spaces for greenery inside, creating contrasts against the grey concrete.
    “Due to the limited size of the site, the building needs to maximise space to accommodate all functional requirements, leaving no room for an outdoor landscape,” Leelaniramol said. “Therefore, green areas are integrated inside the architecture.”
    Green plants and pink dogs feature inside the French Kitsch III patisserieDecorative pink bulldogs, the symbol for the French Kitsch brand, have been placed throughout the cafe.
    “A local sculptor created the pink bulldog sculpture based on our design, which analysed and integrated its placement into each space to create a livable atmosphere and truly connect with customers,” Leelaniramol concluded.
    Other recent Thai projects on Dezeen include a community building formed of rammed earth and a curving cafe with a Baobab tree growing inside.
    The photography is by Metipat Prommomate and Anan Naruphantawat.
    Project credits: 
    Architect: Touch ArchitectOwner: Chanon Jeimsakultip and Anuchit VongjonPrincipal architect: Setthakarn Y and Parpis LDesign team: Pitchaya T, Tanita P, Matucha K and Nutchapol ChInterior: Thanunya DCivil engineer: Chittinat WongmaneeprateepM&E engineer: Yodchai Kornsiriwipha x Isarapap RattanabumrungContractor: Samma Construction Part., Ltd.Narrator: Methawadee Pathomrattanapiban

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    Mirzoyan Studio models Bursa Bar in Kyiv on musical instrument

    This hotel bar in the centre of Kyiv, Ukraine, was designed by Mirzoyan Studio to have plywood panelled walls and a green latticed ceiling to improve acoustics.

    Bursa Bar opened earlier this year in the city’s historic Podil neighbourhood, on the first floor of the boutique Bursa Hotel.
    Bursa Bar was designed to look like the inside of a speaker or musical instrumentThe 55-square-metre cocktail bar was designed by Mirzoyan Studio founder Nastia Mirzoyan as a place for music lovers, hoping to attract “vinyl record enthusiasts and live-set lovers every weekend”.
    “The architect’s idea was to create a space reminiscent of a musical instrument, where every visitor would feel like they’re inside a giant music speaker or guitar, surrounded by a cosy atmosphere of plywood,” said the team.
    The space is lined with dark-stained plywood as a nod to contemporary Japanese designThe interior is lined with dark-stained plywood as a nod to contemporary Japanese design.

    The material forms evenly spaced wall panelling, simple bench seating and shelves for displaying liquor bottles and vinyl records.
    The space includes a DJ booth and an extensive vinyl record collectionA grid of wooden boards creates a coffered ceiling that helps to dampen echoes and improve acoustics in the space, as well as preventing the sound from travelling to guest rooms above.
    This results in a lower ceiling height but allows lighting and ventilation systems to be hidden inside while creating a more intimate atmosphere within the bar.
    Plywood is also used for built-in seating, accompanied by furniture with stainless steel legs”In our design, we aimed to subtly implement the features of Eastern style: orthogonal lines, clean shapes, horizontal orientation of objects, vertical rhythm of walls, and orthogonal ceiling,” Mirzoyan said.
    Furniture with stainless steel legs is pushed to the edges of the rectangular room, with the bar and accompanying stools on one side, and a row of small high-top tables along the built-in bench on the other.
    The bar counter front is clad in ochre, white and dark green relief tilesStraight in front of the entry door is a DJ booth, also crafted from plywood, behind which the extensive vinyl record collection is stored.
    The centre of the space is left empty as a dance floor, where guests can move freely to sounds from the Ojas speakers.

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    The front of the bar counter is clad using relief tiles in ochre, white and a dark forest green hue that matches the ceiling and the Flowerpot lamps by Verner Panton, which illuminate some of the tables.
    Extra seating is provided at stainless steel counters installed in the window niches on either side of the door.
    Additional seating is provided at stainless steel counters installed in window nichesThe lighting scheme is fully adjustable to create different atmospheres in different areas of the room.
    “We combined accent lighting for guest seating areas, creating small bright spots, and used soft linear lighting to emphasize vinyl shelves and exquisite drinks,” said Mirzoyan. “This way, every guest feels special.”
    Sound from Ojas speakers is improved thanks to the coffered ceilingDespite Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, several projects have completed in Kyiv – from a laser clinic with futuristic interiors to a dance studio outfitted with custom furniture made from materials sourced in the face of wartime shortages.
    Other spots for drinking and dancing in the city include the Virgin Izakaya Bar in a former arsenal building, which was shortlisted in the restaurant and bar interior category of Dezeen Awards 2021.
    The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

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    Sullivan’s Fish Camp designed so “guests can’t be sure if it’s 1982 or 2024”

    South Carolina-based studios SDCO and Basic Projects have overhauled a seaside restaurant in Charleston with a nostalgic design that extends across everything from interiors to memorabilia.

    Contemporary details feature throughout the redesigned Sullivan’s Fish Camp, but are interwoven with retro elements to create an aesthetic that respects the restaurant’s long history.
    Sullivan’s Fish Camp is a family-owned diner that first opened in 1988Located on Sullivan’s Island, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, the family-owned diner has been serving cold beers and seafood to locals and beachgoers for over 35 years.
    Amy Pastre and Courtney Rowson of brand strategy studio SDCO worked closely with Kate and Ben Towill of interiors studio Basic Projects to bring a cohesive visual identity throughout.
    Large hand-painted letters boldly spell out the restaurant’s nameBold typography, cartoon-style illustrations, vintage art and furniture, and playful messaging all feature in the reimagined restaurant experience.

    “The design intent was to create a world that conjures the delight and affection that generations of beachgoers had for the original, family-owned restaurant,” said Pastre and Rowson.
    “Some details feel modern, some nostalgic. Experienced together, guests can’t be sure if it’s 1982 or 2024.”
    The graphic design identity includes drawings of the building’s exteriorOn the outside, Sullivan’s Fish Camp is spelt out in large hand-painted letters across a projecting red roof canopy, identifying the restaurant as a local landmark.
    Other graphic-design identifiers include drawings of the building’s exterior and two hand-drawn characters: a “cheery flounder” and Captain Sully, a “salty sea captain-meets-fish”.
    Both vintage and contemporary artworks cover the wallsThe restaurant’s interior walls are covered in artworks that continue the seaside and maritime themes, from a stitched portrait of a fisherman to a lobster painting by local artist Katherine Dunlap.
    Commissioned works include fish illustrations by “Carolina legend” Duane Raver, whose work also features on the placemats, and a large sculpture of a marlin fish.

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    “It was important to preserve what felt inherently right for the story and space,” said Pastre and Rowson.
    “We wanted to pay homage to seaside fish camps while bringing modernity to the brand and experience,” they said. “No corner was left untouched.”
    Artworks include a stitched portrait of a fishermanThe designers commissioned a local joiner to build furniture elements, including tables, seating banquettes, and a counter that frames the merchandise display and walk-up ice cream window.
    Basic Projects sourced many of the other furniture and lighting elements from antique markets, as well as from Ebay and Etsy. A stained glass pendant lamp is one of the most striking finds.
    “My background is in film set design, so I loved every bit of the sourcing,” said Kate Towill.
    A counter frames the merchandise display and a walk-up ice cream windowDurability was an important consideration; heavy rain and high tides can cause the restaurant to flood, while beachgoers bring plenty of sand in on their feet.
    “We welcome sandy and salty beachgoers,” said Towill.
    “The floors are VCT (vinyl composition tiles) and all the wood is pressure-treated and sealed with marine-grade sealer.”
    Illustrations by “Carolina legend” Duane Raver feature on the placematsSDCO designed an extensive range of merchandise, including key chains, hats, tote bags, sweatshirts, T-shirts, bottle openers and bumper stickers.
    Custom design also extends to the tableware.
    Cups are emblazoned with the Sullivan’s Fish Camp branding, while plates feature scalloped seashell illustrations that reference the border of the original 1988 menu.
    T-shirts feature Captain Sully, a “salty sea captain-meets-fish””The result is a feel-good space that quite literally takes you on a journey through food, drink, design, nostalgia and souvenirs that create indelible memories,” added Pastre and Rowson.
    Sullivan’s Fish Camp is the latest in a series of notable design projects in Charleston, a town that has seen an influx of creatives over the past decade.
    Others include boutique hotel Post House, also designed by Basic Projects, and the newly opened International African American Museum, designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Moody Nolan.

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    Marmol Radziner creates club space in modernist Park Avenue skyscraper

    The third floor of the iconic Lever House skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan has been renovated by architecture firm Marmol Radziner to complement the building’s original modernist design.

    Marmol Radziner completed the interiors for the Lever Club within the office tower at 390 Park Avenue, which was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the International style and completed in 1952.
    The entrance to Lever Club is lined with green marble flooring and soapstone wall panelsSOM finished restoring the building last year, after it was purchased by developers Brookfield Properties and WatermanClark in 2020, and Marmol Radziner worked on updating its communal spaces that had fallen into disrepair.
    “Lever House is a globally renowned architectural marvel, symbolising the era’s shift to modern skyscrapers,” said Marmol Radziner.
    The green hues used through the interior nod to the colour of the building’s curtain wall facade”Recognised with the prestigious Twenty-five Year Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the building remains an icon of architectural excellence,” the studio added.

    Originally a cafeteria and repurposed several times over the years, the third floor now serves as a lounge, bar and dining space that continues onto a terrace projecting from the tower’s elevated base.
    The club’s layout revolves around “a series of paneled volumes”Design cues were taken from SOM partner Gordon Bunshaft’s own residence, and other modernist masters, to create an interior that feels in keeping with the building’s history and architecture.
    “From the beginning, we felt that the design of Lever Club should feel like a sympathetic insertion within the iconic curtain wall of the building,” said Marmol Radziner partner Ron Radziner.
    The bar is bookended by rosewood volumes and backed by a screen from John Lewis GlassThe club is entered via a lobby area where floors and walls are covered in panels of green marble and soapstone, contrasted by a simple cuboid reception desk made from wood.
    Inside, the layout revolves around “a series of paneled volumes set within the glass perimeter, taking advantage of the views and access to the most superbly sited outdoor terrace in the city”, according to Radziner
    The dining area overlooks an expansive terrace on top of the building’s elevated baseThe marble flooring, which echoes the green hues of the building’s pioneering facade, extends into the lounge area where tone-matched carpet demarcates soft seating areas.
    Many of the armchairs and sofas are upholstered in a complementary green hue, while chocolate-coloured leather is used to cover other seating options such as bar stool and banquettes.
    The curved banquettes are wrapped in chocolate-brown leather”The furnishings, largely bespoke, respond to and soften the hard edges of the architecture with plush texture and rich tones most often seen in a residential setting,” Radziner said.
    Rosewood tables match the large vertical elements that bookend the bar, which is backed by a John Lewis Glass patterned screen.

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    Aluminium also appears as table bases and chair frames that echo the slender window mullions.
    “It was important to us that the design respond intelligently and reverently to the building while also creating a real sense of comfort, warmth, and luxury,” Radziner said.
    Aluminium chair frames echo the slender window mullionsThis isn’t the first time that Marmol Radziner has created interiors for a SOM-designed skyscraper – the firm was also behind the penthouse at Fifteen Fifty in San Francisco, which was temporarily turned into a collectible design gallery in 2021.
    Earlier this year, Marmol Radziner completed California’s tallest residential skyscraper in Downtown Los Angeles.
    Lever Club can be used by the building’s tenants during the day and at nightLever House is one of several Manhattan office towers from the mid to late 20th century to have been retrofitted in recent years, aiming to attract new tenants.
    Among them are the postmodern AT&T Building by Philip Johnson, which was rebranded as 550 Madison after it was overhauled by Snøhetta and its lobby was transformed by Gensler.
    The photography is by Scott Frances.

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    Rudy Guénaire draws on American modernism for Matsuri restaurant interior

    French designer Rudy Guénaire has created the interiors of Japanese restaurant Matsuri in Paris, combining wooden furniture covered in lacquer with pastel-coloured domes informed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

    Located in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, the 200-square-metre restaurant was given a full redesign by Guénaire.
    As the menu focuses on “Japanese sushi from a Californian angle”, Guénaire drew on Japonisme – the Western fascination with Japanese design – for its interior.
    Matsuri is located in Paris’ 16th arrondissement”I drew on everything that has marked me from these two countries that I adore,” Guénaire, who runs Nightflight Studio, told Dezeen.
    “From Japan, I took this idea that fascinates me, which is that the Japanese frame everything,” he added.

    “As if everything had to be an island, firmly delimited by something that protects it and makes it unique.”
    Rudy Guénaire referenced American modernist design for the interiorThe American influence comes across in the shapes used to decorate the interior, which features colourful ceiling domes that are lit from the inside.
    “From California, I took these incredible obliques that make me melt,” Guénaire said. “The kind you find in Frank Lloyd Wright or John Lautner’s work.”
    “A slant that recalls the Native American tent, the primordial shelter,” he added.
    “American modernists loved Japan and sometimes, they’d never even been there. It’s this Japonism that I wanted to prolong.”
    The restaurant features Japanese postersAt the centre of Matsuri is the kaiten – conveyor belt – on which the sushi comes out. The designer used wood throughout the restaurant and covered it in lacquer for this centrepiece.
    “The kaiten is covered in high-gloss lacquer, reminiscent of the beautiful lacquer worshipped by the Chinese and then the Japanese,” he said.
    “I used wood throughout because in Japan, everything is made of wood, that’s just the way it is and has to be!”
    The central kaiten was covered in glossy lacquerPastel-hued domes decorate the ceiling above the kaiten, creating soft lighting and adding a touch of colour to the mainly white and wood interior.
    “For the ceiling, I think I got the idea from the amazing ceiling of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Penfield House,” Guénaire said.
    “I used industrial skydomes that I turned upside down and lit from the inside.”

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    The colour was toned down to create the right atmosphere for the restaurant.
    “We set up a sophisticated lighting system with very subtle colour control,” Guénaire added.
    “I chose cheerful, very American colour bases, and then, we subtly desaturated them to approach the Japanese aesthetic where nothing is ever garish.”
    Guénaire added pastel-coloured domes to the ceilingGuénaire also designed chairs for Matsuri that draw on those found in traditional Izakayas – Japanese pubs – though he says the original ones don’t correspond to his memories of them.
    “While searching for photos of Izakaya, I never found this chair shape,” the designer said.
    “Yet, as I recall, it’s exactly this chair that I’ve seen everywhere. All small and cute,” he added.
    “Maybe that’s what Japonism is all about. You invent a lot when you think you’re bringing back memories.”
    The designer created chairs that reference Izakaya furnitureThe interior of Matsuri, which is part of a restaurant chain founded in 1986 by a French-Japanese couple, is also decorated with old posters brought back from Japan.
    “We always have friends coming back from Japan. We asked them for a little help!” Guénaire said.
    Other Japanese restaurants on Dezeen include a sushi restaurant and sake bar with oxblood tiles and the Aragawa steakhouse selling “UK’s most expensive steak”.
    The photography is by Ludovic Balay.

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    Xanadu is a “fun and maximum” roller disco in Brooklyn

    Local entrepreneur Varun Kataria has unveiled a venue with a mix of colourful, retro details that contains the only permanent roller rink in New York City.

    Set in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Xanadu occupies a former industrial warehouse, which was converted by Kataria and his team, who also run the nearby restaurant and venue Turks Inn and Sultan Room.
    Xanadu is a multi-functional space with a massive roller rink in BrooklynThe multi-functional space now contains a roller rink, stage, bar area and large bathrooms, one of which can be converted into a smaller “club within a club”.
    According to Kataria, the space originally had columns throughout, but to make a large enough surface for an uninterrupted roller rink the ceiling needed to be supported without columns.
    It includes a mix of colours and patternsWorking with a local architect friend, Kataria created a structure around the existing structure, suspending the ceiling from the superstructure in order to support the weight, essentially creating a second ceiling.

    This allows for a wide space centred around the hand-painted, maple-wood rink, but without sacrificing details for the attendant spaces.
    Plentiful seating lines the leisure spaces around the rinkThe result is a “fun and maximum” space that contains a dizzying mix of patterns and colours.
    At the entrance, a desk was placed to rent out custom skates. From here, a walkway passes under an archway anchored by a sofa that wraps around a pole. Guests pass a long bar and on the wall across from it are raised seating areas.
    Banquet seating wraps the far side of the space and throughout, multiple entryways have been placed to give access to the massive rink.
    It has a massive maple wood roller rinkThe ceiling has incongruous shapes cut into it with track lighting. Kataria said that the Memphis Group design movement in part influenced the shape, giving the space the sense of an “elevated adult day care.
    “It’s not afraid to be playful,” said Kataria. “And the relationship with color became a real joy.”
    A stage sits adjacent to the ringHe added that the combination of many influences and time-periods was meant to have an “uncanny” effect on the visitors.
    Details such as infinity mirrors in the long sloping bar, colourful patterns in the carpet and vinyl surface coverings – almost every vinyl surface has a different pattern – create a mix of historical time periods that Kataria said work together to “push nostalgic buttons”, while being contemporary.

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    He said that the idea was to revive a entertainment form that people often associate more squarely with the past.
    “I’m not gonna say it’s an industry in decline, but the spaces themselves are in decline, right?” Kataria told Dezeen.
    “They’re usually old. But there’s more skaters than ever now. So I think as a cultural practice, it’s exploding, you know, with new energy.”
    One bathroom can be converted into a mini clubThe bathrooms are mostly monotone – one red and one blue. The red one has a hidden DJ set up so that it can become Club Flush.
    Other recent rinks include an ice skating rink built in Canada by architecture studio Lemay, which it says is the largest in the world.
    The photography is by Matt Harrington.

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    Quincoces-Dragò & Partners creates “relaxed, seductive ambience” for Mayfair restaurant

    Architecture studio Quincoces-Dragò & Partners has unveiled The Dover restaurant in Mayfair, London, which was informed by art deco design.

    The first solo venture from Martin Kuczmarski, formerly group COO at Soho House, the restaurant was designed to be “unpretentiously elegant” and have a “relaxed, seductive ambience”.
    The long, narrow restaurant was made up of a series of dimly-lit spaces that were designed to be gradually unveiled.
    The interiors feature extensive panelling in American walnutEntering from the street, the fully glazed reception area is separated from the restaurant with a dramatic velvet curtain in deep burgundy.
    On parting the curtain, a long central corridor leads – across a black and white marble chequered floor – past a bar on one side, and open-plan and banquette seating on the other.

    The chequered runway continues between the bathrooms and private dining booths, before ascending a few steps into an intimate wood-panelled dining room “reminiscent of a bygone era of fine dining”.
    Curved dining booths feature Murano glass chandeliers”The space itself is challenging – long and narrow with a major corridor connecting the main areas, which is where we ended up creating the most intimate booths of the whole restaurant,” David Lopez Quincoces and Fanny Bauer Grung of Quinconces-Dragò & Partners told Dezeen.
    The three private dining booths, in curved dark wood panelling, each feature a Murano glass chandelier by Venini.
    Curved wood panelling is used in the dining roomKuczmarski described the spaces of The Dover as “a buzzy bar, intimate dining booths, and then the main dining room”.
    “The shape of the space has become part of the customer journey,” he added.
    Kuczmarski worked closely with Milan-based Quincoces-Dragò & Partners on the design, aiming for a “contemporary art deco vibe” achieved through dim lights, curved American walnut panelling, contrasting textures and the chequered floor.
    Lighting fixtures are a mix of modern and art decoWood panelling is the main element in the restaurant, which the designers said “creates intimacy whilst nodding to tradition”.
    The curved panelling for the dining booths is echoed in curved corners and ceilings of the main dining room, which is a fully panelled space.

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    Velvet upholstery was chosen, in part, to manage the acoustics – a “fundamental aspect when designing the space”, Quincoces and Grung explained.
    The black and white chequerboard floor was made from nero marquinia and calacatta marble, which are both characterised by a veined appearance, softening the solid colour.
    Brass accents feature throughoutBrass lamp stands, with shades reminiscent of wood veneer, line the bar.
    The design of the interiors is “simple and straightforward when looking at it plainly, but rich with many details as you discover it piece by piece” said the designers.
    “The secret to good design is detail, detail, and more detail – and above all proportions!”
    Three private dining booths make up one area of the spaceRelief from the comprehensive wood-panelling comes in the form of red lacquered display cabinets.
    Wall lights with art deco glass sconces and a curved corrugated perspex panel in the dining room further break up the wood panelling.
    A curved corrugated perspex panel breaks up the wood panellingThe panel traverses from wall into ceiling in the dining room and functions as a “non-window” to prevent the space from feeling confined in wood panelling.
    With Kuczmarski, Quincoces-Dragò & Partners worked to create “an atmosphere that is welcoming – one that, as Martin says, ‘makes you feel good at first glance'”.
    The central corridor leads past the bar through to private booths and dining room beyond”The spirit of art deco – which is serious but playful, lush while elegant – inspired us tremendously when Martin spoke to us of his idea for The Dover,” Quincoces and Grung explained.
    Other Mayfair restaurants recently featured on Dezeen include Tutto Bene’s “sombre elegance” for the interiors of Nightingale and Japanese steakhouse Aragawa’s London outpost, featuring Rosendale Design’s paper pendant lights.
    Photography is by Matt Russell, courtesy of The Dover

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