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    Tutu lights populate Montreal's Cafe Constance by Atelier Zébulon Perron

    Pink pendant lights resembling dancers’ skirts hang from the ceiling of this cafe by Atelier Zébulon Perron at a Montreal ballet school.

    Cafe Constance is located in the downtown Wilder Building, home to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and named in tribute one of the organisation’s former leaders, Constance Pathy.
    Cafe Constance was designed as a theatrical experience within the contemporary building’s lobbyThe 1,400-square-foot (130-square-metre) space occupies the contemporary building’s lobby. It is used both for social gatherings for the artists and employees, and as a reception venue during and after functions or performances.
    “Maintaining apropos ambiances through the space’s transitions from coffee shop by day, to more cocktail-oriented functions in the evening influenced Atelier Zébulon Perron’s design philosophy,” said the design studio in a statement.
    A canopy above the bar and pendant lights help to create a more intimate scale”But the main focus was on creating something truly warm and whimsical in the heart of a contemporary institutional building,” the team added.

    In contrast to the large expanses of glazing and concrete finishes of the building, Atelier Zébulon Perron opted for rich materials like walnut, velvet and brass. Wooden screens wrap the cafe, partially shielding it from view while creating intrigue for patrons and passersby.
    Wooden screens wrap the seating area to create intrigue”We adopted a theatrical approach in order to build a sort of spectacle that is really quite literal,” said studio founder Zébulon Perron.
    “The idea was to create something that seems completely out of place, and that captivates the imagination in a strange and wonderful way,” he said.
    Materials like walnut and brass were chosen to contrast the concrete interiorA canopy above the bar area helps to bring the tall ceilings down to a more human scale.
    Similarly, a series of pleated pendants are gracefully suspended from thin wires above the seating area, at a height that helps create a more intimate setting.

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    These custom-designed lamps, each a slightly different shape, are made from the same blush-toned crinoline fabric as a dancer’s tutu.
    Floral-patterned wallpaper, upholstery and carpets, as well as golden lamps topped with tasseled shades, create the impression of a staged scene from another era.
    Details like wallpaper, upholstery and lighting add drama to the space”The tongue-in-cheek approach to Cafe Constance aimed at creating a fun and fantastical space within the more austere backdrop of the building’s contemporary architecture,” Perron said.
    “That play on contrasts extends to the design within the space as well, with hints of Victorian elements and boudoir intimacy animated by intricate colours, patterns and light fixtures.”
    Lamps were custom designed from crinoline fabric used to make tutusThe designer founded the eponymous interiors studio in 2008, and has also completed a restaurant at Montreal’s Four Seasons hotel.
    Other recently completed hospitality interiors in the city include the plant- and mirror-filled Tiramisu by Menard Dworkind, and La Firme’s bright and airy Melk Cafe.
    The photography is by Alex Lesage.

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    Projekt Praga incorporates mid-century references into Polish dumpling restaurant

    Polish architecture firm Projekt Praga has blended modern and mid-century features inside the Syrena Irena bistro in Warsaw, which serves traditional pierogi dumplings.

    Syrena Irena is located in an early 1950s building in the centre of the city that originally functioned as a hotel cafe.
    Syrena Irena is a pierogi restaurant in WarsawAside from handmade boiled pierogi, the restaurant’s “cheerful and honest” menu contains classic Polish dishes from the 50s and 60s such as sour rye soup and herring in flax and hemp oil, which have been updated for modern tastes.
    To add to the homely and casual atmosphere, Projekt Praga created an interior with a self-service set-up that uses mid-century design references to pay homage to both the building’s architecture and the bistro’s nostalgic menu.
    Wooden stools by Buck Studio surround the restaurant’s tablesThese include terrazzo-style tabletops, mosaic tiles, neon signs, milky glass sconces from Polish lighting brand Aqform and wooden stools with triangular seats by Wroclaw-based Buck Studio.

    In particular, Projekt Praga said it chose details, shapes and materials associated with the “prudent design” of Poland’s communist era.
    Spherical glass sconces by Aqform decorate the wallsThe terrazzo-style tabletops with their simple black bases were custom made, as were most of the metal elements in the space.
    Bar counters were powder-coated in bold colours to complement the building’s original 1950s wall mouldings and arches.
    The interior’s colour scheme mixes blue and coral tonesA large window at the front of the restaurant allows passersby to observe the chefs at work – kneading, stuffing and folding the pierogi.
    In the afternoon, sun shines through the windows and illuminates the dining room, while neon lights bring the space to life in the evening.

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    The colour scheme mixes aquatic blue with pink, peach and coral tones in line with the restaurant’s mermaid-themed branding, which was developed by Polish graphic design agency Mamastudio and illustrator Ola Sadownik.
    Both this and the restaurant’s name, Syrena Irena, are a nod to Syrenka Warszawska – the mermaid that acts as a symbol for the city of Warsaw and can be found in its coat of arms, as well as on monuments and buildings throughout the capital.
    Black tables with terrazzo-style tops were custom made for the space”The alternating personality of Syrena Irena gave us a chance to use geometrical forms and colours,” explained Projekt Praga.
    “The classical aesthetic of the existing space was balanced by less profound features like wall drawings, railings imitating a mermaid scale pattern and distinctive neon signs,” the studio added.
    “Despite this duality in the bistro’s persona, varied details like neon signs, lettering and murals all come together harmoniously.”
    A monochrome rendition of a Herbert James Draper painting decorates the wallsAt Mamastudio’s suggestion, Projekt Praga used a monochrome print of Ulysses and the Sirens – an oil painting created by English artist Herbert James Draper in 1909 – to cover two of the walls.
    The restaurant’s illuminated signeage was designed in collaboration with local artisan Jacek Hanak, who is responsible for reviving many of the city’s old neon lights.
    Neon signs were made in collaboration with Jacek Hanak. Photo is by Zuza Kozerska”We were influenced by the aesthetics of the jazzy Warsaw of the 1960s when this part of town was a vibrant destination for night owls and barflies,” said Mamastudio of the restaurant’s branding.
    “There were bright neon signs, music was everywhere, colourful artsy types and thrilling energy. With that, we decided that the mermaid logo should bear resemblance to a retro cut-out. The typography is expressive and slightly clumsy on purpose.”
    Other dumpling restaurants featured on Dezeen include a bao restaurant in Valencia that was designed to resemble a sunset and a small Chinese eatery in New York, where stainless steel, brass and polycarbonate are combined to create a futuristic interior.
    The photography is by PION studio unless otherwise stated.

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    Clap Studio creates sunset experience inside Valencia's Baovan restaurant

    A half-moon-shaped screen is programmed to mimic the changing colours of a sunset in this bao restaurant in Valencia, Spain, designed by local interiors firm Clap Studio.

    The eatery is set in a modernist building in Valencia’s Ruzafa neighbourhood and marks the first permanent outpost of Baovan – a local food truck delivering steamed Chinese bao buns, which started up during the coronavirus pandemic.
    Green ropes hang from the ceiling of Baovan’s porchBaovan asked Clap Studio to create an interior for the restaurant that channels the company’s motto of beers, beach and baos.
    “Our goal was to transport the user to a beach, from where to watch the sunset and enjoy some handmade baos,” Clap Studio director Angela Montagud told Dezeen. “So we created a whole experience around it.”
    “The shape of the space was a challenge, as we were faced with a narrow, elongated floor plan with no natural light,” she added.

    Curved fabric panels on the restaurant’s ceiling resemble cloudsIn a bid to turn the restaurant’s lack of daylight into a positive feature, Clap Studio designed an immersive interior that makes visitors feel as if they have stumbled across a secret beach.
    “In this way, it would invite the user to enter and discover the interior,” Montagud said.
    A half-moon-shaped lighting panel mimics the colours of the sunsetDiners enter the restaurant through a porch, where deep green ropes hang from the ceiling like vines in a forest.
    Inside, the interior was designed to evoke a beach with one side finished in a sandy peach colour and the other in deep ocean blue. Wavy textile panels form rolling clouds overhead that filter the light.

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    The centrepiece of the room is a half-moon-shaped lighting panel that was programmed by local creative studio Vitamin to recreate the changing colours of a sunset over the time it takes for the restaurant to complete its dinner service.
    “The interior shows a constant duality of colours that takes us in and out of the water,” Montagud explained.
    “On the ceiling, we recreate a blanket of clouds that brings a magical atmosphere to the interior, reflecting the lights of the sunset that is in constant movement.”
    The private dining area can seat up to ten peopleA private dining area at the rear of the floor plan can seat up to ten people and was designed to create the impression of eating by moonlight.
    Circular and crescent motifs that reference the shape of bao buns are repeated throughout the space from the lighting installation to the chairs, which were designed exclusively for the restaurant by Clap Studio.
    Other projects by the Valencian practice include a playful children’s shoe shop and a fashion store-cum-cafe in Hong Kong with stacked terracotta display plinths and celestial aluminium partitions.
    The photography is by Daniel Rueda.

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    Omar Gandhi designs a “light-filled wood cathedral” for Toronto restaurant

    Canadian studio Omar Gandhi Architect has created a vaulted-wood interior inside a non-descript brick building for chef Matty Matheson’s restaurant in Toronto.

    Prime Seafood Palace is located in West Queen West and was a collaborative effort between Omar Gandhi Architect (OGA) and the restaurant’s chef, Matheson, who has developed an internet following.
    OGA designed a restaurant in the West Queen West neighbourhood of TorontoThe space was imagined as “a light-filled wood cathedral, lining an otherwise inconspicuous existing brick-clad building that blends into the city’s urban fabric,” the studio said.
    “I think that all of us brought different ideas to the table, but for our design team we wanted the space to be a surprise inside of a fairly unassuming new urban building on a very busy street,” Omar Gandhi, principal of OGA, told Dezeen.
    The restaurant has vaulted wooden ceilingsThe primary entrance to the restaurant is separated from the street by a courtyard next to the adjacent building. The facade of the building – an earlier brick building, similar to many others in that area of Toronto – was painted white.

    OGA placed a vaulted wood structure within the brick envelope so that the main dining room of the restaurant nests within. In order to achieve this, the architects suspended the wooden vault from the ceiling.
    Natural leather was used for the upholsteryThe principal goal was to create a “timeless space, free of trends, with local, natural materials that develop a patina and continue to enrich the restaurant over time,” said OGA.
    “Designing with wood and light was the starting point for the design,” the studio added.
    Brass detailing was used throughout the main dining roomThe vaulted room hosts the main dining room, where the white maple louvres that make up the ceiling extend over the windows.
    Here, OGA upholstered the booths that line the space with natural leather, based on ones used in Matheson’s grandfather’s restaurant on Prince Edward Island, the Blue Goose.
    Above the space, a “wood-clad cloud” runs the length of the peak of the vault and filters natural light from a skylight in the roof of the exterior envelope.
    The bar is covered by a wooden canopyNear the servers’ station is an accessible restroom with concrete walls, which has a double-height volume that allows the space to be lit by a skylight above.
    In this restroom, a custom concrete sink by Brandon Gore was cast in the shape of Canada’s Lake Erie, with a brass marker indicating the location of Matheson’s Ontario farm.
    The wood extends into the open kitchenMore louvres form the railing that separates the different sections of the main dining room, which feature brass detailing and lamps.
    A full bar covered by a cantilevered wood canopy stretches the length of the space, while a passage next to the bar leads into a private dining room.

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    At the end of the bar is the elevated slope that leads to an open concept kitchen.
    The restaurant also has a secondary dining space in the backroom, which has slightly different detailing – such as a wood-burning stove and wooden walls – that makes it “reminiscent of Ontario’s cabin country,” according to the designers.
    The backroom opens up onto the courtyardThis dining area also has glass doors on one side that lead out into the courtyard.
    Throughout the restaurant, OGA worked with Coolican & Company to conceive custom furniture both for the kitchen and the dining space. A standout feature was the inclusion of drawers in the booths that hold the restaurant’s custom knife sets.
    The custom tables have drawers for steak knivesOmar Gandhi Architects is based in Novia Scotia. Other projects include a home near Lake Ontario with a winding wood staircase as well as a cedar-clad home in Halifax.
    The photography is by Adrian Ozimek and Doublespace. 
    Project credits:
    Design team: Omar Gandhi, Stephanie Hosein, Jeff Walker, John Gray Thompson, Chad Jamieson, LaurenMcCrimmon, Kris MacDonald, Liam ThornewellRestaurant team: Matty Matheson, Gary Quinto, Coulson Armstrong, and Our House Hospitality CompanyPhysical model: Mary MaStructural: Diomis EngineeringMechanical & electrical: Spline GroupCode: LMDG Building Code Consultants Ltd.Lighting controls & dimming: OneLXCustom furniture: Coolican & CompanyMillworker (primary): Canara Woodworking Inc.Additional millwork: CNC Cung Inc.Custom concrete sinks: Brandon Gore (Hard Goods)Custom booth pendants: Concord Custom LightingCustom signage: Filo TimoArt: Darby MilbraithSpecialty paint finish: Handsome PaintersUniforms: Rosa RugosaContractor: Mazenga Building Group (primary), Bootstrap Design/BuildManufacturers/Suppliers: Moncer (engineered hardwood flooring), Baro Klaus (selected furniture & specialty lighting), Stone Tile (tile), KOL (fiber cement cladding), Vaughan Electrical Supply (lighting), Nella (equipment), Stovemaster (brick hearth), MBH (Steel/glass doors), Sørensen Leather

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    Greek restaurant interior by Masquespacio takes cues from ancient ruins

    3D-printed “broken” columns join walls and floors created with an adobe effect at the Egeo restaurant in Valencia by interiors studio Masquespacio that aims to put a modern spin on traditional Greek architecture.

    Masquespacio created the interiors for the Egeo Greek restaurant, which is spread across one floor and characterised by a blue and off-white colour palette that is reminiscent of many Greek houses.
    A blue and white colour palette defines the spaceEgeo features a cavernous interior with microcement-coated seating areas and walls carved from curvy shapes punctuated by statement blue columns.
    The Mortex used for these walls and floors intends to give the space an adobe effect.
    It features 3D-printed columnsFractured into two pieces, the restaurant’s columns were created using 3D printing and are fitted with tubular lighting that connects each piece together.

    “We wanted to recreate the concept of a broken column from the past, but uplift it with a contemporary look,” Masquespacio co-founder Christophe Penasse told Dezeen.
    Wooden stools provide seating areasWooden stools resembling chunky chess pieces are scattered around built-in metal and wooden tables in the various seating areas arranged across the restaurant.
    Sconce lights were attached to decorative organic shapes that protrude from the walls while olive trees sit in large, neutrally-hued pots.

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    A central ordering bar was designed to recreate the atmosphere of a bustling market where you might order traditional souvlaki from a mobile vendor, according to Masquespacio.
    “The restaurant was inspired by Greece’s ancient architecture – from its typical white and blue houses to the ruins that are part of its important foundations in our world,” explained Penasse.
    A central bar intends to give the restaurant a lively feelThe eatery is the first Egeo branch in Valencia, although the chain already has two similar locations in Madrid.
    Based in Valencia, Masquespacio was founded in 2010 by Penasse and Ana Milena Hernández Palacio.
    Similar projects in Spain by the studio include another cavernous restaurant that nods to adobe architecture and an eatery with curved forms that take cues from the nearby Pyrenees mountains.
    The photography is by Sebastian Erras.

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    Sculptural partitions shape blue-tinged interior of Taste of Dadong restaurant in Shanghai

    Huge curving walls divide the blue-lit dining spaces inside this restaurant in Shanghai, designed by Chinese studio AD Architecture.

    Conceived by AD Architecture to deliver an “emotional”, dream-like dining experience, Taste of Dadong is steeped in an inky-blue light that seeps from LED panels in the walls and hidden strip lighting in the ceiling.
    Curving partitions separate seating areas inside the Taste of Dadong restaurantCarving up the restaurant’s floor plan are several tall curving partitions, amongst which intimate seating areas have been created for small groups of guests. Each one features a circular dining table and leather armchairs, all cast in a blueish hue.
    Alternatively, diners have the option of sitting at one of the booths that have been dotted around the restaurant’s periphery.
    Behind the bar is a luminescent fuchsia-pink drinks shelfSections of the ceiling have been clad with mirrored panels that show warped, upside-down reflections of diners and staff wandering the room, adding to the dreamy quality of the space.

    Meals are also accompanied by what the studio describes as a “psychedelic” soundtrack of songs.
    A pink faux skylight shines down on one of the dining tablesA contrasting pop of colour washes over the restaurant’s bar, where the AD Architecture has installed a drinks shelf that emits a fuschia-pink glow.
    Pink lighting has also been fitted behind an amorphous faux skylight that sits directly above one of the eating areas, as well as in small square openings that have been punctuated above the seating booths.
    Seating booths have been placed at the edges of the restaurantAD Architecture is led by Xie Peihe and has offices in Shenzhen and Shantou. The studio’s Taste of Dadong project is one of many visually-striking restaurants and bars that can be found across the city of Shanghai.
    Others include J Boroski, where the walls are decorated with thousands of preserved insects, and Bar Lotus, which features dramatic arched doorways and a rippled gold ceiling.
    The photography is by yuuuunstudio.
    Project credits:
    Design firm: AD ArchitectureChief designer: Xie PeiheClient team: Da Dong, Yuan Yufang, Tang Mingji, Si Xi, Shi Xiusong, Taste of Dadong Shanghai BranchConstruction team: Beijing Huakai Construction Decoration Engineering CoMechanical/electrical team: Beijing Zhitong Siyuan Mechanical & Electrical Design ConsultingLighting consulting: Beijing Guangshe Lighting DesignFixtures team: Beijing Hezhong Youye Hotel SuppliesKitchen team: Beijing HEC Hotel Supplies

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    Pitsou Kedem covers Hiba restaurant in Tel Aviv with geometric timber latticework

    Gridded oakwood panels sit alongside rough slabs of granite inside Hiba, a restaurant in Tel Aviv designed by local architecture practice Pitsou Kedem.

    Located in the city’s midtown area, Hiba serves a menu of Arab-Israeli fusion food.
    The restaurant’s use of fresh local ingredients influenced Pitsou Kedem to curate an equally raw, natural material palette for its interior.
    A gridded oak partition runs along Hiba’s entrance corridorGuests are guided into the venue via a narrow corridor with a gridded oak divider on one side.
    Some of the partition’s rectangular slots are blocked off while others are left open, allowing visitors to get brief glimpses of the hubbub happening in the restaurant proper.

    Hiba’s facade and ceiling feature the same latticework, loosely informed by the mashrabiya window screens that are traditional to Islamic architecture.
    The restaurant can seat up to 40 guestsThe corridor opens up into an intimate dining room, which accommodates just 40 guests.
    Dotted throughout are a series of circular oak tables, each accompanied by curved-back oak chairs with woven seats.
    The dining room features oak tables and chairs alongside granite countersSome of the tables back onto a powdered concrete bench that runs along one side of the room.
    Concrete was also applied to the restaurant’s floor, where it was polished to reveal the aggregate within.

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    At the back of the room, the practice created what it describes as an “inverted bar”, where liquor bottles are displayed inside a backlit niche in the wall rather than a typical bar counter that projects out into the room.
    Drinks can be prepared here or on the chunky slab of granite that forms a counter at the centre of the room.
    Diners can also sit on a curved concrete benchAnother craggy block of granite forms the base of an oak-topped dining counter that extends directly into Hiba’s kitchen in the corner of the restaurant.
    The kitchen was intentionally left open so that diners can watch the chefs at work and get an insight into the culinary process.
    A niche in the restaurant’s rear wall doubles up as a drinks barPitsou Kedem was founded by Israeli architect Pitsou Kedem in 2000.
    Hiba joins a number of trendy eateries across Tel Aviv including the minimalist vegan restaurant Opa and Bana – a cafe where fresh fruit and produce are arranged into colourful eye-catching displays.

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    Pirajean Lees and Olly Bengough design “timeless” interiors for House of Koko members' club

    Low-lit bathrooms informed by dressing rooms and a stage-kitchen-like restaurant feature in a members’ club at iconic music venue Koko, which pays homage to its theatrical past. 

    Local studio Pirajean Lees and owner and creative director of Koko Olly Bengough collaborated to create a members’ club within the London venue, which has been renovated over the past three years.
    Top: soft furnishings in Ellen’s bar control its acoustics. Above: Modular furniture that is easy to move features throughout the clubNamed The House of Koko, the members’ club consists of numerous bars, dining areas, lounges and a speakeasy arranged over several floors in a space alongside the public areas of the venue.
    The members’ club is directly connected to the refurbished 122-year-old, Grade II-listed theatre, which was renovated by architecture firm Archer Humphryes Architects.
    “The heart of the whole project is the theatre,” Bengough told Dezeen.

    A 1970s-style private dining room sits close to the main theatrePirajean Lees and Bengough took cues from Koko’s history as a music venue when designing the members’ club interiors, which intend to playfully reflect how traditional theatres used to run.
    On the first floor, The Battens Bar is a cocktail lounge that features a central banquette with punk-era red leather trim and a ceiling canopy crafted from cloth by Richmond Design Inc that has previously only been used to make speakers.
    Next to this space, there is a minimalist restaurant featuring Japandi interiors and an open-plan kitchen and dining area that was informed by the simplicity and community of old stage kitchens.
    Vinyl-listening, train-like booths create a sense of intimacyAnother bar is Ellen’s – an intimate 1940s-style speakeasy named after actor Ellen Terry, who opened Koko when it officially started as The Camden Theatre in 1900.
    The space is defined by soft furnishings that control its acoustics and a one-of-a-kind carpet with quirky illustrations of cigarettes.
    A bespoke bar in the penthouse by Pirajean LeesA private dining room with a geometric glass chandelier has panelled walls that hint at the main theatre located next to it, while dedicated vinyl-listening rooms with under-seat record storage give occupants the feeling of being in a vintage train carriage.
    “Because we inherited such a rich history of Koko, I don’t think anything contemporary or very modern would’ve allowed everything to carry on as if it had never closed and as if we had always been here,” explained Pirajean Lees co-founder Clémence Pirajean.
    The rooftop restaurant includes a funnel-like fireplaceAlso included in the members’ club is a piano room and library that are designed in the same eclectic material palette as the rest of its spaces.
    There is also a penthouse with a recording studio and a lounge with numerous hidden microphones to allow artists to record music all over the room.
    An airy roof terrace and restaurant lead to The House of Koko’s final space, an attic-like bar hidden in the venue’s famous dome, which was restored after a fire in 2020 destroyed it and extended Koko’s closure.

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    Deep olive doors informed by those that were located backstage throughout Koko in the 1920s run through the entire building and feature bespoke handles designed by Pirajean Lees.
    Bathrooms with illuminated, angular mirrors intend to give visitors the feeling of getting ready for a performance backstage in a hair and make-up room.
    Wooden joinery in various rooms also intends to reference the main theatre’s fly tower, which is a 360-degree stage and shaft formerly used to store props and scenery that was discovered during Koko’s renovation.
    A curved staircase leads to the dome bar”The thinking was let’s really go back to the past and get the past right, which sets you up to do the future in quite an interesting way,” said Bengough, describing the designers’ process.
    “Because if you make it beautiful, and timeless, and classic and all connected, then you’re like, wow, part two is as interesting and as beautiful as part one,” added Pirajean Lees co-founder James Michael Lees.
    The dome features an attic-like bar with views of the rooftop restaurantAs well as the members’ club, Pirajean Lees and Bengough also designed the interiors for two public spaces at the music venue.
    These are Cafe Koko, a pizzeria featuring a bar that doubles as a small stage for live performances and a shop selling Koko merchandise.
    Koko will officially reopen to the public on 30 April, with live streaming capabilities installed throughout the venue so that artists can reach audiences all over the world.
    Previously, Pirajean Lees also created the interiors for a jazz-age-style restaurant in a converted Dubai nightclub.
    The images are courtesy of Pirajean Lees and Olly Bengough. 

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