John Whelan - GSL · CLIENT: The Guild of Saint Luke
Maison Francois is a restaurant of 500 square metres, created inside a bare concrete shell. The coffered ceiling is made of phonic material painted in faux cement to match the polished concrete floor. Curved walnut banquettes with privacy glass uppers are upholstered in cream linen, and floor-to-ceiling cream linen curtains offset the terracotta stucco and mirror arches. Joinery is in walnut and mahogany, with patinated brass and nickel metalwork. The central island pass forms the focal point of the room and links the kitchen to the dining space.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Initially, the concrete shell was taken as the starting point, creating a Brutalist ceiling coffering and laying down a polished concrete floor. Once the framework was established, ensuing elements were designed to create that elusive warmth and intimacy. Curved walnut banquettes with privacy glass uppers are upholstered in a resistant cream linen that are tactile and inviting. They correspond with floor-to-ceiling cream linen curtains that offset the grandeur of the imposing terracotta stucco and mirror arches.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 500 square metres floor space
- Tags
- Restaurant, Brasserie, London
- Production Technology
- The coffered ceiling was realised in phonic material and painted in faux-cement to match the polished concrete floor. Joinery is in walnut and mahogany, with patinated brass and nickel metalwork. Upholstery and drapery is in cream linen.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was the space that was inherited from the landlord. A far cry from the warm and welcoming environment desired by the client, it was a cavernous concrete shell with no discernible features of interest. The façade offered little more by way of inspiration, being part of a somewhat generic new build. It was therefore necessary to think carefully about how the large volume could be animated, and how to create visibility from the street.
- Project Duration
- The project started in September 2019 and opened in September 2020
- Operation Flow
- Bringing the kitchen into direct conversation with the room was key to creating a vibrant atmosphere, and so the central island pass became the focal point of the room. It sits underneath a monumental Rado inspired clock flanked by a lambs-tongue mahogany and bevelled mirror canopy that recalls the windows of the Ismaili Centre. Metals range from patinated nickel to burnished brass, all heavy on texture and designed to warm up the space.
- Research
- Much of the research that went into this project had been conducted over several years, working on restoring and re-designing historic brasseries in France. Everything that was learned by the studio during this period was applied to the project, but this knowledge was infused with more contemporary reference points such as Postmodernism and Brutalism in order to evolve the genre.
- Inspiration
- Rather than taking the more tried and tested route of looking to the Art Deco period for inspiration, the design looked at successful residential conversions of Brutalist spaces, such as Ricardo Bofill’s, La Fabrica. What interested the team was how the designers managed to create a sense of intimacy and warmth despite their imposing concrete surrounds. The solution was to find the right dosage of these ideas, within a more traditional brasserie framework.
- Image Credits
- Photography by Oskar Proctor
Press releases are available in 1 languages.