The UK and International Restaurant & Bar Design Awards are the world’s only truly independent award of their kind
September 11th, 2012
Timber was king at last weeks awards in London. Hosted by the Royal Institute of British Architects the two top gongs went to European projects: one in Spain, the other in Bulgaria.
Best Restaurant 2012 was presented to A Cantina, a project by Estudio Nomada.
Essentially a long, lofty hall – the main, communal dining tables are arranged beneath a dramatic framework of timber elements, suggestive of an abstract forest.
Housed within the new City of Culture, a multi-million euro museum and cultural hub in the North Eastern city of Galicia; A Cantina impressed the judging panel with its straightforward approach to creating a definitive sense of character and place within such a vast, otherwise uninviting, shell.
Sparing application of colour and a minimal use of materials – serving to engage the guest from the very first impression.
In the Bulgarian city of Varna, the Gallery Hotel’s Graffiti Bar earned Mode Design both the Best Bar Overall and Best European Bar award.
The arresting space radiates out from three intricately detailed but oversized central timber pillars that run the length of the venue – like giant, turned-timber posts.
Set over two tiers, the bar carries the prominent timber aesthetic through into the custom table supports and across the roof in a series of equally as intricate radial patterns.
Subtle lighting elements integrated into the masonry floor and up one feature wall, offer a brilliant backdrop when viewed from the street, by night.
Local talent was also well represented on the evening. March Studio picked up the Australia Pacific Region Award for their Baker D. Chirico bakery in St Kilda, Melbourne.
Also embracing the warm, familiar characteristics of timber, March Studio were able to fashion a cost-effective retail space with a strong sense of motion and movement.
An attractive slat and bracketed arrangement of irregular timber panels contrast charmingly against the checkerboard floor tiles and stripped back concrete walls.
The full gallery of winners can be viewed on the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards website.
Images © RABDA
Restaurant and Bar Design Awards 2012
restaurantandbardesignawards.com
March Studio
Mode Design Studio
Estudio Nomada
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Journey alongside Australian designer Ross Didier as he introduces a new chapter in the magical folklore of his iconic FABLE Collection.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Now in its ninth year, Open House Melbourne has broken free of its weekend-long format to become a genuine year-round program of events. Ben Morgan writes.
According to sociologist Ray Oldenburg, “third places are public spaces on neutral ground where people can gather and interact.” We review two INDE.Award-contending projects that revolutionise the meaning of ‘collaborative engagement’ at work.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Industry Lanes by Architectus is a new mixed-use precinct of interconnected office and retail space in character-rich corner of Richmond.
We spoke with three architects currently practising in Canberra to investigate the city’s planned history and what it means to work in that shadow.