The Fortnum’s Bar and Restaurant at The Royal Exchange

Design Brief The aim of this project was to create a destination restaurant and bar which captured the spirit of Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store, its 300 years of heritage and tradition and transpose it into a new context within the Royal Exchange, London. The restaurant and bar needed to provide both table and counter dining for up to 90 covers and be suitable to operate from breakfast through to evening dining. The design had to be sensitive to the historical context of the Royal Exchange while also acting as a Fortnum & Mason brand beacon. The scale, level of transparency, materiality, colour and detail all needed to sit in harmony within the Grade I Listed architecture. Design Results The central bar takes design cues from delicate architectural details from Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store, historic frame structures, travelling canopies, lattice work, English silverware - but with a contemporary interpretation. The canopy has a sense of openness while also being sculptural and beautiful - allowing it to create an impact but without hindering key views into the Royal Exchange atrium. The restrained, warm, textured material palette compliments the hues of the Royal Exchange’s dominant material; Portland stone. The chosen materials are of high quality, with a sense of texture and character which will age gracefully. Respecting the surrounding neoclassical architecture, the bar is proportioned to sit harmoniously within the vast internal atrium whilst creating a sense of intimacy at human scale. All of the metal work and hand-blown glass lampshades and vases are made in the South East of England, whilst the bespoke leather banquettes incorporate the iconic Fortnum & Mason ‘eau de nil’ colour palette. The design of this restaurant and bar project brings luxury heritage and tradition to an iconic destination in the heart of the city of London by skilfully marrying a modern bar and dining destination within the classical architecture.