Flash at the Royal Academy

A temporary restaurant at the Royal Academy of Arts inspired by Pompeiian interiors.

David Kohn Architects collaborated with restaurateurs Pablo Flack and David Waddington, illustrator Rory Crichton and fashion designer Giles Deacon on the design which was conceived as a home-from-home for the East End eaterie, Bistrotheque.

Situated in the West Room of the nineteenth century palazzo, 6 Burlington Gardens, the design looked to make the most of the existing architecture, co-opting its classical grandeur, whilst achieving a light, playful atmosphere. A new timber-lined dining room was created using stacked art crates placed between the room’s cast iron columns. The crates were decorated with fantastical garden scenes of writhing plants, mythical creatures and exotic birds that recalled the history of the site, being once the gardens to Burlington House.

In its details, the project sought to create as comfortable a dining experience as possible. A bespoke carpet and felt wall decorations ensured excellent acoustic properties whilst carefully placed mirrors allowed diners to momentarily look past each others’ shoulders to survey the company.

The project was awarded a D&AD Yellow Pencil in 2009 and shortlisted for a 2011 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Project

Temporary Restaurant

Location

Royal Academy of Arts, London

Client

Bistrotheque

Size

350 m2

Status

Completed 2008

Construction Value

£90,000

Design Team

David Kohn, Stephen Kennelly

Collaborators
Giles Deacon
Will Broome
Rory Chrichton
Erik Rehl
Alan Baxter & Associates

Awards

D&AD Yellow Pencil 2009

Photography
Ioana Marinescu

Carefully placed mirrors allowed diners to momentarily look past each others’ shoulders to survey the company
A new timber-lined dining room was created using stacked art crates placed between the room’s cast iron columns
Aerial view of Burlington House in 1665
Axonometric drawing
The design made the most of the existing architecture, co-opting classical grandeur whilst achieving a light, playful atmosphere
Fantastical garden scenes of writhing plants and mythical creatures recalled the site’s history as Burlington House’s gardens
Decorative infill panels depicting sinuous plants, birds and animals were overlaid with felt mesh fences
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