THE BRIEF

The Lansdowne is a historic public house in the heart of Primrose Hill serving a Mediterranean menu and wide range of craft beers. The brief for our refurbishment set out to enhance and contemporise the interiors of the iconic site. Early on in our conceptual development of the scheme we took inspiration from the simplicity in the designs of the 18th Century Shaker movement. This modest use of materials and colours to express the utility of the interior design seemed particularly relevant given the lack of ornate decoration to the original architecture of the building. It was also important to us that the materials and detailing of the scheme reflect the context of the site and its setting in Primrose Hill.

THE SCHEME

We decided to form the new bar top from reclaimed pine railway sleepers directly referencing the multitude of rail lines which run alongside the site. This has been left as an untreated monolithic timber slab showcasing the movement and character in the natural material. Behind this a series of simple shaker inspired plywood shelving units house the range of wines and spirits available. Integrated lighting creates pockets of light behind each shelf emphasising the buff colour of the units and reeded wall panelling behind. Above the back bar angled mirrors are positioned to reflect the new interior of the ground floor to both customers sitting at the bar and those entering the business for the first time. The interior has been finished with curated artworks referencing the site and food offering. This includes a painting of the pub produced by a local artist for the business which sits to the left hand side of the bar balancing on the ‘watermark’ line between the two wall panelling colours.