Gunpowder Tower Bridge, London

We wanted to create a space that reflected traditional materials and a colour palettes of India without in anyway creating a themed concept, or recreating what is already happening with other Indian restaurant trends. Our brief for the ground floor was to create two spaces, the first Custard which was to be an informal bakery offering Indian pastries and coffee. The second Gunpowder was to be the main dining area which would continue to the upstairs mezzanine.





Texture and layers play an important role within the space. By mismatching the reclaimed antique English marble fireplace pieces in both size and depth we were able to create a unique textured wall bringing warmth to the bakery. The bush hammered concrete of the front face of the bakery counter contrasts with the polished black concrete top and gives the bakery a distinctly different feel to the more raw feeling of Gunpowder. The bush hammered concrete counter is also a nod to the iconic brutalist architecture that already sits along the Southbank.





Latticed rebar forms the front face of the bar creating texture and depth which contrasts with the teak wood and reeded glass panels of the booths. Zinc and wooden table tops soften the space while the steel and polished concrete stairs visually link the two floors. Blackened steel poles create a corridor to the first floor. The visibility to the ground floor and outside allows diners on the mezzanine to feel part of the overall experience.





On the mezzanine the material palette continues with bespoke rebar wine displays and specially commissioned love seats offset by marble tables and a jet black tiled glossy wall. An open pass allows diners to see the theatre of the kitchen and adds to the atmosphere and hustle and bustle of the multi-functional space.