Architecture, Interior Design, Restaurant InteriorsFlorence LAugust 22, 2021Vardo RestaurantVardo Restaurant, Nex Architecture, Duke of York Square, London, Interior Design Feature

VARDO RESTAURANT || A Social and Public Amenity Enhancement to the Duke of York Square in Chelsea

Architecture, Interior Design, Restaurant InteriorsFlorence LAugust 22, 2021Vardo RestaurantVardo Restaurant, Nex Architecture, Duke of York Square, London, Interior Design Feature

Sometimes what appears to be simple and elegant on the surface takes the most time. This is the case with Vardo Restaurant at the Duke of York Square in Chelsea.

Nex designed the restaurant and leisure building for Cadogan as the final element in the redevelopment of the Duke of York Square. The building design echoes the elements of the Grade II buildings in its immediate vicinity yet brings its own modern elements to enhance the area’s social and public amenity space.

*The modern architecture brings new life to the square lined with mature London Plane trees.*

Why do we reference the building as a restaurant and a leisure destination? In addition to offering a spacious 120-seat restaurant on the ground floor, Vardo also features a lush rooftop garden that can be independently accessed by the public. A curved staircase hugging the exterior of the building leads up to the terrace to the peaceful refuge sheltered from the busy traffic on King’s Road. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the square while enjoying a picnic lunch or morning coffee. This public amenity space allows an elevated view of the surroundings, making it a reinvigorating addition adding lively greenery to the square in an innovative way.

*The public space open to the community provides sweeping views of the square from an elevated perspective.*

The restaurant is designed with key features to make it a year-round social destination. The creative brief asked for a building that could be approached from all sides, and the team at Nex took this one step further, creating a circular architecture incorporating the use of curved retractable glass — the first of its kind in the world — to create a seamless indoor-outdoor dining space. The sweeping large plate-glass windows slide down gracefully into a basement trench, extending the dining space out onto the square.

*On a chilly day, the large retractable glass panels providing airtight insulation for guests to enjoy views of the energetic Duke of York Square while staying cozy indoors.*

*On sunny days, the retractable curved glass settles gracefully into a slim basement trench, allowing the restaurant experience to spill out onto the square.*

Further to this spectacular pioneering feat, the Nex team designed the building to be BREEAM Excellent, making Vardo Restaurant one of the greenest restaurants in London. The retractable glazing forming part of a semi-passive system maximizes performance and minimizes energy consumption. The team utilized air-source heat pumps and natural ventilation as well as a highly insulated glass and concrete envelope, and high standards of airtightness.

Although the architecture integrates modern design elements and sustainability features, the exterior and interior design respects the historical Grade II listed buildings nearby. Vardo Restaurant’s curved exterior mirrors the pioneering modernist facade of the Grade II listed Peter Jones department store just moments away. The slender, off-white concrete wall curving up from the square references the adjacent wall of the Duke of York Headquarters building. The ground level of the restaurant features what can be seen as a classically-informed colonnade, and the large-retractable glass panels are set within.

*Slender off-white concrete wall complemented by ash wood slats on the ceiling*

Inside the restaurant, delicate structural arches emphasize the airy high ceiling, while polished granite terrazzo flooring adds contrast to the furnishings highlighting natural wood, plants, fabric and stone. Ash wood slats form the intricate ceiling design and have been meticulously arranged to celebrate the restaurant’s spiral form.

*The interior design echoes the circular architecture with curved seating booths, ash wood slats arranged in a spiral form on the ceiling, and elegant arches emphasizing the airy space.*

Although the building was completed in 2019, the design was ahead of its time in providing a seamless indoor-outdoor dining experience, which allowed it to continue serving the public and the community during the pandemic.

Alan Dempsey, Founder of Nex, shares: “With the restaurant now open, and the public rooftop garden full of life, we’re excited to see that the building has transformed the use of Duke of York Square. It has also been remarkable to see how the design of the building has responded to the challenges of the CoVid pandemic: the naturally ventilated interior and dynamic glazing that allows tables to spill outside has enabled the restaurant to continue to safely welcome guests through this time, and ensured that the square has continued to be a lively place for everyday life in the city.”