MY JOB...
DREAM OFFICE
LOST & FOUND
FOCUS ON...
Concorde BGW’s Ed Leese, 3D Visualiser
Concorde BGW help Moneypenny redefine office expectations
The best secret cocktail bar in Leeds
Lighting
—
—
—
—
page 4
page 5
page 6
page 8
Autumn 2016
The ConcordeTimes CONCORDE BGW brings you the latest design and build news
concordebgw.com
ConcordeBGW
concorde_bgw
— Delivering on time and on budget
We are Concorde BGW - a specialist provider offering an all-encompassing integrated design, build and furnishing service that has delivered excellent projects to countless bars, pubs and hotels in the UK With company foundations nearly 25 years old, Concorde BGW has a proud heritage of craft and a solid reputation for delivery.
The awardwinning design and build specialists of the leisure and hospitality sectors
We recognise that within a competitive market it isn’t simply about service but an ability to add value. Working together with the client, we play an integral role in bringing to life your vision. With offices in London and South Yorkshire, our team of experienced experts are qualified in each of their specialist fields and are all passionate advocates of good design with an immeasurable love for hospitality. A team of over 30 brilliant individuals cover a hugely diverse range of skills, not just including the expected design and build requirements but we also have in-house graphic design, quantity surveyors, project managers, 3-D visualisers and so forth. On top of this we have highly experienced site teams who we have trusted and worked closely with for 25 years.
Shortlisted
Concorde Times V2.indd 1
2016
Fresh look for Fuller’s — The Queens Head, 144 Richmond Rd, Kingston upon Thames KT2 5HA
Having previously worked on many projects together, we were approached by Fullers to complete an extensive refurbishment of The Queens Head in Kingston transforming an old boozer into a food-led destination pub with rooms. Wanting to reflect upon the buildings Victorian heritage and pay homage to its great historic past, the scheme combined antique furnishings and architectural details with an eclectic mix of colour and bold patterns.
The entrance lobby is a reflection of Victorian opulence, drawing the guests towards the apothecary inspired bar. As the significant focal point to the redesigned pub, the bar was designed to celebrate the pubs Victorian heritage through the use of refurbished antique panelling and a “vintage apothecary” back bar. This is cleverly positioned alongside the panelled walls, bright coloured furnishings and a vibrant mix of bric-a-brac and prints. — Continued on page 2
07/10/2016 13:40
2
The site now has 10 beautifully decorated bedrooms each with a unique design scheme combining modern essentials with Victorian indulgence.
— From front page
Either side of the bar, the large, vacuous room was broken up into several different dining spaces through clever use of booths, high back fixed seating in reclaimed leather and tall timber screens with vintage glass panels. To the back of the restaurant and bar, we created a snug with a bold, feature bookcase and banquette seating for up to 8 people – perfect for a larger group, or special occasion. Building upon the existing footprint, we transformed 6 rooms above the pub and developed 4 new suites in the outbuilding to create 10 beautifully decorated, boutique bedrooms each with a unique design scheme combining modern essentials with Victorian indulgence. Whilst some of the bedrooms are adorned with a more classical décor with high ceilings, rich colours and opulent headboards, others have taken on a more masculine, contemporary atmosphere. Each bedroom showcases Concorde’s all-encompassing integrated design, build and furnishing service through its extensive use of excellent joinery skills, exemplified in the wardrobe, desks and shelving. Externally, we re-developed the space into beautiful gardens that are now ideal for families and groups of friends to dine and drink. The finished result was an innovative, welcoming and vibrant design that has been embraced and is loved by locals and travelers alike. queensheadkingston.co.uk
Concorde Times V2.indd 2
07/10/2016 13:40
3
Hello. Revivalist is an eclectic collection of vintage and refurbished homeware and furnishings. For the individually-minded who are looking to stir the imagination and challenge the conventional approach to interiors that is adopted by so many others. We strive to push boundaries and bring new life to furniture whilst adding eccentric and eclectic twists to the usual adornments.
revivalist.co.uk Unit 15A J3 Business Park Balby Carr Bank Doncaster, DN4 8DE + 44 (0) 1302 639 210 info@revivalist.co.uk
Concorde Times V2.indd 3
07/10/2016 13:40
4
My job… — Every issue we talk to one of our team to share an insight into their passion for design and role within Concorde.
Ed Leese 3D Visualiser Unlike many 3D Visualisers, I began my career as an Interior Designer and then found myself drawn towards visuals as a means to push the boundaries of design interpretation. The ability to create photorealistic renders of virtual scenes sparked my imagination and I really enjoy the digital aspect it adds to the design process. It’s amazing how far technology has come in allowing us to create such life-ike visuals. It’s unbelievably rewarding when a project is completed and my visuals come to life. Being an in-house visualiser is a luxury. Having the opportunity to work alongside the designers to bring their visions to life really helps the client buy into our ideas and therefore become more invested in the project. Each render turns a hypothetical scheme into something more realistic and easier to picture.
The ability to create photorealistic renders of virtual scenes sparked my imagination.
I’m not sure I have a favorite project as I’m rather self-critical and feel that, with each new scheme, I learn new tricks of the trade. My favorite project tends to be the latest one I’ve worked on. In this case it’s the Foundry Project that we are working on at the moment with Revere Pub Co. Each Foundry site has its own unique regional accent; in Edinburgh we paid homage to the dominant rail history and the forges, and for Harrogate we’ve been focusing on the cotton mills. Both sites have an extensive variety of textures and materials including concrete, original stone and brick work, copper and reclaimed timber. Each needs to be cleverly introduced within the visuals. What programmes do you use? Predominently Sketch up Pro, Podium and Photoshop. Ed has work entered into the Sketch Up Podium competition that will be shortlisted later this year. Good Luck Ed!
Concorde Times V2.indd 4
07/10/2016 13:40
5
For us, the building is more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a manifestation of our ethos, of our achievements so far, of our culture and of our aspirations. What we believe is simple: if our staff are happy, our clients are happy.
Ed Reeves Co-founder and director of Moneypenny
Moneypenny — Western Gateway, Wrexham, LL13 7ZB
Is this the most perfect office building ever? The lucky 500 workers who get to enjoy a village pub, treehouse and vibrant new working space certaily think so. The telephone answering company hit upon a novel solution to the question ‘how can we make our staff happy?’ It surveyed its employees and built them their dream office… with a little helping hand from Concorde BGW! Having been commissioned to add the sparkle to an office like no other, the striking
Concorde Times V2.indd 5
91,000sq ft building which rivals the likes of Google and Apple’s headquarters, boasts a treehouse meeting room, its own village pub, a sun terrace, a triple height atrium with stadium seating and character brimming from the seams. What makes this project so unique is the clients desire to banish with all the normal requirements and beige etiquette of the standard office space. A standout design feature was the village pub, not something you find every day in a corporate office. Moneypenny wanted us to recreate one of
our award-winning pub designs including reconstructed original features such as tin ceiling tiles and pendent lighting over the bar. The authentic atmosphere is enhanced by a traditional back bar unit for the glassware and mirrors, high bar stools, traditional poser tables and upholstered leather wing back chairs.These are all features characteristic of Concorde BGW pubs and successfully complete the look they wanted to achieve. moneypenny.com
07/10/2016 13:40
6
Virginia is a forward thinking, free-spirited inividual. Born on the wild moorlands of Yorkshire, this independent ornothologist yearned for a life where she could practice her love of birds and embrace culture with wild abandon.
The Lost & Found — 12 Greek Street,Leeds, LS1 5PT
The award-winning Revere brand has opened up two new ‘Lost & Found’ sites this year in Leeds and Knutsford. The Revere Pub Co comprises of a collection of cocktail bars, restaurants, pubs and boutique hotels, many of which have been designed by Concorde BGW. These include Pitcher & Piano, The Fire Station in Waterloo London and The Elephant at the Market in Newbury, all of which were shortlisted at this year’s Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. The innovative Lost & Found concept first opened in Birmingham in 2012 and, after 4 years of huge success, is now to be joined by outposts in Leeds and Knutsford. The Leeds all-day bar and restaurant is located in the heart of the city on Greek
Concorde Times V2.indd 6
Street. Described as an avant-garde botanical hideaway, the restaurant serves seasonal British fare as well as experimental drinks at its bar. Following on from the existing Lost & Found design in Birmingham, the concept is inspired by a ‘fictional’ professor, a Professor Virginia K. Stevenson and her study of birds. The brief was to move Birmingam’s design concept forward to suit a city centre cocktail bar with a ‘New York’ chic atmosphere whilst retaining the original Victorian style and including a magnificent, hidden bar. Upon entering the site through large decorative glass doors, the customer is met by dark wooden floors, grand high ceilings and traditional dark stained timber panels which clad the walls. The botanical
theme is heightened by verdant green feature trees and museum style taxidermy birds in glass cases with subtle nods to the Professor found in the wallpaper and artwork. Bespoke furniture includes an eclectic mix of old trunks, marble and modern emerald green velvet sofas and elements of brass in both the furniture and lighting. Central to the “New York” theme, the ground floor bar has a sleek, stripped back bar display created with large format tiles overlaid with antique mirror and clever lighting. The bar front is a decorative inlay of timber veneer and brass detailing with a stainless steel counter. From here, a spiral staircase leads you down to the notorious hidden bar, concealed by lush topiary hedging and oversized, contemporary
glass and brass bespoke chandeliers. The basement is a dark, moody environment where bookcases and curiosities line the walls along with an ambient glow provided by lanterns tucked inbetween the antique books. The Knutsford Lost & Found will open on Princess Street in October this year. The two-tiered bar and restaurant sits in a Grade II listed former town hall created by the Natural History Museum designer Alfred Warehouse. Much like the Leeds site, the interior design is reminiscent of a Victorian botanical hideaway with Lepidopteran wallpaper, vintage pendant lights and hanging floral arrangements. leeds@the-lostandfound.com
07/10/2016 13:40
7
Concorde Times V2.indd 7
07/10/2016 13:40
8
Focus on…
Lighting Lighting has the potential to transform the hospitality experience – it can project and enhance the character of a venue and set the tone for a guests’ experience. Setting the right mood or ambience plays an important role in customer satisfaction as well as customer retention. This was illustrated by recent research conducted by Osram suggesting that, of 10,000 recent hotel reviews in London, most guests complained about the dim, bad and sparse lighting in their rooms. Not wanting any of our clients to have to deal with the sharp elbows of disgruntled guests, lighting plays a front role in the design of all our projects offering a medium to tell the story of the design and create an atmosphere. Each scheme requires a different lighting language to carry forward the character and personality of a project, while also supporting and enhancing it. A wide range of creative solutions and bespoke lights in all kinds of materials, shapes, and sizes can add drama to a space or provide a cosy, intimate environment, depending on what mood you want to create. Lighting Controls are extremely popular, allowing clients to adjust the lighting at their own accord to preferences throughout the day. A subtle change of brightness as you head into evening service or tuck into bed with a book can completely calm the tone. Functionality must always be considered as well. Reading lights near the bed need to be convenient, glare-free, and usable without interfering with a partner’s activity of watching TV or sleeping. Strategic Lighting is major player within the hospitality industry today - designing lighting around the flow of a restaurant. Lighting can be used cleverly to highlight signgage or within the bar to showcase the finest wines and liquors and influence the customer’s purchasing behaviour. External Lighting as an important element to every design. It’s the first impression that potential guests are going to have of your restaurant, and it’s an opportunity to create a memorable experience before they’ve even sat down and looked at the menu. Lighting in the signage can also help you define your customer demographics. Young people, for instance, are often attracted to modern designs and relatively low levels of lighting that suggest something fashionable or chic.
Concorde Times V2.indd 8
07/10/2016 13:40
9
In conversation with…
the founders of the Rickety Press ‘After many years of trying to find ourselves, we now have a strong sense of who we are, what we like, and what we want’.
article wows with invigorating, bold artwork and an open plan kitchen serving pub classics; burgers, pizzas, brunch and cocktails – successfully escaping the fine-dining fuss and bother of years gone by.
It’s a little known fact that The Rickety Press started out as a gastropub, winning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in consecutive years and becoming a regular feature in the Good Food Guide. In spite of all these accolades the Dodo Pub recently underwent a complete upheaval in character and style. So why the radical change in the throes of success?
With an honest, humble offering in an engaging new space, The Rickety Press is now proudly a local neighborhood favourite. This stylistic about-turn has been a great learning curve for owners Chris and Leo who have learnt the hard way
Chris Manners, Founding Director. The man with the plan & resident perfectionist, Chris runs the show making sure that everything is always tip top. Chris Manners and Leo Johnson, founding directors of the group, talked us through their change of direction. Clearly there was a thorn in their side; something was simply missing.
that awards aren’t rewarding unless you stay true to yourself. With a little help from their friends at Concorde, The Rickety Press has its Dodo soul at long last.
“When we first started out, we wanted to try our hand at running a finedining gastro pub. The classic kind of restaurant where middle aged men in suede loafers would rave about steak and enjoy the red wine… but it didn’t take long to realise that wasn’t really us. We’re young professionals and wanted to cater for our own demographic, youg professionals and families, because ultimately this is who we relate to best.”
So what’s next in store for the Dodo team? Following the success of their Oxford venues, Dodo Pub Co is opening The Bottle of Sauce in Cheltenham this November and will continue in partnership with Concorde to tackle a new town and a new challenge. Cheltenham, much like Oxford, is awash with students and a perfect hub for the all-day dining Dodo vibe.
Leo Johnson Founding Director. Chief Creative! Spends his days dreaming, ,bodging and crafting the Dodo empire.
The Dodo Pub pair had a particular vision in mind, picturing a bright and lively, casual dining venue which changes throughout the day to cater for the community from early morning coffee to cocktails at night. The challenge they faced was figuring out how to change the space to fulfill their plans. Fortunately for them they found a perfect remedy in the form of Concorde BGW. Inspired by the youthful vibrancy shining through the Dodo brand, Concorde set to work on The Rickety Press, transforming it into a fun and welcoming environment, stripping back to the exposed brick walls and steel works. The finished
Concorde Times V2.indd 9
I am a massive convert; the cool laid-back vibe is perfect for drop-in dining… The kids picked up on the relaxed vibe, understanding that dropping a fork wasn’t going to be the end of the world, and we had one of the most enjoyable family outings in a long time.
Armed with a new sense of direction, Chris and Leo have big plans and they’re enjoying pub life more than ever. “We just love playing host to folks... never is one day the same as the last. Everyone is here for a good time, enjoying great food and booze as much as we do. We’ve found our way and we’ll never look back!”
Katherine MacAlistar Oxford Times
dodopubs.com
Shortlisted
2016
07/10/2016 13:40
10
The Huntsman — Groombridge Lane, Eridge, East Sussex, TN3 9LE
Once a traditional country pub with a stuck-in-the-1960s vibe, this dated, listed building has undergone a complete refurb giving it a new lease of life and a contemporary impression that would equally attract locals, tourists and students. The building is heavily listed which created several design challenges in ensuring that the historic elements of the buildings would work well alongside a fresh contemporary style, pops of colour and industrial twists so that the business can be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Through an inventive use of copper piping, reclaimed timber paneling, corrugated
Concorde Times V2.indd 10
iron and statement bare filament bulbs, an industrial edge was added to the buildings bar and main dining area. Wanting to still keep a cosy atmosphere we ensured there was a lot of colour throughout the scheme with upholstered, mix-matched furniture, a bespoke hexagonal tiled floor and a stunning pizza oven. The hexagonal theme reccurring throughout the scheme is also reflected in a custom made log store, feature patterned floor tiles, bar shelving and even the tiling on the pizza oven. The 13 en-suite bedrooms (9 of which are in a converted stable block) have been completely transformed into chic boutique rooms - each individually designed. Key
features included colourful wood cladding, bespoke leather headboards, reclaimed mirrors and subtle tones of colour in the soft furnishings. Enhancing the countryvibe, each room is named after a game animal with characterful prints on the wall. Each bedroom features bespoke prints and artwork in keeping with the specific room name. Hints of country life are also seen throughout the bar and restaurant with tasteful wire sculptures and sign writing adhering to the wildlife that occupies the surrounding New Forest.
thehuntsmanpub.com
07/10/2016 13:40
11
Injecting fun and a cool vibe into a picturebook New Forest village, this revamped inn belies its pub-chain roots... I arrive to what looks like an average pub from the outside. Inside, though, it’s bright and enticing with décor the right side of trying too hard
Jane Dunford, The Guardian
Concorde Times V2.indd 11
07/10/2016 13:40
Shortlisted
The award-winning design and build specialists of the hospitality sector London Unit 114, Screenworks 22 Highbury Grove London, N5 2EF +44 (0)203 355 2297
info@concordebgw.com
Doncaster Palmer Street Hyde Park Doncaster, DN4 5DD +44 (0)1302 361 024
Concorde BGW is a specialist provider oering an integrated design, build and furnishing service that has delivered award-winning projects to countless bars, pubs and hotels in the UK. With a willingness to listen to all clients, we work collaboratively to achieve results which not only meet requirements but exceed all expectation. All of our refurbishments are completed to the highest quality and delivered on time and on budget. With company foundations nearly 25 years old and oďŹƒces in both London and Doncaster, Concorde BGW has a proud heritage of craft and a solid reputation for delivery. We recognise that within a competitive market it isn’t simply about service but an ability to add value. Working together with the client, we play an integral role in bringing to life your vision and maximising return of investment.
concordebgw.com
Concorde Times V2.indd 12
07/10/2016 13:41