The design is inspired by the dramatic architectural setting of Somerset House between the Strand and the Thames. It mediates between the urban and public context of the city and the recreational quality of the river and responds to the compositional principles of William Chamber’s classical facade.
The restaurant is set within six abutting marquee drums which provide dining for one hundred guests. The marquee drums have a fabric exterior which emphasises the demountable nature of the restaurant and contrasts with the solidity of Chamber’s neo-classical stone facade.
The use of such fabrics evokes the decorating of classical architecture with temporary structures for pageants as depicted in Canaletto’s paintings of Venice. The perimeter fabric is hung from the roof as a skirt which can be lifted or lowered as desired and to create varying degrees of ‘al fresco’ dining.
