Interior Street (Fernandez & Wells)

Lexington St - London

`Inspired by the street food and tapas bars of Madrid, the stone floor continues the material of the adjoining pavement into the shop. The material palette of timber and stone also recalls the traditional tapas bar, but the oak and yorkstone are particular to its English setting. The modern interior is positioned inside a Listed Georgian building, and the original features are preserved in their current state, as a register of the site's history.

The service and preparation counters are articulated as free-standing tables so as to further evoke the character of street food. Similarly, the linear placement of the tables supports a reading of the shop as an interiorised laneway. The fixtures and fittings are articulated as furnishings, enhancing the illusion of the shop-fittings as ready-mades. The spacing of the hanging light fittings establishes a rhythm beyond the dimensions of the interior, accentuating spatial connections with the street.