Designer diners: designLSM

With more than 24 years in the industry, designLSM is an award-winning practice with a diverse portfolio of projects.

From Michelin starred restaurants, high street chains and independent hotels, to clubs, casinos and residential developments, designLSM has completed a varied range of schemes for clients including Hilton, Lacoste, Goodman, GBK and CenterParcs.

Amongst its recent projects, designLSM has provided architectural services for the brand new Clockjack Oven on Denham Street and the latest Burger & Lobster restaurant in Soho. Both projects required designLSM to create inviting interiors that included a range of interesting materials and both are excellent examples of the practice’s work.

Throughout all of its work designLSM always provides its clients with an expert service backed by an enthusiastic team committed to translating a client’s brief into reality. To date the practice has won a number of awards including Best Restaurant Design and Best Independent Restaurant and in 2012 designLSM was shortlisted for Best Standalone Bar for Sam’s Brasserie and Best Hotel Bar for Good Godfrey.

Clockjack Oven

Named after a Tudor roasting device, Clockjack Oven, located on Denham Street close to Piccadilly Circus, London, specialises in rotisserie chicken served simply with salad or chips. The central feature of the 2000 sq ft restaurant is an impressive open rotisserie oven, which is one of the first in the country.

The new restaurant opened its doors to the public on December 7^th 2012 after appointing designLSM to create the perfect interior, menu and stationary design in just three months. The brief was simple and specified that the interior design be kept natural and inviting0- with a slight industrial feel.

The Soho restaurant can accommodate up to 60 people on both individual tables and a large, oak table that seats 25 communal diners. The oven is capable of cooking up to 12 chickens at a time, keeping up with the demands of a busy London restaurant.

The main materials used within the restaurant are oak, brick, slate and metals with a colour palette featuring grey, white, red and copper tones. Contemporary pendant lights highlight the bespoke bar stools and benches supplied by Hillcross Furniture adding warmth to the slate floor.

With meals costing around £10 and a marinade created by a top secret chef, Clock Jack Oven promises to deliver on both quality and price. The practice hopes that the Clockjack Oven concept will be rolled out further, providing a simple but high-quality offering to London diners.

Burger & Lobster Soho

Situated at 40 St John St, London, Burger & Lobster does exactly what it says on the tin, and serves up delicious burgers along with mouth watering lobster dishes. To date there are three Burger & Lobster sites in London, including Mayfair, Farringdon and Soho.

Prior to its transformation into Burger & Lobster, the Soho site housed a Bistro du Vin, which was quite dark and include a number of ‘snugs’. In order to give the site a brand new lease of life, designLSM Associate Andrew Harwood removed the ceiling to expose the skylights and stripped back the plaster to reveal brickwork.

The modern, raw interior features concrete pillars which have been softened by bespoke red leather banquettes, exposed copper conduits and ribbed wall lights. Additional features include reclaimed timber joists, Boston bar stools, reclaimed waiter stations and metal tables, character oak table tops and a zinc bar top.

Harris Construction Management was the main contractor on Burger & Lobster Soho, whilst Havwoods provided the flooring and Hill Cross Furniture was responsible for all of the furniture in the site.