London & South East Premier Hospitality

The Fire Station

The Fire Station, Waterloo
Written by Roma Publications

The Fire Station, Waterloo

The Fire Station, Waterloo is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner serving a bright new menu of wood-fired pizzas and adventurous burgers to feast on.

The Interior was designed & built by Concorde BGW, who also supplied all the lighting and furniture for the fit out.’

The given brief was to celebrate the building’s heritage, rather than disguising it. This led the designers to opt for an industrial aesthetic with adornments relevant to the fire service building.

Premier Hospitality caught up with Concorde BGW’s Head of Design Karim Mezeli, he said:

“We wanted to create an environment which was welcoming, flexible and honest. We introduced a theme which was fairly minimal, with exposed services, glazed bricks and riveted steels.”

The Fire Station, Waterloo

Concorde BGW incorporated a series a playful adornments, alluding to the building’s former life.

Karim told us:

“For a nod to the building’s important history, we included vintage matchbox artwork, a grand chandelier made from old fire hoses, coat hooks fabricated from copper piping and valves, as well as a run of mesh lockers on the way to the toilets.

“There’s also a hidden detail of a Turner painting of The Great Fire of London – nestled among a series of rusty steel panels. We tried to be subtle with elements like this so the space didn’t feel themed, but at the same time not taking itself too seriously.”

The listed element of the old fire station meant that the restaurant had to maintain working sliding doors. They also kept the old listed tiled floors and concrete ramps on display. The bar is made from a single piece of aged copper, with bespoke copper hand pumps and a beer wall to the back bar.

The Fire Station, Waterloo

With a mix of eclectic bar seating, cosy lounge and flexible dining, alongside generous runs of fixed seating and a luxurious booth nestled below.

The restaurant focuses on a celebration of the product. The menu isn’t expansive, but rather about quality and getting the few options right. Throughout the project, it was important for the client that the restaurant could cater for both day and night, with the menu offering dishes from breakfast through to late night drinks. The restaurant has a steady flow of customers so the designers opened up the previously wasted space to allow food and drink in both the front and rear areas. The space is open and flexible to cater for the busy location.

One of the stand-out features is the two high end pizza ovens, which are visible as soon as you come in. The flickering flames of the pizza ovens encouraging deeper exploration.

The Fire Station, Waterloo

Karim Mezeli concluded:

“It’s of great importance for us to be working on buildings of this significance; it’s a privilege for us to be involved with this project. It was crucial that the space worked in harmony with the offer, in such a busy location operational efficiency takes priority, but we wanted to be respectful of the heritage and I think that the finished product is an excellent demonstration of this.”

YCE Catering Equipment Ltd

Specialising in the design and installation of commercial kitchens, YCE Catering Equipment Ltd were instrumental in the development of the new restaurant kitchen at The Fire Station, Waterloo. YCE designed and installed the kitchen which also included a full project management service to the client throughout the duration of the project.

The Fire Station, Waterloo

Lyndon Moorby, of YCE Catering Equipment commented:

“This is a flagship site and one which we believed we could help our client find a solution to meet their needs. The logistics involved with this site being in central London were challenging, however something we were not afraid to approach head on. We met every challenge put to us and have provided a solution we are very proud of.”

For more information, please visit: www.yce.co.uk.

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Roma Publications