London & South East

One Kensington

One Kensington, Kensington High Street, London

Award-winning hospitality designers, B3 Designers, responsible for Gymkhana, Trishna and Bubbledogs to name a few, have continued their collaboration with the Tamarind Group to create One Kensington, a newly opened bar and dining venueĀ on Kensington High Street, London.

B3 Designersā€™ brief was to create both the brand identity and the interior look and feel for One Kensington.

The 300 square metres, 120 cover dining space is set in a Grade II listed, late Gothic revival Victorian building and consists of a dining area, counter bar and a raised Champagne table. Overlooking Kensington Palace Gardens,Ā One Kensington offers an exciting and stylish space in which to spend the day eating, drinking and socialising.

Having one of the most prestigious addresses in London, One Kensington was originally home to The London & County Bank in 1885, designed by architect Alfred Williams. The Champagne table is named ā€˜the John Tann tableā€™Ā after the famous 19th century safe maker, one of whose creations is embedded in the front wall of the building and was uncovered during the refurbishment.Ā 

B3 Designersā€™ inspiration for the brand identity is partially drawn from the intricacy and irreplaceable nature of bank notes, by incorporating watermark detailing to the ā€˜One Kā€™ emblem as background to the pages within the menus.Ā The history of the building as a bank gives a sophisticated, industrial approach to the interiors, evoking the era of Gustav Eiffel andĀ Jules Verne.Ā The menu features global cuisine, inspired by the travels of Jules Verne as is the branding used on the main menu cover, which features a medallion surrounding the logo.

One Kensington, Kensington High Street, London

In support to the building story and identity, the aesthetics for One Kensington is drawn from the industrial engineeringĀ era of the mid-19thĀ Century. B3 Designersā€™ brief for the interiors ofĀ One Kensington was toĀ combine two offers; Counter Bar and Dining Room in an historical building with inspiration from the era of 1880s, creating a premium, elegant yet functional and accessible dining experience. The overall style of the interiors showcases a contemporary interpretation of the era, highlighting the timeless quality of elegant but hardwearing materials and skilfully engineered fixtures.

B3 Designers have greatly attributed this in the refined industrial metal frames, which are balanced with large feature light elements made from delicate smoked glass with accents of antique brass fittings. The use of light duck egg blue with an ocean turquoise on the leather upholstery of the feature banquettes and bespoke loose seating are paired with intricate metal leg frames to recreate the Victorian industrial feel.

Other key features includeĀ a polished white marbleĀ terrazzo floor to the bar side of the restaurant which is laid akin to the original finish of the building; the aged metal bar top with a gunmetal clad facing and in the main dining area, the dark stained oak floor in a herringbone pattern.Ā 

Being a listed building, B3 Designers were limited to what they could do with the walls.

ā€œWe wanted to retain the character of the building so we liked the idea of bringing a contemporary/global spirit through colourful, luxurious upholstery and branding materials such as the menus,ā€ said Mark Bithrey, founder and design director at B3 Designers.

Mark added:

ā€œTheĀ brief was to create both the brand identity and the interior look and feel for One Kensington.Ā The restaurant already existed as ‘Zaika’, however we were asked to bring new life to the Grade II listed old bank.

ā€œWe worked closely with the team at Tamarind Group to deliver the high end restaurant they required. Ā We constantly referred to the details of the old banks of England and had a great reference image which dictated the layout and style of the design.

One Kensington, Kensington High Street, London

ā€œWe are privileged to revive such a prestigious London address such as 1 Kensington. Ā Buildings such as these are a rarity and it was a pleasure to bring it back to its former glory.ā€

The intact Gothic architectural details such as ornate stonework and wood panelling are echoed in the design andĀ contrasted with sophisticated industrial details furniture, fixtures and lighting as well as the overall approach to the branding design.

TheĀ menu is designed to suit an international palate andĀ dishes haveĀ been created by executive chef Massimiliano Blasone, previously of Nikita Malibu and Apsleys at The Lanesborough, where he was awarded a Michelin star after just four months.Ā The restaurantā€™s name, One Kensington, is directly related to the venue address ā€“ No 01 Kensington High Street. This premium location reflects the restaurantā€™s service quality and by using a well known London address anchors the refined internationalĀ approach to cuisine to the heart of London; a fittingly diverse and cosmopolitan city.

For more information on One Kensington, please visit: www.one-kensington.com.

QSF Interiors

Family-run company, QSF Interiors specialise in all aspects of interiors works with a strong focus on the catering sector of the retail industry. Although this sector is where QSF Interiors is mostly recognised by its clients the company has the facility to complete all aspect of works including major building and structural works and all specialist services.

QSF Interiors has traded since 1986 and within this time has built up a strong working relationship with clients including Vital Ingredient, Hotel Chocolat, OneStop, and Tinseltown. For more than ten years, QSF Interiors has worked as a main contractor for Pret a Manger which has seen it complete flagship store fit-outs for many prestigious sites.

Working on One Kensington, QSF Interiors was the lead contractor, dealing with all trades and subcontractors and liaising directly with the client to complete works in just seven weeks.

Tim Badenoch, QSF Interiors, said:

ā€œWe were main contractor winning the contract in a competitive tender to complete our second fit-out for Tamarind after the successful refurbishment of their Imli Street restaurant in 2013. This continued our good working relationship with them.ā€

Tim added:

ā€œThis was the second project we have carried out with the Tamarind group and after such a success at Imli we were keen to be involved again and complete the full refurbishment and rebrand of the restaurant in Kensington with the hope of working again on the next project together. This was a prestigious project in a desirable location in a very interesting and historic building with many distinctive finishes.ā€

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