Cornerstone Cafe | paul crofts studio

The café is Set within an old warehouse at the Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich east London. The industrial building was formerly part of a munitions factory producing weaponary for the royal navy and armed forces. The building has been stripped back to a shell retaining its original material character and emphasizing its industrial heritage. The scheme leaves the original features intact and the design is an insertion of new elements to contrast with the existing fabric of the building. The original concrete render is left exposed and the banquettes create the delineation between old and new with a continiuos line running into the window reveals and concluding with a waiter station at the door. The seats are upholstered in a military green further emphazing the link to the buildings history. Reference to the buidlings heritage is again reflected in use of the chevron pattern which draws its inspiration from the insignia on military uniforms. Bespoke tables in solid oak have have the chevron pattern screen printed directly on the surface in a mixture of grey and whites with metal powder coated legs giving a visual reference to an industrial workbench. Industrial unfinished hot rolled steel lines the kitchen walls and is also used to create the wall mounted menus. Display boxes have a routed chevron detail into the surface of European Oak. A modern interpretation of an industrial fitting are the Nonla lights designed by Paul Crofts. The service counter and display wall is are deliberately new insertions in contrast to the rough existing interior surfaces. The materials are cnc routed hi Macs with inset timber chevrons. The pattern fades from solid wood on one side and breaks away to become white Hi Macs with a routed chevron pattern. The display shelves are then edged with a brass trim.