British Museum Great Court restaurant | Softroom

We were appointed by the British Museum Benugo to renovate and redesign the Great Court restaurant at the British Museum, after the popular restaurant group took over the museum’s catering in 2012.
From the start it was clear that the restaurant, which is on the terrace level at the rear of the Reading Room, could make more of its fantastic location and feel more accessible and inviting to all museum visitors.
Benugo asked us to create a more relaxed dining environment, one that could provide a variety of distinct experiences and atmospheres within the restaurant.
Our first move was to open up the kitchen and expand it in to the restaurant, placing tall communal tables perpendicular to the counter, so that diners can enjoy the activity and theatrical energy emanating from it.
On the opposite side, in front of the bar, we created a more comfortable area defined by high-backed banquette seating, which provides a sense of enclosure and intimacy away from the bustle of the main restaurant.
The Great Court has a strong sense of symmetry and this was reinforced by placing a new entrance on the central axis, simplifying circulation and enhancing views through to the Reading Room drum. In front of the entrance, a new charcuterie counter creates a focal point and brings food to the heart of the restaurant.
Opening up the inner wall of the restaurant has also allowed us to link the main restaurant to the dining areas beyond, which now includes custom-made back to back seating – which looks down through the Reading room windows - and large tables that can cater for private dining or large groups off in the two side wings.
The materials that we used on this project respect the reduced palette of the Great Court but add interest and richness through the introduction of salterworth limestone, silver glazed tiling and marble mosaic flooring, tiled radially and set-out from the Reading room drum.