The Olympic Studios | Simone McEwan

The Olympic Studios, the renowned recording studio for the who’s who of twentieth century music legends including the Rolling Stones, The Who, Prince, and Nick Cave, has been transformed an independent cinema, café and dining rooms, and members club.
The design concept of the Olympic Studios has been created by Simone McEwan, previously Concept Designer at Selfridges and Design Director at Soho House Group, who embraced the legacy of the building and translated this into every facet of the Olympic experience.
Built at the turn of the century as public performance space, it first became a cinema in 1910, yet since 2009, its doors had been closed to the public. To reinvigorate the life within, of central importance was to engage the local community; to provide a space for cultural exchange within an inclusive environment. It’s a meeting ground for good food, serious cinema and a place to reconnect and make new friends, rather like being welcomed into a large family.
McEwan’s remit extended to the programming of the building, the look and feel, food direction, uniforms, and how to embed the history and values of the Olympic Studios into the hearts of the locals. It has a strong connection to the heritage of the place but firmly looking forward. The design treatment allows moments of drama, such as the dark and shadowy lobby which opens out into contrasting spaces to encourage a sense of wonder and anticipation, be it the light-filled café and dining rooms or the throbbing red heart of the cinema, mixed with domesticity; warm and inviting areas, comfortable seating and friendly welcome throughout.
Briefed on the history of the building by the client, Lisa and Stephen Burdge, both film industry insiders, McEwan looked to bring back to life the stories of the building. The Burdges, Barnes residents, had a personal ambition to reinstate the Olympic as a public venue. Barnes is a place where everyone knows everyone else, many being involved in the arts or academia, but they had nowhere cultural to go locally. The Olympic Studios needed to stimulate the mind, but also to reinstate the excitement of a good night out; the anticipation, the dressing up, a decent film, food and drink, and that was open late. A place where you could go alone and bump into friends, or meet up with a large group or a gaggle of family. Importantly, it functions as an all day place, is family oriented, works across generations and is accessible to all.
The raw frame of the building was all that remained of the original structure. The history and the context to build upon lay in the local folklore rather than anything physical. From this ‘found space’, the design created beauty in its rawness, and instead of layering over it, respectfully added to it with a richness in materials, furniture and colours; plump and welcoming sofas, some vintage pieces for familiarity, sensual textiles and textures be it raw linen, felt or deep pile velvet. The solid materials make sense of and give identity to each space to create a feeling of belonging. For the lobby, mild steel of the staircase and bronze for the reception desk give a sense of permanence and tactility. For the café and dining room; copper as a nod to home-cooking, and in the member’s bar and cinema; brass, for more luxury and warmth.

The Ground Floor: Entrance Hall, Café and Dining Rooms The entrance hall is dark and dramatic while the inlaid terrazzo floor indicates an historic yet democratic edge, a bronze sculptural block for the welcome desk with atop a bronze table lamp to give a feeling of domesticity. The simplicity of the staircase is a statement, both inviting without being too grandiose. Against the ink blue walls, a vintage armchair in blood red boucle wool stands out and is a link to the cinema, which is the heart of the building. The ‘what’s on’ film signage is graphically paired back, as a reference to the old cinema signage fronts.
To the right, you enter to the café and dining rooms which are interlinked, yet sectioned to allow some privacy yet feeling of togetherness. The cement floor tiles, vintage bentwood chairs, green industrial hanging pendants, and copper wall lights are reassuring materials and forms that give the feeling of a traditional house kitchen. For a brisk breakfast meeting or longer brunch, the café serves carefully put together favorites, from a decent bacon and egg bun, simple avocado on toast, porridge to a pancake stack. The pastry bar at the front of the café is a hive of activity producing a variety of sweet and savoury. Towards the back of the dining rooms, long communal tables and bench seating encourage people to sit side by side, be it a large group for lunch or independent workers on laptops. From sharing boards of roast chicken or smaller plates from the grill, to bread and butter pudding it’s comfort food without the rough edges.
The First Floor: The Cinema and Member’s Club In the former location of the recording studio, the cinema was treated entirely in a deep red, inspired by traditional theatres. It’s the lifeblood of the building, and the heart and soul of its heritage. The theatre recaptures the drama and focus of a cinematic experience, moving away from the trend for sofa-cinemas. Reclining cinema chairs were meticulously sourced and allow the viewer to sink into true comfort, with bespoke brass mini tables to add to the feeling of luxury. It’s only 3d surround sound system in London, yet the original studio acoustic sound panels feature as a memory of the past. Inside you can take drinks and food from the bar, or treats from The Sweet Shop, such as peanut brittle, boiled sweets, or sweet or salty popcorn.
Next door, The Member’s Club took reference from Jean Luc Godard's 1968 Rolling Stones docufilm, Sympathy for the Devil, shot in the recording studio; earthy in colours, from warm ochres and shades of mustards. An impressive room, of double storey height with exposed timber rafters and rusted steel beams, it announces a sense of arrival, yet plays with low level seating and lighting to create a sense of intimacy. A series of contrasts, the exposed brick wall, the velvets and natural linen blinds, the 5m long brass clad bar with the glimmer of the huge chandelier above create an understated glamour. Furniture comfort zones anchor you to the space, from a bespoke circular sofa for 8 people, the brass framed upholstered bar stools, and mid century low level club chairs and tables. The back member’s bar encourages dining or meetings, with a huge U-shape sofa seating twelve functions almost like a private room. The walls lined with portraits of the recording artists show the history of the building through photography.
Now possibly more civilized than its 60s and 70s heyday, the spirit of the building lives on for future generations. The original doormat worn away over the years by the musicians who recorded there still survives…if only it could tell stories.