Imperial War Museum Restaurants | SHH Architects

The Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was expanded 'to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and "wartime experience”.
SHH Architects and Interior Designers were commissioned by Levy Restaurants UK to create refreshed, contemporary restaurant spaces for three locations as part of the overall re-design of the catering spaces at IWM.

The projects are spread across 3 of the organisations historic sites:
1. IWM Duxford – The Armoury Café and Kitchen (was The Mess), The Workshop Restaurant (was Wing Co Joes) and The American Air Museum Café (was Station 357).
2. Churchill War Rooms – Redesign of Churchill War Museum Café.
3. HMS Belfast – Re-design of Tom’s Kitchen Deli and Tom’s Kitchen Bar.

Key Aspects of the Brief
The IWM wanted to ensure they offered an exciting all day destination for the family for each historical venue and felt the current restaurants needed to better represent a fresh, contemporary feel to the interiors and food offer, with a more effective flow and use of the spaces. The restaurants needed updating, but within the boundaries of the existing historical architecture, sympathetic to the old style with a refreshed and modern approach. At the Duxford site, the restaurant used to be the bomb store and armory, the new improvements required ranged from signage, complete redecoration, new counters, incorporating a table service and developing a more exciting menu across the three restaurants. The Churchill War Rooms required a complete redesign to suite table service with a refreshed brand, counter and interiors. As part of the iconic HMS Belfast, the Tom’s Kitchen brand was introduced to the lower café and upper deck Kitchen Bar making the most of the views and space restrictions.

Design Approach
As part of the overall consolidation of the various IWM sites under one brand, the idea was to bring together the design projects under one umbrella style including colour palate, materials and furniture drawn from the main concept. The over-arching theme was to introduce contemporary finishes and furniture within the historic spaces to contrast with the existing architecture, yet still display a hint of inspiration from the past. To ensure the original features were not covered or disturbed, the new contemporary fittings were set inside the existing space as a capsule-like structure.

Each space has a unique history and story, from which the design was influenced to create an individual space that still represents the IWM brand. Striking flooring, countertops and lighting became key features of each design to compliment the existing features. Brickwork was exposed and steel beams added to create raw, industrial interiors. Introducing a contemporary feel seemed fitting for the locations, so a clean warm grey, backdrop was punctuated with graphic steel grey floors and the main counter fronts were designed with mirror stainless steel with rivet detail to portray the theme in a refined manner. This reflective surface also provides an effective illusion of continuing the patterned flooring through the spaces.

There are two counter styles that sit together in an overhang/interlocking formation. The display counter is detailed with a double bar that encases the white top. The counters form the focus and theatre showcasing the artisan food displays, creating the colour in the spaces against the muted monochrome palette of the design. The food items are always displayed on the white stone top, which forms a consistency in the theory of the environments.

The restaurant space in the Churchill War room once played a key role in WWII where Churchill ran the war after it was built in 1938. Specific inspired flooring graphics for each site include a random triangular shaped design in the Churchill War rooms were inspired by the safety taping used on protection on windows during the Second World War. At the Duxford site, the large windows allow the natural light to highlight the roundel graphic inspired by the various markings on fighter planes during both the World Wars.

The lighting and detailing throughout all the environments is linked, each with small differences to adapt to the various food offers. A collection from UK lighting company, Original BTC, forms the feature pendants and wall lights. At the Armoury Café, the increased ceiling height is utilised by using large disc shape pendants to fill the space above the counters.
HMS Belfast, permanently moored on the River Thames boasts stunning views that became the focal point in the design and a reminder of the unique positioning of this space. The re-design of Tom’s Kitchen Deli encompasses some of the principles of the muted palette and theme while maintaining the clean white finishes synonymous with the fresh-thinking brand.
The design team used a white gloss tiling system to create a sleek and sophisticated style. The counters were formed using the tiles to create curved edges that flow up and out to cover the surrounding walls. A specially created butchers rail edge tile allows accessories to be hung while the book holder tile props the menu boards in place. The vibrant and freshly sourced food creates the colour and theatre against the minimal palette with specific materials chosen to create the tactile aesthetic across the space. The pendant lights bring an industrial element to the design linking through to the ship. This space uses the family of furniture (can we explain the furniture in more detail, any bespoke?) the oak family of furniture in the dining chair, high stool uses the simplicity of a rod to form the sled base and frame. used across the other sites but in an oak finish to co-inside the Tom’s Kitchen Brand.

Design Outcome
Due to the historic nature of the spaces there where limitations to what could be done without compromising the existing features. The interiors team over-came this by providing a design that is ‘inserted’ into the existing building, where the counters are individual elements to the building. The wall finishes were painted to reduce the impact on the surfaces and allow the counters to dominate the design.

HMS Belfast is a small space restricted by the shape of the ship and needed to incorporate the café environment, retail and admissions space for the museum. This was a tricky task with the requirements needed for all uses but we feel that the result has provided a cohesive space which functions for all. This was achieved by using a glass screen to divide the space with the use of materials linking the areas. The flow of customers and use of space had to be well considered for the fluctuation of visitors to the ship.