Within a former church, Two Michelin-starred Hong Kong restaurant Duddell’s has opened its first outpost in London. Designed by local practice Michaelis Boyd, Duddell’s London was conceived as a cultural and social destination for people with an appreciation for the arts, providing an inspiring backdrop in which to meet, eat, drink and socialize.
The restaurant is located within the historic Grade II-listed St Thomas Church, one of the finest examples of Queen Anne architecture in the city. Michaelis Boyd has overseen the restoration of the building to create an authentic Cantonese restaurant.
The restaurant is set on two floors. The ground floor design is focused towards the original dark timber church altar, while the mezzanine level allows views through a clear glass balustrade across the vast eight-meter high space and open kitchen. The interior was inspired by the traditional 1960’s Hong Kong tea restaurant, making use of color and pattern to create a retro space with a contemporary twist.
“When designing the space, we wanted to celebrate the building’s rich history and highlight the difference between old and new,” explains Michaelis Boyd. “We maximized the natural light that comes into the building to accentuate key heritage features and now the former church has a new lease of life.”
A monolithic structure, clad in green tiles provides the centerpiece of the restaurant and spans the ground floor. This central island acts as the open dim sum kitchen and cocktail bar. The island is free-standing, with a worktop made of pink terrazzo with white chips providing a subtle contrast to the green tiling. The bar has decorative brass shelving for glasses and bottles and core illumination is provided by light fittings made from perforated overlapping satin brass sheets.
all images © Ed Reeve