Even those who take only a passing interest in London’s thriving hospitality scene will, most probably, have read, seen or heard about one of B3 Designers’ projects. Perhaps most well known for their striking and unique restaurant designs, the team has also worked on a vast number of hotels, bars, office and retail spaces – striving to thread together a distinct identity and narrative within each and every project.
It was in 2002 that Mark Bithrey founded this acclaimed architectural interior design consultancy, bringing with him a wealth of experience in developing branded architectural interiors in leisure-dominated agencies.
Having completed a degree in Interior Design at London Metropolitan University, Mark had worked for Din Associates, Revolution and Portland Design, before spying this exciting opportunity to launch a new practice within the hospitality industry.
Under Mark’s creative direction, B3 Designers has grown from strength to strength, and its formidable portfolio has garnered several major awards over the years.
It is perhaps the diversity of its projects that is most exceptional. Far from adhering to a universal approach or signature style, the team begins each project afresh, listening wholeheatedly to the client’s needs and creating a bespoke solution to meet them.
“We work on projects from the client’s brief and initial ideas, through to conception, finding unique finishes, designing solutions, all the way through until the project is complete and is handed over to the owner,” explains Mark of this comprehensive service.
“We are a very close knit team and we spend much of our time brainstorming and discussing the appropriateness of our designs.”
Finding innovative ways to curate or shape guests’ experience of a hospitality venue is becoming an every more crucial consideration for designers and architects, and the recent decision to add a specialised branding arm to the practice has only added to B3’s capabilities – allowing them to conduct a complete and holistic design service that takes the whole interior and brand experience into consideration.
“We often look back to our humble beginnings and its a a pleasant surprise to see how far we have come and what we have achieved in the last 11 years.”
One recent project that benefitted from this comprehensive service was Imli Street – an Indian eatery located in Wardour Street, Soho – for which B3 Designers created a space that captures the raw, industrial details of a street food scene, while emanating warmth, comfort and sophistication.
As an offshoot of the Mayfair restaurant, Tamarind, Imli Street required a seamless and subtle aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from travelling and the originality of street food in India for the branding, B3 Designers opened up the space, stripping it back to expose the brickwork and adding poured concrete walls and soft zonal seating.
The back of the restaurant was unblocked by exposing three windows that were previously hidden behind plasterboard – the views revealed over Soho Wardour Mews again enhancing the sense of this streetscape scenery.
Another of B3 Designer’s projects with a heavy emphasis on guest experience was Topolski – a characterful cafe and bar cum gallery in the Hungerford arches that pays homage to the life and work of expressionist painter and draughtsman, Feliks Topolski.
In order to accentuate the enjoyment and interpretation of Topolski’s work, B3 Designers anchored the design of the space in Topolski’s utilitarian artistic approach. One of the main interior features was thus the reclaimed scaffolding within the ceiling of the arches. Clad with simple plywood and softwood battens, the scaffolding references art crates used for transportation, while also doubling as an ideal means of displaying some of Topolski’s larger pieces.
The back of the arches, meanwhile, are dedicated to the Topolski Chronicles – vibrant hand-sketched accounts of iconic figures, political and historical events spanning three decades of the 20th century. Valued even today as a fascinating and instructive commentary on the period, B3 Designers incorporated these illustrations into a bespoke papier-mache wallpaper design.
The authentic and somewhat understated materials and furnishings used within the restaurant not only enhance the impact of Topolski’s work, but also resonate with his down-to-earth creative approach.
Despite the highly disparate schemes of these two projects, the level of ‘experience’ each offers is tribute to the depth of thought and attention to detail B3 Designers invests in all of its work.
Of course, hospitality trends also play a part in this, as Mark explains: “We have found a few trends that the industry is gravitating towards, one being Revivalism, essentially exploring the provenance of food, also New Luxurians, patrons interested in the emotional overall experience of the food and dining atmosphere.
“Design is essential in both of these to represent the integrity of the process and food offering and to add a layer to the experience and memory that the clients may take with them.”
Perhaps the perfect example of B3 Designers’ flair for creating an immersive dining atmosphere is Gymkhana – Karam Sethi’s restaurant and bar that opened in Mayfair in September of last year. The restaurant’s aesthetic pays homage to Colonial Indian gymkhana clubs, initated by the British”Raj for members of high society to socialise and play sport.
In order to channel this unique ambiance, B3 Designers created a space steeped in period styling, with characterful surfacing and quirky sporting and hunting references.
The restaurant’s colour palette combines nostalgic sepia tones with textured, vibrant blues, greens and reds that reference the project’s sporting inspiration. The dark-lacquered oak ceiling flows into stained oak flooring, alongside screening made from mottled lead sheets of framed glass.
In the dining room, luxurious leather banquettes surround turned oak booths and marble tables, while brass-edged tables and rattan chairs sprinkle the main dining space. Providing the final touches to this deeply atmospheric backdrop are the artfully-curated array of Punch sketches,
Indian sports prints, low-cut glass wall lamps from Jaipur, and even Grandmother Sethi’s barometer.
In terms of exploring the provenance of food through restaurant design, B3 Designers’ latest project, Lima Floral, encapsulates the trend. Situated in Covent Garden, the Peruvian restaurant boasts a stylish interior inspired by the organic and ethically-sourced produce on the menu.
The natural world is referenced throughout, from the intricate metalwork screen with a natural, twig-like composition, to the deep, rich midnight blue toned floral patterned tiles and tear-drop shaped bespoke lighting.
“We wanted to take the client’s ideals of fresh, organic produce – ethically sourced and inspired by a variety of landscapes from the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon and the Andes Mountains – and design the interior to evoke a spirit of this natural environment while allowing the space to be casual, comfortable and interesting,” says Mark.
Of course, If one were to explore every of B3 Designers’ projects that captures themes or cultures an ingenious way, that features unique one-off pieces and a clever use of materials, or that encapsulates the very essence of a brand from the bare bones of the space to the tiniest of details, it would take some time indeed …. Suffice to say, B3 Designers is embracing the move towards ever more dynamic and engaging hospitality spaces, and has found a niche for itself within this highly competitive sector.
“I think we’ve grown quite organically, the team has expanded steadily and we’ve recently moved to a new premise which allowed us to create a warm and welcoming work space for our team and clients,” affirms Mark.
“We often look back to our humble beginnings and its a a pleasant surprise to see how far we have come and what we have achieved in the last 11 years.”
With one of their projects currently shortlisted for the The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, and a host of new developments in the pipeline, B3 Designers is certainly one to watch.
