This covers every imaginable space, from ships to airports, museums to burger vans, and from revered Michelin-starred establishments to the fleeting dynamism of pop-ups.
The awards attract the world’s top designers, hospitality operators and judges from the UK and globally. Recent names include Zaha Hadid, Kengo Kuma, Foster & Partners, Stephen Alden, Gordon Ramsay, Tony Chambers (Editor in Chief, Wallpaper*), Alberto Alessi, Thomas Heatherwick and many more.
The awards ceremony was held at London’s King’s Cross on the 5th October 2017. Judged by a panel of some of the most influential personalities in design, hospitality and lifestyle globally, this annual edition of the awards attracted 980 entries from the UK and 70 other countries.
The winners
This year, The Penny Drop – a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia designed by Golden – and Westlight – a bar in New York, USA – designed by Studio Munge were crowned the Overall Winners of the 2017 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards.
The Penny Drop began life as a little coffee pop-up in Box Hill, where hundreds of bleary-eyed commuters dropped by every morning to get their freshly prepared coffees. After seeing its customers’ enthusiasm for the brand and realising that there was a gap in the market for a vibrant all-day eatery in Box Hill, the penny metaphorically dropped for the owners. Golden used a circular motif throughout the space in homage to the suburb’s Chinese history.
Today, The Penny Drop is a permanent 100-seater restaurant sitting on the ground floor of the newly-refurbished ATO building on Whitehorse Road. Designed by Golden, the space effortlessly combines high ceilings and muted earthy tones to create a warm and inviting oasis – perfect for diners wanting to escape the daily Melbourne grind.
Westlight is a 22nd-floor rooftop bar from Chef Andrew Carmellini’s NoHo Hospitality Group featuring sweeping views of New York City from atop The William Vale in Williamsburg. Studio Munge’s modernised industrial design connects international travellers and urbanites alike through glowing interiors that complement the spectacular open vistas overlooking Manhattan. Inspired by Williamsburg’s eclectic diversity, Westlight has cultivated an intimate and uncontrived community of free-tinkers. Making the guest feel instantly at ease, the black iron, natural stones, warm leathers and sensual velvets cohabitate here in perfect harmony. Westlight is a bold yet graceful design statement that challenges stereotypes and successfully represents a new generation of thinking.
Another 35 category winners, including Best UK Winners – with Fucina winning Best Overall UK Restaurant and The Escapologist winning Best Overall UK Bar – were revealed at the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards winners ceremony, which took place at London’s King’s Cross.
The theme for this year’s awards ceremony was ‘Soundscape’. Three Restaurant & Bar designers – SHH, Design Command and Haptic Architects – each created a cutting-edge space inspired by sound, with the spaces theatrically revealed on the night of the awards.
The awards ceremony was attended by over 700 of the UK and world’s best designers, and their clients responsible for the design of the most innovative food and beverage spaces.