John Whelan, Creative Director of the artist collective,
The Guild of Saint Luke, has created a deliciously rich interior scheme for
Maison François brasserie in London. The studio has created an opulently layered, deeply inviting space that directly references Ricardo Bofill’s La Fabrica project in Barcelona. The interior, once described as nothing but a giant concrete cube, is now an incredibly sophisticated brasserie designed around the form of a soaring arch.
Whelan explains that upon entering the space, he was immediately encouraged to base his design around La Fabrica – an abandoned cement factory that Bofill transformed into offices for his practice in 1973.
“I always try and find a creative route that respects the DNA of the building, and this felt appropriate,” says Whelan.
“Furthermore, the client wanted to reference historic brasseries but create a contemporary version – also reflected in the food”.
The monumental arch that defines La Fabrica has been reinterpreted inside Maison François. Walls, awash with terracotta-coloured stucco, feature shallow arch-shaped recesses that sit adjacent to brass light fixtures. Whelan explains,
“La Fabrica is probably the greatest home that I will probably never visit, and so the arches were a sort of ‘homage’ to that wonderful creation”.
Related: Ricardo Bofill’s Epic Home Within an Old Cement Factory in Spain.
