Soaring arches reminiscent of those seen in Ricardo Bofill's La Fabrica feature in this decadent restaurant in St James, London designed by creative director John Whelan.
Whelan ? who leads artist collective The Guild of Saint Luke ? told Dezeen that, prior to his intervention, Maison François simply looked like "one giant concrete cube".
The materiality of the space immediately encouraged Whelan to base his interiors scheme around La Fabrica ? an abandoned cement factory just outside of Barcelona that Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill transformed into offices for his practice in 1973.
The interiors of the restaurant are inspired by Ricardo Bofill's La Fabrica
"I always try and find a creative route that respects the DNA of the building, and this felt appropriate," said Whelan. "Furthermore, the client wanted to reference historic brasseries but create a contemporary version ? also reflected in the food."
Arched recesses have been made in the restaurant's terracotta walls
The exterior of Bofill's La Fabrica is notably punctuated with soaring arched windows. These have been reinterpreted inside Maison François, which boasts terracotta-coloured stucco walls inset with shallow arch-shaped recesses.
"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," explained Whelan.
Tubular chandeliers hang from the restaurant's ceiling
Walnut has been used t...