Design: Heterarchy
Adam’s restaurant in Birmingham has taken the idea of a pop-up venture to a new lux level. This 75 sq m space with a capacity for 25 covers in the city centre is a world away from the transience and flimsiness of other temporary dining destinations, with its strong brand of understated chic especially created for Michelin-star chef Adam Stokes.
Adam’s represents the first venture for Stokes since leaving as head chef at Glenapp Castle, Scotland . ‘The site is only due to run for 18 months and is a stepping stone to opening a larger restaurant next year,’ says Tony Matters of Leicester-based interior architecture practice Heterarchy, which worked on the restaurant interior. ‘We wanted the design to reflect the values and ethos of the client, as well as providing a stage for the theatre of fine dining. We feel the result has a real purity and clarity.’
Certainly there’s no shout-out-loud quality to the aesthetic but that’s all for the better. Instead is a sense of quietly opulent confidence. Walls are warm, muted grey with a slighter darker shade applied to the cornicing and ceiling, while stitched leather-effect wallpaper adds a metallic sheen. Antique mirrors and faux marble inserts on the walls further enhance the feeling of tradition, without adding stuffiness, as well as providing a metallic element to this mostly neutral colour scheme.
The metallic silver of the chair upholstery and frames gives a little bit of a futuristic feel to otherwise classical furniture shapes. This contrasts with a deep inky blue of other chairs and the dark wood veneer of the tables. A silvered oak vinyl flooring puts the finishing touch to the sense of grandeur. There is a dash of playfulness too, courtesy of a large trompe l’oeil of a gothic corridor.
Lighting played a key part in the look. Cracked glass spheres suspended from the ceiling create visual interest, and are complemented by a more traditional spotlight system, which can support different configurations in the restaurant layout. For more mood lighting, bespoke wall units were added.
All this was achieved, says Matters, on a tight budget and within a short timescale, ‘It’s amazing what you can achieve when you’re up against it,’ he says. Client Adam Stokes adds: ‘Heterarchy added the extra dimension that turned our property into a restaurant with feeling.’
The much-lauded Victorian maximalism vibe really has come to the Midlands dining scene in a big way here.
