Open on Oxford: Light Touch
A great write up in the Spazio Magazine about our incredibly innovative OPEN on Rivonia Retail Store. Our new state of the art restaurant that is directly influenced by both Rivonia and West sites, providing the ultimate balance between Café and Convenience within the corporate setting.
Article taken from: SPAZIO Magazine May 2018 (Page 34 to 37)
Words: BIDDI RORKE
Production: ANNEMARIE MEINTJES
Photography: MARIJKE WILLEMS
INTELLIGENT ACCENT LIGHTING SETS THE TONE AT OPEN ON OXFORD, A CORPORATE CAFÉ WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LIVELY INFORMALITY
More than 250 years ago, French gastronomic authority Antoine Beauvilliers threw open the doors of the world’s first restaurant. La Grande Taverne de Londres introduced a soon-to- be-obsolete aristocracy to the concept of an elegant dining space, knowledgeable waiters, a fine cellar and exceptional dishes.
Today, whether it‘s a splashy pop-art bistro that dishes up kryptonite for Instagrammers or a pared-down establishment housing diners on straw bales, those in the know firmly agree the success of a restaurant hinges as much on its interior as its food.
“WHEN CONCEPTUALISING RESTAURANT design, every element needs to tell a cohesive story,” says Frederick Wilson, primary architectural contributor for OPEN on Oxford.“This narrative should be clear, and to create the desired ambience – whether it‘s low key and informal or sumptious and elegant – the lighting, furnishings, fabrics and features need to speak the same language.”
The OPEN Food Group is the mastermind behind OPEN on West, OPEN on Park and OPEN on Rivonia, providing the ultimate balance between café and convenience within upmarket Johannesburg office developments.
“When development started on OPEN on Oxford at the Oxford and Glenhove business hub in Rosebank, we understood the store had to cater for the ‘corporate movers and doers‘,“ says Kent Henderson, the group’s brand marketing manager.“This creates an interesting challenge as no two people work in the same manner. Another challenge we had to take into account was that our large space would receive a lot of natural light from mid-afternoon until sundown. For this reason, our lighting had to be functional in the evenings but beautiful and unobtrusive during the day.”
Cue lighting maestro Laird Adam from Diva Luce, who approached the project with a clear understanding of the need for accent lighting and layers. “We needed different intensity, light levels and combinations to allow for a soft, seamless transition from daytime to early evening through to night – and to differentiate spaces,”he explains.To achieve this, clusters of copper Spazio Dito 4 pendants with naked filament LED bulbs were grouped above the tables at the windows, creating a private, intimate dining space.
In the centre of the restaurant, a 3.5-metre- long 10-seater meeting table, crafted from solid reclaimed timber, rests on a steel I-beam structure and forms an arresting focal point. Overhead, seven black and chrome Spazio Dito 1 pendants hang from blue canvas cables, casting an atmospheric glow as corporate workers socialise, close deals and unwind.
TO COMPLEMENT OPEN ON OXFORD’S earthy colour palette of chocolate, cream, copper and charcoal, the five Spazio Soho matt copper pendants with timber nibs illuminate the glass serving cabinet. “Throughout the restaurant, Spazio 2224 anti-glare LED downlighters arranged in groups of two give dynamic punch, which allows for effortlessly changing the intensity of the lighting zones,” Laird adds.
Pulling the whole design scheme together is Frederick’s smart choice of fittings, furnishing and fabrics. “Good restaurant furniture needs to be uniform, durable, stable, aesthetically pleasing and lightweight enough to allow for different configurations when necessary,”he says.
The result? Hard-wearing Spazio polypropylene chairs and UV-resistant, waterproof moulded couches offer laid-back lounging spaces on the deck. Forest-friendly veneer coffee tables and low-slung natural oak tables add interest. Inside, durable fabrics with a high rub count and stain-resistant removable cushions ensure longevity. And in a stroke of genius, awkward structural columns have become considered mosaic focal points, bearing the OPEN Food Group’s logo.
Judging by the convivial atmosphere –.and repeat customers – the team behind the latest addition to the Joburg corporate café scene have ticked all the right boxes when it comes to creating a cohesive, well-imagined space.
