London, UK, 17 February 2015 – specialist restaurant and retail design company o1creative is pleased to announce details of its work for food and drink group “rhubarb” in designing the dining venues on the roof of London’s new Sky Garden, opened this month at 20 Fenchurch Street. Occupying the top three floors, the destination venues – comprising Sky Pod Bar, and restaurants Darwin Brasserie and Fenchurch Seafood Bar & Grill – offer all-day dining and drinking in the sky together with the highest rooftop gardens in London, and stunning vistas over some of the city’s most spectacular architectural icons. “rhubarb” tasked o1creative to work closely with developers Land securities and Canary Wharf Group to design, project management and deliver inspiring ‘must see’ culinary destinations.

Derrick Pover, director at o1creative commented, “The specific project o1creative managed was focused explicitly on the design and delivery of the restaurants in the space. The Sky Garden truly is a unique environment, created with the changing seasons in mind, offering visitors a rare chance to experience London from a different viewpoint. As part of the brief from “rhubarb” for the three bar and restaurant venues, the challenge for o1creative was to create three distinctly different spaces for visitors to enjoy”.

Complex Groundwork

Given the relatively confined space available in The Sky Garden, commonplace in most high-rise buildings of this nature, o1creative’s first significant task was careful planning, and the management of various complex logistical and service challenges including:
• Careful integration of two state-of-the-art catering facilities on two floors
• Major structural works
• Sprinklers
• Heating
• Ventilation
• Gas & water services
• Fire suppression and make-up air provision
• Means of escape
• Complex air filtration systems

Sue Heaps, director at o1creative, commented, “We were fortunate enough to join the project at the very beginning when the space was nothing more than a bare steel shell. Its been a fascinating project to work on, including a number of key challenges which we needed to address before moving on to the interior design and look & feel work of each restaurant.”

Level 35 – The Sky Pod bar

When visitors first arrive at the Sky Garden they enter on Level 35 to the main atrium area with landscaped gardens and the Sky Pod bar serving cocktails and canapés. As this area of Sky Garden is at the same ambient temperature as outside, give or take one or two degrees, the Sky Pod bar and surrounding sofa areas have been designed by o1creative with the changing seasons in mind, and with the idea of “bringing the outdoors in”. Inspired by the four seasons, in autumn and winter months guests can enjoy hot cocktails on sofas adorned with faux furs and cashmere blankets. Come spring and summer, discerning drinkers can soak up sunshine in a tropical environment right in the heart of the city.

A beautiful glowing mosaic and glass feature, the Sky Pod bar itself compliments the surrounding gardens and architecture and has been carefully designed by o1creative to transform from a bright daytime visitor attraction, to a cool, contemporary and stylish destination in the evening.

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Level 36 – The Darwin Brasserie

The Darwin Brasserie on Level 36 is an all-day, any-occasion restaurant and the perfect place to relax for business or leisure. To match the everyday price point and menu, the overall theme is one of informality and accessibility. Named after the famous naturalist and botanist, Charles Darwin, to complement the Sky Garden experience, o1creative’s design focuses around a palette of natural, volcanic Island inspired colours mixed with organic references and forms. The concept provides a relaxing casual experience with natural finishes and a comfortable atmosphere.

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LEVEL 37 – The Fenchurch Seafood Bar and Grill

At the very top of the Sky Garden is the Fenchurch Seafood Bar and Grill, a sophisticated seafood restaurant with a design inspired by the surrounding cityscape. Features include the beautifully illuminated seafood and cocktail bar, leather banquette seating, and a unique private dining room for up to 16 guests featuring liquid crystal privacy glazing and discrete service and access for VIP guests. The pallette is rich, dark with golden highlights and cream leather furnishings making this an extremely fashionable destination for the style hunter.

Derrick Pover, design director at o1creative commented, “The target audience for the Fenchurch Bar and Grill are city professionals and food lovers who value a high quality bar and dining experience. It was important for the style to be aspirational and glamorous with design details that underpin its position as a refined dining space.

Pover added, “We also looked to celebrate the unique aspect the restaurant has on the cityscape around this iconic building. Being situated right in the heart of the city, diners look out over a spectacular sea of a lights and architectural forms, particularly in the evening. This glittering matrix of patterns is reflected in the design of the restaurant bar, with the backdrop featuring a series of rear illuminated tiles and mirrors to represent the view of the cityscape.”

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Other key design features of Fenchurch Bar and Grill include:

• A cocktail terrace, decked with tables and chairs, overlooking Sky Pod below – the perfect people-watching perch.
• Lighting includes hand blown double skinned glass pendants by Curiousa & Curiousa
• Dark oak chevron laid timber flooring – with large format anthracite porcelain tiling to bar
• The bar top is pewter, with deep etched metal faced porcelain tiling to bar front

On completion of the project, Helen Bowey, retail director at “rhubarb” commented, “It’s been a pleasure working with o1creative on this fabulous project. Their attention to detail, tenacious management skills and passion for design have given us – on time and on budget – three stunning venues that will certainly rank amongst the best in London… we really felt we were in safe hands!”

Kiran Pawar, development director at Land Securities commented, “Thank you o1creative for your cooperation over the last year and congratulations over what you have achieved with the “rhubarb” fit outs – everyone in our business has been very impressed with the product.”

About o1creative
Based in Soho, London, o1creative is a specialist restaurant and retail design company, highly skilled in delivering complex interior solutions both throughout the UK and internationally. The founding partners, Derrick Pover and Sue Heaps have over twenty years experience of successfully completing complex projects for well known brand names within retail, leisure and other specialist sectors. Clients in recent years include Selfridges, Harrods, Virgin and Alshaya.

About “rhubarb”
“rhubarb” is a bespoke International food and drink group with a strong, successful brand encompassing three complimentary channels; Restaurants, Venues and International Events. Close to 3 million customers experience the “rhubarb” brand annually. “rhubarb’s” brand ethos is to create tailor made solutions which have vision, are planned with precision and executed beyond expectation. “rhubarb” has the distinctive ability to adapt its offer without compromising identity, quality and the brand.
All three of “rhubarb’s” channels share a bespoke but consistently delivered product that is beautifully presented and deliciously different and that customers can ‘eat with their eyes’. “rhubarb” always strives to be accessible to everyone – providing food and drink with a superb point of difference.