Inn The Park, St. James' Park, London, SW1
About the Project
- Principal designer: Hopkins Architects
- Client: The Royal Parks Agency
- Principal contractor: Ashe Construction
- Principal engineer: Arup
- Contract value: £2.295 million
The Royal Parks Agency wanted to replace its ageing, circular Cakehouse building with a new facility to refresh the five million or so visitors each year who flock to St James' Park in central London.
The design of the building needed therefore to be both visible enough to attract custom, but unobtrusive enough to avoid detracting from the sensitive 1828 Nash landscape and historic buildings beyond.
The building features a café and restaurant for local workers and passers-by in a structure which derives its geometry from the landscape, both in plan and section.
Unlike its predecessor, it is lozenge-shaped, sitting where two paths meet and featuring bench seating and a covered terace to lure visitors in.
The terrace provides covered seating for 120 people, while a timber-lined interior fitted out by Tom Dixon affords space for a more formal 100-cover restaurant. This is a successful modern building in a highly sensitive setting.
The Judges said:
"The building nestles into its surroundings and adds to a sense of place. It has already proved its popularity with Londoners and tourists alike."