ASK Italian by Gundry & Ducker
Submitted as one of the entries for the 2013 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, the Ask Italian Restaurant & Bar situated in the Bluewater (shopping centre) in Greenhithe in Kent, England is designed by London based design firm Gundry & Ducker.
The interior design has been inspired by modern Italian design with a retro style dining area consisting of leather-padded booths and different shapes tiling with a variety of size and pattern. Although an open location, the design creates the illusion of windows with framed borders. Perhaps the attraction is the individual experience that visitors feel, each table offering different lighting, chairs and patterns. The floor is striped in contrasting grey tiles and in Oak, bespoke pendant lights hang low over a mix of white and timber tables, projecting a silhouette onto the ceiling at night that is echoed on the walls. The openness of the space is contrasted with a sense of enclosure created by high backed benches, new bar and back bar display.
The design is intended to create a warm and relaxed dining environment for both the evening and daytime, whilst maintaining a sense of the simple interiors that characterize the ASK Italian restaurants.
