New Royal Academy Restaurant

by Design Research Studio

London

Interior design practice, Design Research Studio, under the direction of Tom Dixon, have created the interior for the new restaurant at the Royal Academy of Arts. This is the latest project for renowned restaurateur Oliver Peyton of Peyton and Byrne. The 150 cover restaurant opened to the public 19th January 2011.

The 250 m2 refurbishment features the new Tom Dixon Scoop upholstered chair and brass Etch shade.

To extend the gallery experience, a dramatic stack of glass cubes have been installed to house an extraordinary selection of sculptures and busts dating back to 1897. The pieces belong to the Royal Academy of Arts permanent collection but have long been stored out of public view.

Along-with completing this ambitious project, Tom Dixon also presented new works in collaboration with laminate experts Formica Group at IMM Cologne.

The Road Show, as Dixon calls his space, follows the traditional notion of a travelling sales merchant, touring nine European cities over the period of one year.

New products travelling with the road show include Void, a mysterious lighting object with a double wall spun construction and Peg, an unusually efficient solid wood, stackable café chair. The Offcut Bench, a flat-packed design made from the waste generated by standard wooden furniture manufacture and Jack, the polyethylene 'sitting, stacking, lighting thing' now available in black, glow in the dark and fluoro orange for a new generation to enjoy.

To facilitate the Road Show, Tom Dixon has created an industrially inspired and utilitarian modular exhibition system that can be easily transported, constructed and adapted to suit different environments.

Key elements of the Road Show are constructed using Formica® Metallic laminates, made up of polished aluminum and polished gold aluminum finishes. Products from the brand new Formica® Collection form part of a bespoke modular shelving unit. These include Pumice, Seed, Crystal White and a Black ColorCore® edge.

New Royal Academy Restaurant by Design Research Studio

Void Light by Tom Dixon

Peg Chair by Tom Dixon