Double design honours for A|NY
Celebrating a rare ‘double win’ in the Best Interior category of the Jersey Design Awards, A|NY showcases excellence with two spectacularly impressive projects – The Porter’s Store at the Pomme d’Or Hotel and Awabi at Halkett Place – both in St Helier.
Joshua Noad of A|NY commented: “We were thrilled to win double recognition in the Jersey Design Awards, having set up here in 2019 after working internationally – and these were the first two projects that we completed on the island. For both of them to be recognised is really special for us.”
The Porter’s Store
Deserving winner of the Jersey Design Awards ‘Best Interior’ category, is a dramatically transformed former conference area – now The Porter’s Store at The Pomme d’Or Hotel – serving eclectic cocktails inspired by the stories, characters and inner workings of the hotelier world.
The project was carried out for the Seymour Group (owners of the Pomme d’Or), by main contractors Whittinghams.
The Seymour Group wanted to make more of the Pomme d’Or’s under-utilised basement space and successfully set up a temporary ‘pop-up’ bar during the Christmas period of 2020. The group then decided to make this into a permanent feature of their flagship hotel and evolve the idea for The Porter’s Store.
Passing through an understated entrance marked by only two porthole windows, inscribed with a simple ‘P’, visitors pass through an unassuming, dimly lit corridor, then an arched portal, and on into a curtain-lined ante-chamber, before the dramatic grand finale – the main bar – a large central semi-circular centrepiece, clad with a backlit reeded glass display and featuring a brass counter. The bar provides a stage for the mixologists who create elaborate cocktails as part of the visitor experience.
Joshua Noad commented: “For me, one of the key features is the arrival sequence and gradual build up to the reveal of the main space – seeing the grand semi-circular brass bar and illuminated bottle display together with the rich textures and accent furniture – which has come together really well.”
Seating has been organised to provide a range of settings to cater for different sized groups and levels of intimacy, with booths towards the back swathed in red velvet curtains.
A key objective was to radically transform the existing space without undertaking significant structural work and retain as much of the original form as possible to manage costs.
Joshua Noad said: “In the context of Brexit and the pandemic, challenges of the project included achieving a successful outcome on time and on budget, against an ever-changing backdrop of material availability, procurement and manpower availability. It’s a testament to everyone involved that we achieved what we did.
“Winning the Best Interior Design award was a great way to finish the project and the client was also delighted by the recognition.”
Awabi
Winning a prestigious commendation in the Jersey Design Awards Best Interior category and evoking the rich atmosphere of Asia’s late-night drinking dens, Awabi is a flourishing new small independent restaurant specialising in Asian-fusion cuisine.
Specialist contractors for the restaurant joinery fit out were Whittinghams. The project was also part of a larger renovation of the listed three-storey building in which the restaurant is located. A|NY also worked on this element of the scheme, which required extensive structural works and a comprehensive upgrade, carried out by main contractors Kalmac alongside Mac Energy.
East meets West was a fundamental theme throughout the design process, the design brief was to create the backdrop for a neighbourhood hangout for both drinking and dining.
A small, refined palette references local Asian materials and symbolic colours including bamboo, and shades of red and green.
Custom joinery is made from birch plywood, using end-grain detailing to express the linear joints of the bar and banquettes. From its clean lines down to its small palette of materials, each element aims to embody the qualities of Japanese design: craft, precision and simplicity.
The narrow site and small footprint required efficient space planning. A long banquette that runs down one side of the restaurant accentuates clean lines whilst optimising the table layout whilst the feature bar located towards the front of the building activates the new shopfront where full-height timber bi-fold doors were installed. On the ceiling, timber battens on acoustic panels conceal the AC unit above supplying cooled air through a discrete linear slot channel.
Joshua Noad commented: “One of my favourite features is the bar with its curved corners and bulkhead detail, where people can sit, eat, drink, and watch cocktails being made. It works really well as a focal point in the dining room.
“Another feature I am particularly pleased with is the way the air conditioning is concealed by a slatted timber bulkhead that also incorporates sound insulating felt, which improves the acoustics of the restaurant.
“The restaurant is very popular; people have really taken to it, and it was a great first project to launch our studio in the Channel Islands.
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