A new gastronomic experience for Birmingham at Orelle
- Project name
- Orelle
- Project sector
- Hospitality
- Completion date
- 01/06/22
- Client
- DSK / Ryder Architecture
- Ranges
- Chiltern Stone
Doone Silver Kerr, now part of Ryder Architecture, designed the new 103 Colmore Row building in Birmingham, which completed in 2021, replacing the former NatWest Tower designed by John Madin. The 108-metre skyscraper is one of the tallest buildings in the city and hosts the magnificent Orelle restaurant, by D&D London on the 24th floor, also designed by the practice.
Orelle opened its doors in October last year. Anya Gordon Clark, Senior Interior Designer on the project, joined Doone Silver Kerr especially for the Orelle project in March 2020. We spoke with Anya about her work.
“D&D venues globally are high-end, they’re also independent and different from each other. We were asked to create a restaurant that embodied the D&D brand and was as iconic as the building itself. The restaurant scene in Birmingham is mature, with numerous Michelin star restaurants, so we wanted to attract that audience as well as the companies occupying the office spaces in the building.
“The ground-floor café/cocktail bar is an important part of the venue as it captures footfall for the restaurant, which is not visible at ground level. It was in this space that we incorporated the old cast-aluminium doors from the John Madin NatWest Tower. They were designed by Henry Haig and, as part of the planning permission for the building, they had to be displayed prominently and be accessible to the public – which we were delighted to facilitate.
“This had an impact upon the concept of the space as we began to examine the banking heritage, the crafts associated with that, its connections to the Jewellery Quarter and the history of metalworking in the area. The use of richly veined marble floors, oak and walnut timbers, wall panelling and a generosity of scale were design responses to the banking heritage of the site.”
Ornate detailing inspired by the metallurgical history of the area has clearly found its way into a lot of the features of the space. The satin brass detailing that can be found on the chairs, the finely detailed golden metalwork of the café bar, the gold veining of the marble restaurant floor and bar, bespoke light fittings and the jewel-like colours used in the furniture fabrics are all suggestive of the historical context of this corner of Birmingham. The artworks are inspired by this history also, and jewellery boxes in the restrooms are mounted on the wall as framed pieces.
The name of the restaurant, Orelle, has a derivation from the French for gold, as well as being a French mountain village. It therefore makes references to the Jewellery Quarter, the location of the restaurant at the top of the building, and the modern French inspired menu. From its lofty seat atop 103 Colmore Row, Orelle commands incredible 360-degree views of the city.
Anya related her experience of working up in the clouds
“Working on the site and watching the transition from day to night, as the city lights up, and the sky changes colour is magical. We worked with a local artist, Anita Roye, who produced a mural for the 8-metre-high dining area. Her father was a member of the Windrush generation and worked in the Jewellery Quarter, in a pleasing piece of circularity that connects her to the history of the area.
She produced a work inspired by the design concept, her own history, and the views from the space. She used predominantly blue tones, and as the sky changes, the mural changes and shifts in an utterly magnificent way.”
We asked Anya what specific challenges she faced on this project, “Aside from the pandemic, the challenges were around designing for a space on the 24th floor. ‘Will this fit in the lift? Can it be constructed in the space?’ were questions we asked ourselves. As the space is triple height, we needed some key elements of scale; for example, the lights hang 5 metres from the ceiling. So, a big space that you want to feel exclusive but not empty. Working with D&D London to establish the correct amount of covers for the space was important in finding the right balance with the layout of the dining area.
“The kitchen is on the floor below, and a lot of work went into designing it. It needed to work hard for the size of the space available. The logistics of getting the food to table required careful consideration and precise calculation. You can have the best chefs in the world and the most stunning setting but if the food arrives the wrong temperature, you’ll not be back. Thankfully, Orelle has been very well received by the people of Birmingham.”
Anya acknowledged the important roles of the fit-out contractor McCue, Parla furniture, and the art consultant Elegant Clutter in helping DSK/Ryder achieve what promises to be an iconic Birmingham eatery. After all, design is a collaborative, team effort.
CREDIT
- Interior Design
Anya Gordon Clark, DSK/Ryder Architecture
- Tiling Contractor
Shellard Tiles
- Photography
Jean Cazals
