BLEECKER WESTFIELD
Location: Westfield , Shepherd's Bush, London W12 7GF
Client: Bleecker
PM: Handover work
Main Contractor: Majestic
Electrics: Halligan Bros Electrical Ltd
Extraction: Leech Group Services
Plumbing: Southsea Mechanical
Sprinklers: Argus Fire
Detection and alarms: Global Fire
Building control: Head Projects Building Control Limited
CDM: Head Projects Building Control Limited
Structural Engineer: Form London
Signage BD Signs Ltd
Tileworks: Designworks Tiles & Johnson Tiles (UK made)
Counter: koliqi
Kitchen Experts: Bluestone Catering
Tills: Centegra
When Westfield decided to refurbish their Food Hall in West London, they searched for a wide range of businesses to provide variety to their demanding customers and In doing so they decided to approach Bleecker to invite them to join the line up which also includes: PIzza PIlglim, Pho and many others.
THE FOOD COURT
Having run the food court since the centre opened in 2009, the team at Westfield identified several things they wanted to change:
The siting was insufficient
The area could accommodate additional businesses
The common areas and services could be improved to offer a better service
The design could be brought together by introducing a design guide.
OUR PROPOSAL
When we were first told of this opportunity, we found surprising to think of Bleecker, a street food trader, in the pristine context of Westfield, but the team were so excited that very quickly we started looking for a design solution which could retain Bleecker's authenticity in this new environment.
In addition to this, the newly appointed Head of Operations from Bleecker was keen to make this location one efficient machine which could cater for the volumes predicted by Westfield.
With all the above in mind, the targets we wanted to achieve can be listed as:
Bringing the streetfood vibe of Bleecker to a new environment
Develop a kitchen /prep flow which will be able to respond to high volumes
Use Signage and Brand as a key part of our design to gain visibility from across the Food Hall
The layout was quite a challenge and required a series of iterations and heavy consultation with the Bleecker team whose expertise determined the end layout.
LIGHTING
From previous experience, we knew the client was keen to have good levels of lighting in the kitchen and prep area and hence we went for 60x60 cm ceiling tile size LED lights which combined with the under canopy lighting provide great illumination.
As for the customers area we had limited choices to comply with the design code from the centre which is why we used signage as part of the lighting strategy.
We used a light box behind the wooden fascia in the shape of the iconic Bleecker burger , cold Neon (LED) in the drinks corner , an uplighter under the "New York style burgers" metal sign and individual letters of the Bleecker logo.
We also lit up the menu boxes, the plinth and the glass enclosing the drinks area.
MATERIALS
Durability was one of the key drives when choosing materials and finding materials which both felt part of the Bleecker brand as well as worked within the Westfield's guidelines was a challenged.
In the end we selected timber, Caesarstone
OPENING DAY
Bleecker founder Zan Kaufman with NYC Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Photo by Bleecker (visit their Facebook page to see more HERE)
