D
Land a small level of protection against
the elements.
Once in the coffee house, visitors can view
what Jonathan Mizzi calls the “dimpled
underbelly of the brass smile.” He adds:
“When you walk in you’re engulfed,” tells
Jonathan, “like Jonah being swallowed by
the whale.”
This view provides an “uplifting
sense of reveal,” he says with the texture
again proving reminiscent of nature –
though this time in more of a tortoiseshell
effect. Architectural precedents are not
forgotten in the design however – it does not
set out to be wholly individualistic. The
interior offers a likeness to coffers you’d
find in underground tunnels, or on the
interior of the Pantheon’s dome.The brief
Looking back now to the site
pre-development, when the secluded
spot among the trees hosted a less
glamorous and visible kiosk at the rear end
of the site, it was decided by the Royal Parks
authority that a new addition was needed to
revamp the site as part of a wider scheme
across its parks.
The tender – for which Colicci appointedthe catering contract – was to create a ‘fleet’
of kiosks and coffee houses for most of the
Royal Parks – Green, St James’ and of course
the Serpentine’s home, Hyde Park.
After a design competition was held,
Mizzi Studio submitted successful plans,
and were invited to join as design partner
two years ago, having already developed a
seven year, long-standing relationship with
the client Colicci.
Part of brief for the group of
buildings was that they would be
“ambassadors, functional sculptures
and way-finders within the parks,” and
obviously to serve as a refreshment
zone along the way.
Jonathan continues: “The brief was
that every kiosk would respond to each
site individually, and be unique – but,
much like siblings, they had to share
common genetic features which would
holistically tie into a language and identity
that you recognise.”
When Jonathan and the team at Mizzi first
approached the Hyde Park site with this in
mind, the key question he asked himself was:
“Well, how can we optimise this site layout?”
The existing kiosk of course needed
replacing, situated far back from the roadTOP
The roof is constructed in rigid GRP foam providing
strong insulating properties, with its interior shaped to
reference coffers found in classical architecture
48PROJECT REPORT: HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & BARSWWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF NOVEMBER 2019
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