child studio draws from london's classic cafes of the 50s for soft pink restaurant in chelsea

in designing plant-based restaurant humble pizza, child studio researched the origins of cafe culture in london, coming across the charming mid-century formica cafes, which began appearing in west london in the fifties. typically established by italian immigrant families, these classic bars served simple snacks and drinks in pared-back modernist interiors of laminate surfaces and pastel tones. situated on the iconic king’s road, the neighborhood synonymous with alternative british fashion, music and pop culture movements of the twentieth century, the restaurant pays homage to those cafes, through singular materiality, soft pink hues, and crafted details that define this unique interior.all images courtesy of child studio

london-based child studio drew from the cultural background of humble pizza‘s iconic neighborhood, once populated by mods, hippies, punks, new romantics, and bohemian characters of all styles, as well as the staple of british vernacular post-war architecture – the formica cafes. the vibrant restaurant is clad in wall-to-wall candy pink formica, which continues along counter fronts and across tables tops, highlighted with cherry wood framing each laminate panel. other subtle winks to the past include mosaic tiled flooring, cherry wood shelving and neon signage, while the interior is accessorized with the classic mid-century lighting pieces by european designers poul henningsen, jacques biny and luigi massoni.
the restaurant sits behind a characterful period timber shopfront, facing the iconic king’s road

‘humble pizza is a fantasy about king’s road of the time when vivienne westwood was setting up her first boutique down the road, the rolling stones were hanging out at the notorious chelsea drugstore and the whole street was buzzing with hippies, punks and fashion kids,’ note alexey kostikov and chieh huang, founders of child studio. the restaurant sits behind a characterful period timber shopfront, whose facade was stripped back from the later additions to reveal the original features, including the ornate cast iron grilles. the long and narrow floor plan informed the layout with a long banquette seat flanking one side and a 5,5 meter display counter located along the opposite wall. an illuminated cherry-clad lightbox frames the ‘open kitchen’ counter towards the rear of the space, creating a cinematic focal point whilst offering a glimpse behind the scenes and celebrating the food making process focused on plant-based ingredients.

the vibrant space is clad in wall-to-wall candy pink formica, which continues along counter fronts and across tables tops

the rhythmic pattern is highlighted with cherry wood framing each laminate panel

child studio were researching the origins of ‘cafe culture’ in london and came across ‘formica cafes’, which began appearing in the west london in the fifties

the restaurant is accessorized with the classic mid-century lighting pieces by european designers poul henningsen, jacques biny and luigi massoni

king’s road is the neighborhood synonymous with alternative british fashion, music and pop culture movements of the twentieth century

the long and narrow floor plan informed the layout with a long banquette seat flanking the formica-clad wall

child studio approached the formica factory in the north east of england to recreate the vintage ‘linen’ pattern in a soft pink shade

child studio works on the intersection of object design, spatial projects, art direction and photography, creating cinematic and intriguing narratives and experiences

child studio founders alexey kostikov and chieh huang wanted to create a contemporary interpretation of the classic mid-century ‘formica cafes’

the menu of the restaurant presents a contemporary plant-based perspective on the italian classics

project info:

name: humble pizza

architect: child studio

location: king’s road, chelsea, london, UK

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edited by: sofia lekka angelopoulou | designboom