Facelift for Royal Lancaster eatery

The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London is set to open a new-look restaurant in September, designed by Stiff and Trevillion and Wordsearch.

The groups are collaborating on the design of Island Restaurant & Bar, with Wordsearch creating the identity, and Stiff and Trevillion responsible for interiors.

‘Hotels tend to be introverted, but this is very much looking outwards. It’s a restaurant that stands on its own,’ explains Stiff and Trevillion partner Mike Stiff.

The perimeter of the restaurant, which occupies a corner of the hotel, is formed from floor-to-ceiling windows, giving diners a view of Hyde Park’s Italian Gardens.

At night , the back-lit lighting system can be programmed to change colours. ‘It’s quite subtle; it’s not a disco,’ says Stiff.

Island’s identity is similarly ‘independent’ of the Royal Lancaster Hotel, according to Wordsearch producer Matt Flynn. The name and marque reference both the British Isles and the hotel’s location on a triangular piece of land, sandwiched between three busy roads.

‘It’s an oasis of calm within the hustle and bustle of the West End,’ says Flynn, adding that the ‘swirly triangle’ logo can also be interpreted as cars’ tail lights circling round the hotel at night.

Applications for the identity include interior and exterior signage, stationery and restaurant collateral such as menus, placemats, matchboxes and espresso cups.