Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale’s restaurant on the Strand, a room of copper and steel set inside a Brutalist landmark.
Restaurant, Westminster, UK
In late 2022 Ikoyi left St James’s Market for 180 The Strand, Sir Frederick Gibberd’s concrete and glass block above Temple. Chef Jeremy Chan and co-founder Iré Hassan-Odukale made their name on West African spice and British produce, and the new room needed the same precision.
Copenhagen’s Studio David Thulstrup worked to a tight palette of copper, stone, steel mesh, leather and oak. Bands of stainless steel mesh run across the ceiling and fold down into curtains and wall panels, copper lines the walls, and a softly lit curved wall sits behind a long banquette. Butter-yellow chairs warm the oak tables. What makes it stand out is how it takes on the building rather than hiding it: the concrete stays, and the room is softened around it.