English department store Fortnum & Mason has opened its newest location within famed London shopping destination the Royal Exchange. Designed by locally based firm Universal Design Studio, the new outpost also accommodates a stylish 90-seat bar and restaurant. The retail space total 2,300 square feet beyond the historic internal archways, and is illuminated by bespoke chandeliers.
Located within the heart of the Royal Exchange’s internal courtyard, the Fortnum’s Bar & Restaurant plants its flag as a contemporary dining destination against a backdrop of Neoclassical architecture. Punctuated with striking latticework, the canopied central bar anchors the space to contextualize the vast atrium. The concept reflects the brand’s heritage with metalwork and handblown glass lighting and detailing, as well as bespoke leather banquettes adorned with the iconic Fortnum & Mason color palette. A textured palette of nickel, marble, and glazed ceramics rounds out the materiality.
“We are proud to bring Fortnum & Mason and the Royal Exchange, two London icons, together so harmoniously,” says Hannah Carter Owers, co-director of Universal Design Studio. “The proportions, illumination, and materiality of the Fortnum’s bar have brought the atrium to life once again, offering Londoners a new destination restaurant in a historic building, with an elegant store design which adds modern refinement to both the landmark setting and Fortnum & Mason food hall offering.”
