Winner in the category Brewery & Pub with the project Keel Tavern, Sunderland – England
1. Can you tell us more about your Design Firm?
Pulp Studios Design House is a design practice which prides itself on the delivery and personal attention of our service. Good design is not to be taken lightly and as we all know, the detailing is critical, but the relationship between client and designer is also so vital in bringing that connection to create wonderful spaces. Playful and professional is our common thread.
2. What does “design” mean to you?
Design is all around us! It touches every one of us! It’s in everything from the machine that makes your morning coffee, the transport you take to work, the streets and buildings we move through each day, the laptop you work on right through to the charging dock you rest your phone on at night! It’s everywhere, and all these things are considered, planned, detailed for us all to enjoy and / or be critical of. Good design costs as much as bad design so in a world of some wonderful creatives, have someone who cares about the vision, the touch, the feel of a space to design it for you!
3. Can you describe your design style and its main characteristics?
Playful. I would say this because most of the interiors / buildings we design are for hospitality, leisure and retail. We design spaces for people to enjoy, relax and have fun. So to this end, we have to ‘play’ in them. There are ‘serious’ accents when it is necessary but mostly to play. Many people have jobs and lives that are tasking and can be difficult, so to offer them a moment in a space which help them to relax with friends and family is so important.
4. As the winner of the FoodInSpace Design Awards 2024, what does receiving this award mean to you, your company and your team?
Winning this award is huge! To be recognized for our achievements on a truly international platform is utterly thrilling for everyone at Pulp Studios Design House! The scale and the quality of the competition is mind blowing! To be positioned up alongside the world’s finest design practices and the most beautifully designed venues on the globe is something we’re all very proud of and humbled to be part of!
5. What was the biggest challenge for your winning project/projects?
The biggest challenge at Keel Tavern in Sunderland UK was the scale of the empty concrete box we started with. This wouldn’t be a problem usually but our client’s brief was to create a cozy, inviting British ‘tavern’ environment where people would feel warm and homely. Now this was a ‘tall’ order is a brand new building with a blank three storey interior! How do we fill the space? Not the floor area but the sheer height of the interior. We achieved this by introducing balconies and galleries for circulation and viewing areas which overlook the busy square below. Created bespoke giant ‘still top’ lighting pendants to fill the void whilst acknowledging the brewing history of this part of the city. We introduced ‘snug’ seating areas where patrons quickly feel comfortable take ownership of the space they’re seated in. The warming tones of the lighting and the colour scheme offer patrons a hug from the winter cold outside or the huge doors open onto an amazing summer terrace in the warmer months. To overcome the sheer scale of the original space and create a warm, intimate interior was the challenge. I think we cracked it! 😉
6. In an increasingly global world, how do you balance local identity with international trends in your design work?
I honestly feel that platforms such as FoodinSpace help to bring the world’s international trends to the forefront. What works in Indonesia might look out of place in somewhere like Scotland, but hey, why not? Having a platform for designers / operators / the general public to be influenced by and get excited about is wonderful! As designers, we can take influences not just from our travels but from the pages of FoodInSpace which celebrates the most spectacular interiors and spaces to our fingertips. The connections and relationships between the locality and the wider world can be brought together to open our minds to even more fantastic creations and design!
Thank you for the interview!
Find out more about Pulp Studios Design House and its projects!
