COEN! created a new working environment and identity layer for the 'Besturenraad / BKO'. These two organizations are going to cooperate more intensively at a new location and take care of two denominational types of education in the Netherlands: Catholic and Protestant. The aim of this project was to visually connect the shared goals and principles of both organizations.

For the design of this story COEN! used The Book as a metaphor. Apart from the Christian and Catholic values a book also consists of structure, text and image. You see stained glass patterns, metal grids based on the golden section and special text prints with a message.The relation between faith and education is also subtly made clear by DNA patterns and golden 'office altars'.

Office Besturenraad / BKO, image courtesy COEN!

Office Besturenraad / BKO, image courtesy COEN!

Office Besturenraad / BKO, image courtesy COEN!

Office Besturenraad / BKO, image courtesy COEN!

+ About Coen van Ham / COEN!

Coen van Ham (1971) is a Dutch conceptual designer, architectural designer and source of creative inspiration. He studied at the renowned Design Academy in Eindhoven.

COEN! is one of the leading agencies in the Netherlands on account of its innovative concepts, stunning designs and inspiring workshops.

His style is colourful, graphic, sober and communicating. COEN! shapes and guards over identity. Designs for your works of art, corporate identity, product and interior are all based in a powerful and unique concept. Designs by Coen van Ham have been included in several design and art collections. His work was shown in a diverse range of exhibitions worldwide. Coen's work has been featured in numerous magazines and books.

+ Project credits / data

Project: Office Besturenraad / BKO, Houttuinlaan 5a, Woerden, the Netherlands.
Client: Besturenraad / BKO, Woerden
Interior architect: COEN! design agency, Coen van Ham, Eindhoven
Interior builder: De Vastgoedinrichter, Albergen
Gielissen, Eindhoven
Floor: ca 2200 m2
Start design: 2010
Start building: 2010
Delivery: 2011

+ All images courtesy COEN!

London-based Blacksheep has designed the first ever restaurant for the owners of the award-winning Provencale vineyard 'Chateau du Galoupet' in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge. The innovative new London restaurant, entitled simply 'Galoupet', will open in late Spring 2011 and will house both public and private dining areas as well as a retail fine wine store, offering a range of wines from the owners' vineyard, along with other hand-picked bins. The store will also house London's first enomatic champagne machine, which dispenses four types of champagne by the glass at the perfect temperature.

Gourmet Designs for Galoupet, render courtesy Blacksheep

'Galoupet' will be a two-storey space, with 60 sq m on the ground floor (divided into 25 sq m of wine store at the front and 35 sq m of restaurant space to the rear), plus a further 30 sq m of private dining and lounge space on the lower ground floor.  The feel of the venue will be informal,welcoming and accessible, with a clean, understated glamour. It will offer an all-day menu of healthy dishes, which draw on Mediterranean and Asian influences, created by head chef Chris Golding (formerly of Zuma and Nobu Berkeley Street). The food offer, both seasonal and sustainable, will be a move away from the typical charcuterie, pâté and cheese menu that more traditionally accompanies fine wines and aims to demonstrate that such wines also work very well away from rich and heavy fare.

Gourmet Designs for Galoupet, render courtesy Blacksheep

Visitors to Galoupet will enter the Georgian terraced building directly into the wine store area. Lighting is a very important part of the scheme (Blacksheep worked with Gravity Lighting on this) and here takes the form of 'hidden' lighting, set within a swirl-shaped ceiling bay, to create a subtle retail atmosphere and allow the product – housed in bespoke ridged glass display units edged in brass on the right hand wall – to shine. Four large glass floorplates (in a bespoke etched, checked design) will take the retail light down into the lower ground lounge area. Flooring around the glass flooring and through to the back of the restaurant space is pale oak.

Gourmet Designs for Galoupet, render courtesy Blacksheep

A narrower gloss-panelled mid section between the store space and the restaurant will house coffee dispensing machines alongside the oak staircase, which leads down to the lower ground floor, with an all-glass surround and brass balustrade. The 'hidden' recessed lighting swirl continues through this space. The restaurant's colours are restrained and subtly glamorous, in off-whites, silvers and gold, with bespoke banquette seating and tables and Hans Wegner 'Wishbone' chairs in white. Vertical interest is added through glass panels, edged in brass, whilst angled mirrors allow for people-watching in what is a small and intimate space. Lighting levels are all dimmable to provide for changes in atmosphere from day to night.

Gourmet Designs for Galoupet, render courtesy Blacksheep

On the lower ground floor, the private dining area (for up to 8 people) features a leather-embossed wall and antiqued mirrors with limestone-effect ceramic flooring.  A lounge area to the rear is lit from above via the retail area's glass floor plates, slightly recessed into the ceiling with a striking patinated brass surround. This reflective, glamorous surface is picked up in the frame of a large mirror on the wall in this space and in the brass-edged and subtly-lit wine displays to the rear.

This area has a luxe, club feel with faux suede seating and a softening inset rug in the ceramic flooring. A striking feature wall is covered in marbled black, white and gold wallpaper. Furniture is further bespoke banquette seating in graphite grey and freestanding tables and stools in patinated brass with pale grey uppers.

Shaan Mahroti, Operations Director of Galoupet, commented:

It was a great pleasure to work with a company that has a passion for design and a commercial understanding of how things work.  Left brain and right brain in perfect harmony!

The wine offer at 'Galoupet'

The wine store will offer a range of wines both from the owners' vineyard as well as other hand-picked bins to complete the 36-strong list by the glass. There will be a constantly changing selection, from the Old and New World, chosen by a host of guest sommeliers, highlighting new winemakers and innovative natural winemaking technologies. These guest sommeliers will change quarterly and will range from well-known wine writers to sommeliers from top London restaurants. The ground-floor store will offer several enomatic wine machines, allowing guests to sample a variety of different wines before purchasing and offering individual tasting opportunities. In addition to the 32 wines, Galoupet will have 'The Flute', London's first enomatic Champagne machine, offering 4 Champagnes by the glass, including a range of vintage bins.

+ About Chateau du Galoupet

The 'Chateau du Galoupet' vineyard is located by the sea in Côtes de Provence. The vineyard has held the renowned Cru Classé status since 1955, still collects medals at an international level and is widely present on the wine lists of many prestigious restaurants throughout Europe.

+ About Blacksheep

London-based Blacksheep are stars of the hospitality design scene.  The studio was established in 2002 by Courvoisier Future 500 stars Jo Sampson and Tim Mutton, quickly winning a reputation for unique, stylish and award-winning designs, for clients including Hilton Hotels, Park Hotels, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Hermès.

Blacksheep's portfolio includes The Cuckoo Club (a 3-times winner at the London Club& Bar Awards), Euro-elite hangout ‘Whisky Mist' at the Hilton Hotel (also a 3-times winner at the London Club & Bar Awards), Time Out Readers' Award winner Inamo – the much-lauded, world’s first interactive ordering restaurant in Soho – Jamie's Italian at Westfield and Summertime 2010 London smash hit Vista, the rooftop bar at The Trafalgar hotel.  Blacksheep's portfolio is increasingly international, with live or completed projects in the UK, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia and Poland.  A fine dining restaurant and associated offers in Jeddah and a nightclub in Hyderabad will be the next projects to complete.

+ Designer: Blacksheep | http://www.blacksheep.uk.com/

In a successful collaboration with German manufacturer Nachtmann and Riedel, Alvaro Uribe has created a collection of three Crystal Lead products (Petals Collection) that poetically reflects the purity of the material and the expertise of Nachtmann as a worldwide leader in the production of glass. These products were launched during the Messe Ambiente in Frankfurt and the International Home and Housewares show in Chicago.

Following Nachtmann’s tradition to blend crystal and nature elements, this design is inspired in the shape of petals and pebbles which tempt you to submerge into an ambience of romance and relaxation. The design was developed by abstracting the shape of the petals and converging them into one language, which was both dynamic and sculptural. The poetry of its pattern accentuates the purity of the Crystal along and with its brilliant light refraction will bring a delicate touch to each table and environment.

+ Designer: Alvaro Uribe | http://www.alvarouribedesign.com/
+ Manufacturer/Distributor: Nachtmann

Petals Collection, image courtesy Alvaro Uribe

Petals Collection, image courtesy Alvaro Uribe

Petals Collection, image courtesy Alvaro Uribe

Petals Collection, image courtesy Alvaro Uribe

+ About the brand Nachtmann

Nachtmann is a glassmaker with a long tradition in manufacturing hand- and machine made stemware as well as gift items in Bavaria/Germany. The target group of the internationally renowned brand are lifestyle-conscious customers who set a high value on a beautiful ambience.

The trendy collection of Nachtmann features decorative glass goblets, vases, plates and bowls as well as gift items of superior quality. The appeal of crystal from Nachtmann lies in its unique brilliance and perfect finish. In our production we attach great importance to reaching the highest quality standards, using the purest raw materials and employing technology that is environmentally friendly.

Since its take-over by Riedel the Nachtmann brand has been positioned in international markets with great success.