du Boulay working at Westfield, Stratford

 

In September 2011, Westfield Stratford City opened its doors to the public. The Gateway to the Olympic Park, this is the largest urban shopping centre in Europe with 1.9 million square feet of retail and restaurants. It is a true “mega-mall” with a fusion of indoor and outdoor environments designed specifically to achieve excellence in environmental sustainability.

In order to ensure that the 300 units were ready on time there was a 7,000 strong army of shopfitters and du Boulay Contracts were among them working on behalf of two of our clients, Jamie’s Italian and Pho. As with all shopping centre developments, we were working to a tight deadline with daily logistical and site delivery issues to overcome.

The design theme for Jamie’s Italian at Westfield is distinctly industrial. The shopfront is framed with blackened steel incorporating 21mm thick glass and cedar wood panels with a wraparound steel staircase forming a central feature in the restaurant. The floor is a combination of slate and distressed timber and the antipasti bar has a granite top with timber front and blackened steel hanging rails. Even the signature chandelier light feature incorporates rustic steel chains amalgamated with a variety of light fittings including car headlights adding a quirky touch to the design.

Jamie’s Italian was the first restaurant at Westfield Stratford City to be completed within a 15 week contract period, with du Boulay overcoming several logistics and commissioning issues.

Within the main food court, we have also completed a unit for Pho, the sixth in the successful Vietnamese restaurant chain. It features an open kitchen where diners can watch the food being prepared. The counter top is made from Carrera marble with a bamboo and timber frontage.