A floating restaurant has moored up in a London canal, just in time for the restrictions lift on indoor dining. The Cheese Barge is a brand new hospitality offering in a custom, nautical design on a barge by Wallpaper* award-winning architecture studio Adam Richards Architects. Situated in a Paddington canal just south of Little Venice, this floating restaurant, was commissioned by British Land and occupied by World Cheese Awards judge Mathew Carver as a venue to champion cheese in all its forms.
The design draws on the area's shapes and heritage, wrapping the roof structure in verdigris-coloured patinated metal, gently announcing its arrival to the neighbourhood. A large, light-filled dining area is placed under the curved, sloping roof, looking out towards the canal through wrap-around glazing. A natural material palette of oak and recycled elements compose the interiors, which were created by Raven Collective. Reclaimed ship passageway wall lights, boat cleats and buoy-like table lamps offer light nautical references throughout. Meanwhile, the ship's main body was made by specialist marine fabricator in Somerset.
The design also references James Stirling’s Electa bookshop pavilion in the biennale gardens in Venice – a structure with similar nautical nods. Overall, it was a fun and exciting process for the architecture studio.
‘It is wonderful to be asked to design a space for the pleasurable activity of eating and drinking on the canal,' says architect and studio founder Adam Richards. ‘The barge creates a festive and sophisticated environment, whilst drawing on the heritage of narrow-boat design and local social history. It has also been an opportunity to pay homage to James Stirling’s Electa bookshop in Venice: one of my favourite buildings. That building was inspired by the designs of boats — so it was fun to design a boat based on a building based on a boat!'
The open plan interior across two levels was designed for maximum flexibility, while the kitchen area is located on a separate but connected, smaller boat. Naturally, the kitchen and restaurant are connected via a bridge, adding drama to the arrival of the food.
INFORMATION
-
Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album coverThe compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
-
Inside the new theatre at Jacob’s Pillow and its ‘magic box’, part of a pioneering complex designed for danceJacob’s Pillow welcomes the reborn Doris Duke Theatre by Mecanoo, a new space that has just opened in the beloved Berkshires cultural hub for the summer season
-
What to see at Rencontres d’Arles 2025, questioning power structures in the state and familySuppressed memories resurface in sharply considered photography at Rencontres d'Arles 2025. Here are some standout photographers to see
-
The inimitable Norman Foster: our guide to the visionary architect, shaping the futureNorman Foster has shaped today's London and global architecture like no other in his field; explore his work through our ultimate guide to this most impactful contemporary architect
-
Shard Place offers residents the chance to live in the shadow of London’s tallest buildingThe 27-storey tower from Renzo Piano Building Workshop joins The Shard and The News Building to complete Shard Quarter, providing a sophisticated setting for renters
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth IIFor the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots togetherWolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
A new London exhibition explores the legacy of Centre Pompidou architect Richard Rogers‘Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings’ – opening tomorrow at Sir John Soane’s Museum – examines Rogers’ high-tech icons, which proposed a democratic future for architecture
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never beforeThe Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshopNew Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
