A courtyard pavilion at The OWO provides the perfect outdoor centrepiece
A courtyard pavilion housing Café Lapérouse at The OWO is an architectural feat by DaeWha Kang Design
A new courtyard pavilion has become the perfect centrepiece, placed at the heart of The OWO, the newly reimagined former Old War Office in London’s prestigious Whitehall. Welcome to the London outpost of Moma Group’s Parisian eatery Café Lapérouse, and its light-touch, high-impact home created by locally based architecture studio DaeWha Kang Design.
The OWO's courtyard pavilion by DaeWha Kang Design
The low and airy pavilion faces the tall, formal façades of The OWO Residences by Raffles on one side, and Raffles London at The OWO on the other. Its biophilic, rippling forms and polished mirror effect roof reflect the surrounding historic architecture, which was originally designed by William Young in the early 20th century, while adding playfulness and dynamism to the composition.
Practice founder DaeWha Kang crafted the structure’s intriguing shape out of stainless steel roof panels and bespoke glass, while inside the venue, French culinary offerings are served in a light-filled environment surrounded by a family of curvaceous columns. ‘The concept was to imagine being inside a Georgia O’Keeffe painting, with softly ribbed white columns developing into petals that radiate to form the entire ceiling, providing a beautiful setting for the Café Lapérouse interior designed by Cordelia de Castellane complemented by delicate landscaping that provides a backdrop for al fresco dining,’ says Kang.
The pavilion was manufactured by Dutch firm Octatube, and created with the help of engineers Arup in London. Its afterlife was carefully considered too. The prefabricated main body was conceived to be easily disassembled for maintenance and replacement. ‘[It] could even be relocated in full in the future if needed,’ Kang points out.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Los Angeles’ best fine-dining restaurants
LA boasts a creative food scene driven by some of the world’s most innovative chefs. Browse the Wallpaper* guide to the city’s best fine-dining restaurants
By Kevin EG Perry Published
-
First look at Maison 3, an eclectic new Parisian bar for sleepless nights
Maison 3 is an enigmatic space with a sensual atmosphere brought to life by the French studio Les Beaux Jours Architectures
By Fabienne Dupuis Published
-
Chanel heads to Hangzhou, China for a poetic Métiers d’Art 2025 show
This evening in China (3 December 2024), Chanel travelled to Hangzhou’s much-mythologised West Lake, a Unesco World Heritage site, for a show that highlighted the extraordinary craft of the house’s artisans
By Jack Moss Published
-
The RIBA House of the Year 2024 winner is a delightful work in progress
The winner of the RIBA House of the Year 2024 is Six Columns in south London – the home of architect and 31/44 studio co-founder William Burges
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Peckham house design unlocks a spatial puzzle in south London
Audacious details, subtle colours and a product designer for a client make this Peckham house conversion a unique spatial experience
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Squire & Partners' radical restructure: 'There are a lot of different ways up the firm to partnership'
Squire & Partners announces a radical restructure; we talk to the late founder Michael Squire's son, senior partner Henry Squire, about the practice's new senior leadership group, its next steps and how architecture can move on from 'single leader culture'
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Meet the 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner: Livyj Bereh from Ukraine
The 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner has been crowned: congratulations to architecture collective Livyj Bereh from Ukraine, praised for its rebuilding efforts during the ongoing war in the country
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The new Canada Water boardwalk is an experience designed to ‘unfold slowly’
A new Canada Water bridge by Asif Khan acts as a feature boardwalk for the London area's town centre, currently under development, embracing nature and wildlife along the way
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The Museum of Shakespeare set to open in east London
The Museum of Shakespeare puts the remains of the ancient Curtain Playhouse at the centre of 'The Stage', a new urban development in the heart of Shoreditch
By Smilian Cibic Published
-
Paddington Square transforms its patch of central London with its 'elevated cube'
Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been completed, elevating a busy London site through sustainability, modern workspace and a plaza
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural Association's newest show uncovers the architectural legacies of rural China's lost generation
The Architectural Association’s ‘Ripple Ripple Rippling’ is not your typical architecture show, taking an anthropological look at the flux between rural and urban, and bringing a part of China to Bedford Square in London
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell Published