A popular destination for shopping and leisurely strolls, the King's Road in Chelsea might be soon getting a brand new attraction; the Duke of York Square scheme's developers, Cadogan, have teamed up with Nex Architecture to propose a contemporary cafe pavilion for the London plaza.
Building on the area's redevelopment – originally completed in 2004 – should it come to existence, the new cafe will be joining the area's bustling street life, which includes public areas, shops and restaurants, as well as one of the neighborhood's key cultural attractions, the Saatchi Gallery.
The architects were chosen via an international competition held back in 2012. Nex Architecture scooped first place out of a total of some 150 entries. The independently run cafe will feature a soft and welcoming, curvaceous design as well as an 'innovative glass façade, which will lower into a single storey basement during fine weather, the first of its kind in the UK', explains the developer.
The pavilion will also include a circular roof terrace open to the public, offering even more green space for visitors to relax and take in the area's views from above.
'Our approach ensures that the new cafe resonates with the architectural heritage of the site, while providing a contemporary space that has flexibility for year round use,' explains Nex Architecture's Alan Dempsey. 'It provides a new perspective on the Square, for watching the world go by, while at the same time providing shelter. When the glass façade is lowered during warm weather, it will feel as one with the surrounding area, merging holistically with the existing space to create a large al fresco seating area.'
A two-day public exhibition in Duke of York Square will display the proposal for the new cafe on the 4 and 6 February, offering the public an opportunity to review and give feedback on the design, which is scheduled to be submitted for planning later in the year.
The project features a UK first – an ’innovative glass façade, which will lower into a single storey basement during fine weather’, explain the architects
INFORMATION
For more information, visit Cadogan Cafe’s website
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards: why Sharan Pasricha is 2026’s Best HostWe salute the Indian-born, London-based hospitality entrepreneur who can’t stop thinking about ways to upgrade how we live, work and connect
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards: London’s V&A East Storehouse is Launch of the Year 2026Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the V&A family’s latest outpost turns the museum concept on its head, offering a revolutionary peek into the daily life of the institution’s Wunderkammer of a collection
-
From jet bikes to electric speedsters, the CES debuts that might just flyCES 2026 brought new releases in the world of mobility tech, including a host of automotive AI innovations. We’ve rounded up the show's key debuts
-
Fulham FC’s new Riverside Stand by Populous reshapes the match-day experience and beyondPopulous has transformed Fulham FC’s image with a glamorous new stand, part of its mission to create the next generation of entertainment architecture, from London to Rome and Riyadh
-
This modern Clapham house is nestled indulgently in its gardenA Clapham house keeps a low profile in south London, at once merging with its environment and making a bold, modern statement; we revisit a story from the Wallpaper* archives
-
Step inside this perfectly pitched stone cottage in the Scottish HighlandsA stone cottage transformed by award-winning Glasgow-based practice Loader Monteith reimagines an old dwelling near Inverness into a cosy contemporary home
-
This curved brick home by Flawk blends quiet sophistication and playful detailsDistilling developer Flawk’s belief that architecture can be joyful, precise and human, Runda brings a curving, sculptural form to a quiet corner of north London
-
A compact Scottish home is a 'sunny place,' nestled into its thriving orchard settingGrianan (Gaelic for 'sunny place') is a single-storey Scottish home by Cameron Webster Architects set in rural Stirlingshire
-
Porthmadog House mines the rich seam of Wales’ industrial past at the Dwyryd estuaryStröm Architects’ Porthmadog House, a slate and Corten steel seaside retreat in north Wales, reinterprets the area’s mining and ironworking heritage
-
Arbour House is a north London home that lies low but punches highArbour House by Andrei Saltykov is a low-lying Crouch End home with a striking roof structure that sets it apart
-
A former agricultural building is transformed into a minimal rural home by Bindloss DawesZero-carbon design meets adaptive re-use in the Tractor Shed, a stripped-back house in a country village by Somerset architects Bindloss Dawes
