Architectural kiosks complete in London’s Royal Parks

Mizzi Studio's architectural kiosk series within London’s Royal Parks offer coffee, nature-inspired design and all-round public realm enhancement

London’s Royal Parks kiosks series showing the one at buckingham gate
The latest kiosk at Buckingham Gate
(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

Mizzi Studio has completed a series of architectural kiosks within London's Royal Parks, with its latest structure unveil near Buckingham Palace. The brass tubular food and coffee kiosk is the latest in a family of fluid, nature-inspired designs that the studio's founder, Jonathan Mizzi, embarked on in 2017. With the final piece to the puzzle ticked off, and restrictions lifting in the British capital, there's no better time to go and explore. 

The kiosk near Buckingham Palace

The kiosk features a 360-degree sculptural canopy that ‘swells outwards like a tree’s crown', say the architects. Sinuous and flowing, the design takes organic shapes that feel at home in the green landscape of the parks. ‘The richness of the brass kiosk echoes Colicci’s dedication to quality food and drink and highlights our belief in the relationship between excellence in design and service – each positively reinforcing one another,' says artisan food and drinks brand Colicci director, Rob Colicci. ‘We look forward to seeing the kiosks being enjoyed by park-goers once again come the summer months, uniting families through their warmth and magnetism.'

Architectural kiosk near Buckingham palace

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

How did the project come about?

The series began when Collici approached Mizzi Studio some five years ago, to create Serpentine Coffee House. Its completion came with the design of nine more kiosks that were meant to be installed on various locations across the Royal Parks. In October 2018, the roll out began, slowly and steadily leading up to today's culmination point – the launch of the Buckingham Gate pavilion in St James' Park, the largest in the range. 

Architectural kiosk near Buckingham Palace

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

The kiosks were created to replace a number of older, tired structures in place, and to update the visitor experience at the famous London parks. They share a similar aesthetic, while being adapted to fit each of their respective sites. 

What the architects say

Engaging with modern crafts and contemporary forms was important for the design team, but responding to the Grade I listed landscape was equally key to this high profile commission. ‘Mizzi Studio has designed each kiosk to sit sympathetically in its environment,' say the architects. ‘The freestanding kiosks are conceived as a family of individual curvaceous structures with a graceful tree-like canopy that unites their design language. The initial kiosks are clad in hand ‘steam-bent' English oak timber, developed in collaboration with British designer and maker Tom Raffield.'

2 customers stood at a kiosk at Triangle Hyde Park with the water behind it on a grey day

Triangle Hyde Park

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

people walking by and stopping at the kiosk in Hyde Park on a sunny day

Hyde Park Playground

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

London’s Royal Parks kiosks series showing the one at marlborough gate

Ritz Corner 

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

London’s Royal Parks kiosks series showing the one at marlborough gate

Marlborough Gate

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

London’s Royal Parks kiosks series showing the one at canada gate

Canada Gate

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

London’s Royal Parks kiosks series showing the one at hyde park corner

Colicci Hydepark

(Image credit: Luke Hayes)

INFORMATION 

mizzi.co

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).

With contributions from