“Modern, open and uplifting” were the words used to describe how our recent restaurant design, build and fit-out were received by the client at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

  • Transformation of twenty year old catering space into a flexible and open restaurant, working, meeting space
  • Completely new food offer focused on healthy and delicious meals
  • 36% increase in seating capacity promoting

Brief

The brief was to transform the space into a flexible dining space that focuses on healthy dining whilst also providing a space for patients, guests, and staff to dine, socialise, and relax. The previous space had last been renovated in the 90s and was in need of a complete refurbishment.

Result

The design team at ifse worked closely with the onsite caterer to conduct research into the space and how it operated including its pros and cons. The team found that the seating space was dark and underutilised as staff would return to their offices or break out rooms with their food and patients rarely used the space. These key insights were then fed into the design.

ifse stripped the space back to shell and core state, removing all existing walls, flooring, and ceiling to transform the space into a bright, open, and modern environment. The space was opened up by removing walls and barriers to natural light throughout the servery and seating area.

The result was a complete overhaul of the seating space with the introduction of soft seating and booths that create more private dining spaces or versatile meeting points for staff. Flexible non-fixed traditional dining tables and chairs were utilised through the scheme to allow the caterer flexibility to accommodate any size of customer groups.

A newly separated coffee shop was introduced to help reduce queuing in the main servery area. This space would also serve as a deli area for guests looking for more traditional grad and go dining.

Within the servery space, the team at ifse put forward a proposal that improved the customer flow, introduced a new dedicated salad chefs table and provided the tools for the on-site catering team to revamp the menu, tilted towards healthy eating.

The now popular restaurant utilises on-trend materials and finishes which, paired together, create a comfortable and flexible space for staff, patients, and visitors to enjoy throughout the day.

 

Jeremy Henshaw, Director at ifse summed up the refurbishment with the following:

“Our designer’s collaboration with the onsite catering team generated a fantastic transformation of the restaurant space. Moorfields now boast a bustling central restaurant that puts healthy food at the centre of the food offer”.

Website – Moorfields Eye Hospital