Rosemary, sage, re-claimed pine and castor wheels are some of the ingredients Ryan Frank used for his latest commission of outdoor furniture for the Terrace Bar & Food, a sustainably-led restaurant at the National Theatre, London.
The result is a collection of benches, tables and stools made from salvaged timber with built-in planters, allowing the staff to cultivate a range of herbs and plants right next to the restaurant.
The commission forms part of a revamp of the Terrace Bar & Food based on sustainable principles.
“Ryan’s sustainability ethos corresponds directly with what we are aiming to achieve here” says Vicky Falconer-Pritchard, Catering Manger at the National Theatre.
With the NT recently joining the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Vicky is co-ordinating many of the changes that the Terrace Bar & Food is making in order to become more sustainable in as many ways as possible. The ethical approach encompasses all aspects of the restaurant – from the choice of spirits and soft drinks behind the bar, to the composting of food waste, to the furniture on the terrace.
The Terrace Bar & Food is situated on the second level of the National Theatre – a Grade 2 listed building, where one can still see the construction history in the walls of the building with its detailed grain textures of the wooden formwork.
“It was this detail that gave me the inspiration for the construction of the furniture. I wanted the furniture to look like it had been made from the very planks reclaimed from the original construction of the National Theatre. I wanted the furniture to have a sense of belonging” says Frank.
Placing the units on castor wheels helped give the final pieces a closer connection to the space, restaurant and building and allows this rooftop garden cafe to be continuously re-configure depending on the occasion and season.
Further Frank wanted to include a living element to the collection, a place where bees and plants can be apart of the furniture. So don’t be surprised to find some of your cocktail ingredients growing right next to you in one of the planter benches.
