A Venue Design Inspired by the Movement of Trains and Electricity

The venue has been meticulously designed to deliver a dramatic, experiential and conceptual space, showcasing the spectacular Victorian architecture still present below London Bridge station. The design takes inspiration from the location of the venue at London Bridge and its function as a major transport hub. This idea of connectivity and dynamism are explored within the design with nods to both the transport aesthetic and the Art Deco period as a golden age of travel.

The main bar design comprises beautifully complex triptych of arches designed to regress telescopically into the geometry of the existing brick archway. The bar includes a layering of hand painted finishes, bespoke wallpapers and custom designed joinery and metalwork detailing. The bar’s design was inspired by the movement of light as it regresses through tunnels. This idea fuses the electrical-inspired aesthetic of Electric Shuffle with the train & transport inspired elements of the scheme.

Custom designed lighting and bespoke designed materials reference Electric Shuffle’s Art Deco aesthetic but have been reimagined and overlaid with nods to elements of train & transport inspired aesthetics. Elements such as the dramatic oversized brass chandeliers, which run throughout the venue, have been custom designed by the Studio to pay homage to the iconic lighting found in grand railway concourses of the 20th Century.

Bespoke timber joinery has been designed to run as a central band wrapping the perimeter walls of the venue. This provides a visual and physical framework to the spaces as well as lending a sense of rhythm and continuity. The panelling, which utilises a mixture of ribbed timber, pleated velvets, metal meshes and textured glass, is reminiscent of the forms found within vintage train carriage detailing.

As part of the brief, the beautifully designed shuffleboard tables have been further evolved by the Studio to suit the complex geometry of the venue’s architecture. The shuffle table design is inspired by the aesthetic of the grand ocean liners, on which the game had its original heyday, a design which perfectly complements the design inspiration of the London Bridge scheme. Curvilinear forms in the timber and decorative copper pipework reinforce the Art Deco aesthetic along with inlaid copper details, leather upholstered detailing and laser cut metal elements, which bring together a mix of classic and contemporary, Deco and industrial.

A new dramatic cantilevered metalwork feature, which includes pleated velvet and mesh detailing, has been custom designed for the venue to support lighting and enclose & enhance the tables, reinforces the transport inspired aesthetic.

The idea of connectivity and dynamism are further explored through the use of dramatic wall mural art within the venue. The large-scale hand painted work takes inspiration from the Futurist art movement and in particular pays homage to a school of early 20th Century British artists who worked under the banner of ‘Vortism’. Their work was inspired by the kinetic energy brought to transportation through the use of electricity and the Studio has taken inspiration from this idea of movement electrification and energy.

“The essence of the interior design for Electric Shuffle London Bridge has been inspired by the energy, excitement and the age of early electrical experimentation fused with the dynamism of the early 20th century transport hubs, and the beauty & lustre of the golden age of train travel, all set against dramatic sweeping historical Victorian brick vault arches of London Bridge Station” – Alan Ellis, MD at Ellis Design Studio.

The Studio has created a beautifully designed, dramatic and conceptual interior to form an engaging and original, multi-layered scheme.

Ellis Design Studio weaves together clear design narratives in their work through an artisanal approach, focused on meticulous detailing and beautiful craftsmanship. The Studio works with a range of experts with experience across a vast array of fields including lighting & furniture designers, fine artists, ceramicists, glassblowers, metalworkers and artisans to name a few. Consequently, their work is imbued with a sense of provenance, uniqueness and a carefully crafted element of storytelling.

The Studio has been shortlisted and won several prestigious design awards for its work in the hospitality sector including being shortlisted for a Design Week Award 2020 and recently winning two prestigious Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2020.