The Libertine
Interior Designer
Studio Found
Fittings Supplied
Booth lighting, statement pendant, 9-light vertical post arrangement, horizontal tube lights, integrated bar lamps, fixed-arm table lamps, fixed-arm floor lamps, shared bar table lamps and suspended globe pendants.
The project has seen the historic, Grade-1 listed underground vaults of The Royal Exchange transformed over the last three years into a spacious bar and restaurant designed for lively after-work drinks, long lunches and celebratory meals.
Photography Credit
Year
2022
Studio Found was involved in the project from the beginning, with Ed Plumb and his team integral to negotiating and managing the complex planning application and consent required to convert this historically significant site into a functional, modern hospitality venue.
Before any development plans were submitted, Studio Found carried out extensive research into the history of the building and its surroundings to shape the design concept and approach.
Studio Found also curated and delivered a complete styling concept to enhance and complement this incredible space and all its peculiarities. Evoking a sense of escapism and delight among Libertine's guests was key to setting this venue apart and doing justice to its intriguing history. Studio Found commissioned lighting from Northern Lights to bring bespoke illumination to the intriguing interior.
The length of the restaurant has been haloed by light antique glass doughnut pendants. The term "doughnut" is used to describe the shape that is formed as a result of the smaller pendant sitting within the confines of a bigger pendant, thus creating the shape of a ring doughnut. The reeded glass feature is topped with a laser-cut plate, allowing faux greenery to be slotted within the fixture.
To the back of each seating booth, our 9-light vertical post fixtures bring a personal warming glow to diners sitting beneath. Threaded matt opal globes complement the light antique brass fittings to create a diffused aura that enhances the historic brickwork within the archway. On the opposite side of the restaurant, tables for two are delicately illuminated by our bespoke horizontal tube lights. The integrated light antique brass fixtures play on Art Deco stylings, pairing a diffused opal acrylic tube with a CNC-routed brass frame.
Sitting atop the bar is a collection of our stunning bespoke integrated table lamps. The medium antique brass fixtures benefit from a machine-made knurled finial, and each lamp is finished with one of our handcrafted cream-linen cloche shades.
Our showstopping reeded glass rectangular feature pendant is placed above the private dining table. The imposing fixture combines light antique brass and dusky matt black paint with hand-cut reeded glass panels. The laser-cut top plate includes cutouts that allow faux greenery to sit naturally on top of and within the fixture.
In a separate nook of the restaurant, bar seating has been organised to elevate individuals to enjoy a drink surrounded by lush greenery. Appointed to the bar is a series of our unique fixed-arm table lamps, complete with perforated shades. The laser-cut detailing to the light antique shades has been created using our state-of-the-art laser-cutting machinery, which allows the light to pour through the delicate holes dotted around the metalwork. Booth seating options can be found further down the way, with superb light antique fixed floor lamps bringing an atmospheric glow with their brilliant matt opal globes.
Light antique fixed-arm lamps light up shared bar tables. The fixtures are fixed to walnut display boxes filled with antique cufflinks. On the opposite side, the sage-green booth seating is accentuated by our light antique and matt black arm wall lamps. The adjustable fixtures bring a calming ambience to the area using a reflective dome shade.
Visitors to the private bar area secluded behind burnt orange curtains are welcomed into the area by our alluring suspended globe pendants. The Deco-styled fixtures are beautifully crafted using light antique brass that has been curved using our CNC router. A lamp holder has been fixed to the bottom curve of the fixture, which is completed with a matt opal glass globe.
