The site is located on Pontypridd high street in a prime location near to the main station, however the entrance to the building is set back 20 metres down an alleyway. Therefore, the design needs to attract customers down to the site.

 

The brief asks to focus on the design of the main three areas in the basement and also present a concept for the entrance area and the external seating area to the rear of the property. The proposed design aims to transform the space into a unique venue that incorporates areas for eating and drinking.

 

The basement had been stripped back, so there wasn’t much to keep architecturally, and all the windows had been boarded up with breeze blocks. The origional foundation was bare, with just the concrete floor and the yellow walls with peeling wallpaper, so I didn’t have much to work with and creating a new identity for the eatery was essential. I wanted to create something new and unique without the eatery losing the history and essence of Pontypridd.

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The history of Pontypridd is closely tied to the coal and iron industries therefore, the concept and design for the eatery mimics the industrial aesthetic, through raw materials, dark colours and warm glows of light. The design for the entrance was to play on the idea of the mining background of Pontypridd and create a ‘mine shaft’ appearance as the customers enter the eatery. Achieving this through lighting, texture and colour, shown in section below.  The orange strip lights create a warm and inviting appearance to the alleyway, the use of wood panelling, black painted bricks and planters help to break up the space.

 

Welsh slate is used for the interior and exterior flooring, keeping the design consistent throughout the space. The black brick and wood panelling is also brought through to create definition and texture to the space, as the building lacks certian architural features. I wanted to create clusters of glowing lights and areas that were cosy and personal, I have done this by using a dark monochrome colour palette and warm lighting.

 

The main entrance opens up into the front bar with minimum seating, I decided to keep the front area open to allow space for large groups of students and families to wait whilst finding seats and buying drinks. The open space was also to allow the view of the eating area and view of the river and exterior seating to be visible from the alleyway.

 

To the left of the entrance is a designated drinking area and waiting area for food. The toilets are also located to the left of the building as the plumbing is most accesible there. The disabled toilet is located in the front bar area as the main toilets are down 4 steps and not accesible for disabled access.

 

The main eating area consists of a large open kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven at its centre, a main focal point of the eatery allowing customers to watch their pizzas be prepaired.

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The site is located at the edge of the river Taff, so large sliding doors were used to allow for maximum views and light to fill the space.

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Drinking and eating can be extended to the exterior of the building and during summer days the doors can be opened and the two areas can be become one. A canopy covers the exterior tables and heat lamps are installed, allowing the space to be used throughout the year no matter the weather.