A Historic Church in London Hosts a New Cantonese Restaurant and Art Gallery
Award-winning restaurant Duddell's London opens in the thoughtfully restored St. Thomas Church.
Entrepreneurs Alan Lo, Paulo Pong, and Yen Wong founded the Duddell's brand in Hong Kong in 2013, envisioning a restaurant that doubled as a social destination and gallery space for contemporary art. Duddell’s London is its first outpost outside of Hong Kong, and it continues the forward-thinking concept by featuring Cantonese cuisine, dim sum, and Asian-inspired cocktails alongside world-class art.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
Duddell's London is located inside St. Thomas Church, a luminous example of Queen Anne architecture, in the heart of London Bridge. Here, patrons who appreciate modern art can be awed by a regular rotation of contemporary work while enjoying two-Michelin-star, award-winning food.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
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Under the skillful direction of local architecture firm Michaelis Boyd, known for their environmentally-sound and sustainable practices, the church was respectfully restored.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
Subtle Asian design elements, such as lantern-inspired lamps and modern versions of antique Chinese chairs, complement the church's original Queen Anne features, like arched windows and dark wood wall panels.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
Spread over two floors, the restaurant's ground floor is visually oriented towards the church’s original dark timber altar.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
A monolithic, green tile-clad central island spans this level, serving as the open dim sum kitchen and cocktail bar. Pink terrazzo with white chips was used for the island’s worktop to contrast the glossy green tiles.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
We wanted to celebrate the building’s rich history and highlight the difference between old and new. —Alex Michaelis
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
In the bar section, glassware hangs on brass shelves with built-in illumination. The bar is further lit by custom-made light fittings of perforated, overlapping satin brass sheets.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
The retro-inspired green, blue, and white geometric floor is made from rubber, and provides an interesting contrast to the more solemn, historic timber details.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
A long, freestanding blue leather banquette is placed directly under four, four-meter-high arched windows, so lunchtime guests can enjoy plenty of natural light during their meal.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
The mezzanine level, which wraps around two sides of the restaurant, offers views across the space and down onto the kitchen and bar.
Courtesy of Ed Reeve
In order to minimize impact on the original structure, the architects connected contemporary, gold-colored chandeliers to the ceiling using a series of lightweight fixings.
Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd
"When designing the space, we wanted to celebrate the building’s rich history and highlight the difference between old and new. We maximized the natural light that comes into the building to accentuate key heritage features, and now the former church has a new lease of life," says Michaelis Boyd’s co-founder Alex Michaelis.
Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd
Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd
Project Credits:
Architecture and interior design: Michaelis Boyd
Builder, cabinetry design and installation: Newman Scott
Structural and civil engineer: Alan Baxter
Landscape design: Tulip Landscapes
Kitchen design and fit out: Salix
Planners: Planning Potential
Published