12
feature
kid, soho
original 17th and 18th century street grid, and would likely have formed part of a cluster of Victorian townhouses with shops at ground level. BOX 9 has led a full architectural intervention, including structural alterations and new shopfronts on both elevations, responding to the building’s history through proportion, permanence and crafted detail, and using waste brick as the architectural anchor of the scheme to create a contemporary restaurant that feels rooted in place. The two former units are united through palette and materiality, but subtly expressed with different architectural characters. While the Frith Street elevation echoes the rhythm of a traditional Victorian shopfront, the Bateman Street side takes on a more refined contemporary articulation. The corner dining room at the front of the restaurant remains uninterrupted by arrivals, acting instead as a teasing glimpse into the atmosphere beyond. Surprisingly, guests enter via a quieter side entrance on Bateman Street, where the spatial reveal is intentionally dramatic, with a heavy, oversized door opening directly onto the fire and movement of the central grill. The grill centres the ground floor.
Fire is both a practical and emotional anchor, driving the cooking, the pace of service and the atmosphere of the room. Around it, guests move between banquettes, intimate tables, counter seating and bar seats overlooking the chefs at work. Kenoteq’s K-BRIQ is the hero material of the project. Made from at least 90% recycled construction and demolition waste, it requires no fossil fuel or firing to produce – releasing a tenth of the carbon emissions of a traditional fired-clay brick. Chosen for its connection to Soho’s Victorian architecture and its ability to carry more rhythmic, crafted references to Turkish architectural heritage, K-BRIQ forms a defining architectural gesture throughout the restaurant. KID is the first restaurant to use it since its accreditation – an achievement that required exceptional precision from bricklayers KCM Heritage and fit-out contractor Interiors UK, working closely with BOX 9 to realise brickwork that moves beyond surface finish to become the structure, rhythm and atmosphere of the interior. This architectural language continues
through the spatial journey. Deep set reveals punctuate the movement between the ground floor rooms, while arched forms soften the harder geometry of the
brick, creating something that feels ancient in technique and entirely contemporary in execution. A curving brick stair wall leads guests down towards the lower-ground, with glimpses into the wine room as the brickwork opens and closes around them. The wine room seats 14 and is conceived as an intimate counterpoint to the energy of the grill. Inspired by historic wine cellars, it is built almost entirely from brick, with curving walls, integrated steel shelving and a softly domed ceiling. Bottles, glowing brickwork and low lighting create a quieter, more intimate atmosphere. Below ground, the guest-facing open bakery extends the restaurant’s story from fire to bread. Cooks will work downstairs throughout service, allowing guests to experience another form of making within the restaurant. The space will also function as an events room, with four movable bespoke feature tables by Jan Hendzel Studio, allowing it to shift between production and hospitality. PaperStone post-consumer waste
pressed cardboard panels are used for cabinetry, doors and joinery in a Sienna waxed finish, chosen for its durability, sustainability credentials and gently mottled surface. Pyrolave, a volcanic lava stone surface, is used for the wine room tabletops in a deep, moody green. In a restaurant centred around flame, a material formed by volcanic activity and transformed through firing felt instinctive, bringing depth, permanence and an elemental quality to the room. The ceiling is softened visually and
acoustically with cork joists – chosen for its intensely smoky texture and acoustic properties, and its sustainability credentials. BOX 9 worked with Portuguese producer, Amorim, whose cork is harvested by stripping bark without felling the tree, a process that locks in carbon, supports groundwater retention and reduces risk of forest fires. Textiles by Arc of Joan bring a strong
circularity story. No virgin material is used for the upholstery fabrics, which are reclaimed from the fashion industry, military surplus, or newly woven from waste yarn from the interiors industry. Emerging Turkish artist Selin Acikel has been commissioned to create an oversized stair mobile made from patinated cast bronze from recycled copper, paired with off-cut steel rods and forged iron sourced from local fabrication waste streams. The brief draws from the idea of the sofra, the Turkish table not only as a place to eat, but as a site of generosity, speech, hospitality
and collective presence. Lighting has been developed with
Occhio, selected for its technical precision, controllability and elegant quality of light. Much of the ground floor lighting is concealed, allowing texture, fire and material to shape the atmosphere. Andreu World’s Oru chair has been
selected for the lower ground for its comfort, curves and playful energy, while Karakter’s Principal chair and matching bar stool have been chosen for their structural solidity, authorship and longevity.
Image: DCCO
Image: Andrew Urwin
Image: DCCO
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
