Taking inspiration from high-end nautical design, Leeds-based design studio, Fuse, has renovated a popular nightlife destination in the Hard Rock Cafe group with a fresh new aesthetic. Among the high-spec solutions for the refit, DuPont Corian features prominently on several service counters in the revamped venue in Barcelona.
The material also forms the rear panel of the stage area, where its famed ability to be shaped as desired via thermoforming creates a new visual focal point, in a sleek, easy-care finish destined to perform for the long term.
DuPont Corian lends itself to intelligent customisation, offering virtually unlimited creative freedom, employed here by Fuse to execute a high-profile project with optimum impact and functionality. The project’s interior architect, Scott Ryalls from Fuse, says: “The concept for the restaurant interior was to emulate the look of a luxury yacht – and the capability of Corian to provide seamless, curved surfaces and a crisp, almost futuristic finish was a deciding factor in its selection.”
Furthermore, the malleable nature of Corian allows for CNC routing to the reverse of the material and for LED illumination of the brand’s logo through the surface of the screen, as well as the illumination of iconic mantras such as Love All, Serve all and Save the Planet within the service counters.
Scott continues: “Our specification of Corian was reinforced by this subtle backlighting capability. At night the lighting to the logo behind the stage is turned off and the surface is used as a video projection screen. Corian has enabled this multifunctional aesthetic versatility without any compromise to the design – on the contrary, the whole effect is enhanced.”
The monolithic and gently-curved service counters, made from Corian in pure Designer White, appear to have been sculpted out of a single piece of the material – forming an inviting yet robust installation that will be easy to maintain and stand up to the high traffic use demanded of such a busy location. The combination of advanced lighting technology with the seamlessly organic shapes work aesthetically in contrast with the dark wood tones and deep red finishes elsewhere in the scheme, creating a striking new image for the venue that is very much in tune with the times.
