The owners of The London Bar had a successful pub, situated at the top of a set of escalators in the airport. When Gatwick switched the escalators to run in the opposite direction, footfall to the pub dropped. The London Bar was created as a pop-up bar at the bottom of the escalators, to drive footfall back to the pub. Venue design specialists from the DV Architects team were brought in to provide a complete design and build service for the new bar. The challenge was to make everything work within a small footprint, with limited storage and fridges and to project manage all subcontractors, adhering to strict airport regulations.
The concept was a high-end champagne bar. DV Architects visited the Ritz and the Savoy in London for inspiration and incorporated elements into the design. Staff wore bow ties and white gloves, high-end wines along with a range of olives, breadsticks and smoked salmon were selected to be served. DV Architects liaised with the airport authorities and provided subcontractor management to ensure all work adhered to the restrictions. The bar was successful in driving footfall to the pub, and it also became a huge success in its own right. It has since been given additional seating by the airport to accommodate its customers.