Museum Restaurant
The restoration of a derelict 1930s RAF supplies building as a 170-seat restaurant at the RAF Museum's London site, its brick and steel fabric repaired and its rooms returned to daily public use as part of the Centenary masterplan.
Rebecca Dalley, Centenary Programme Manager, RAF Museum“Nex worked with us as both client advisors and architects, playing an instrumental role in two successful HLF funding applications. Challenging us in the potential of our indoor space, the final scheme includes two imaginatively restored and transformed buildings that form the centrepiece of our site.”
As part of our work on the RAF Museum masterplan and across the museum field from the entrance, Nex restored a long-derelict 1930s RAF supplies building as a 170-seat restaurant. Replacing the roof, windows and doors, removing internal walls to open up the space, and carefully restoring the original brick and steel trusses, the building was brought to life with new stained ash panelling, banquette seating and a graphic horizon line running the length of the room. Original timber office booths were recreated as intimate spaces within the open dining room.
The building's return to use, rooted in its material character, was welcomed by Historic England and helped secure Heritage Lottery Fund and HM Treasury grants for the wider centenary programme.
- Civic Trust Awards Regional Finalist
- Museum & Heritage Awards: Partnership of the Year
