Dual Renewal
Inspired by traditional European brasseries, A-nrd’s Lina Stores in Shoreditch is a pistachio-toned, Formica-clad delight created in a former bank – with a contrastingly moody bar in the vault
When the first Lina Stores opened in London’s Brewer Street in 1944, the Italian deli featured its signature pistachio-green exterior from day one. The same colour has since become a cheery sight in more and more locations, as the Lina family has expanded with further delis, plus restaurants and bars. A-nrd’s design for the latest Lina Stores Shoreditch stays true to that original branding, inspired by grand European brasseries: but below the pistachio-coloured dream of a restaurant, there’s a contrastingly dark and dramatic bar down below.
The building is a former bank, built in 1868 and now Grade-II listed. A-nrd’s Alessio Nardi says that it “had seen numerous modifications over the years, many unsympathetic, so it was great to strip that back and see so many original features.” Plasterboard ceilings, strip-lighting, carpets and vinyl floors were hauled out to reveal the bank’s floorboards, wooden panelling, steel columns and marble mosaic floors. While new walls have been painted the requisite pistachio-green, the artfully aged original plaster has been left raw: “They unapologetically show the building’s history, and that is something we always believe in preserving,” says Nardi.
“We brought into the design several elements which are central to the Lina brand and that included the open kitchen counter, bistro-style tables in Formica and marble, bentwood dining chairs, opaline lighting, a mirrored back bar,” says A-nrd’s director and creative partner Lukas Persakovas. “Whilst some of those things aren’t necessarily unique to Lina, they derive from the influence of the grand European brasseries of the mid-century.”
Inspired by the colour of the original dark timber panelling, A-nrd complemented this with its own timber elements, including the dark-stained oak reception desk and loose funiture. These are always contrasted with shades of green: Guatemalan green marble for the countertop of the reception desk, dark green jacquard velvet on the banquettes, Formica laminate on the bar and pistachio green leather (from Crest Leather) on the dining chairs.
Brushed stainless-steel accents add a further finish to the mix, creating a reflective gleam. This includes the distinctive lighting developed by A-nrd with LightsOn: deco-inspired ceiling and wall lights with long, branching stems terminating in opaque glass globes, and table lamps for intimate corners.
Italian architect Carlo Mollino’s 1970s work at the Teatro Regio in Turin was an inspiration for the lighting – but the real theatre of this project is downstairs, in the former bank vault. Where the restaurant is light, open and cheerful, the bar is its opposite, a cosy, womb-like space that’s a place to get lost in for a few hours.
Persakovas explains how this deep red monochromatic scheme was only originally intended for one semi-private booth, “but the client loved the idea so much that we extended it across the whole space.” There are some threads that hold these two seemingly very different aesthetics together, he continues: “Downstairs in Bar Lina, we preserved the textures of the walls, as we did in the restaurant, to unapologetically show the building’s history. A mirrored runner that features on the ground floor in the private dining room is also featured downstairs in Bar Lina and is used across the space. Marble features across both floors along with velvet upholstery and dark timber.”
The trick for a making monochrome scheme work, says Persakovas, is to “play with different textures and finishes so that the scheme doesn’t look flat.” There’s softness and plushness from the chenille upholstery and the carpet; polished lustre from the marble countertops; and gloss from the painted walls. A vintage chrome chandelier by Gaetano Sciolari gives the space a 1970s vibe.
Nardi says that the extreme duality of Lina Stores Shoreditch and Bar Lina is becoming more popular for hospitality clients, “and can be very successful if done well, making a space work extra-hard from a design and hospitality point of view.” Who wouldn’t want to start the night with dinner in a joyful, airy dining room before descending for a digestif, cradled in the intimacy of a low-lit space, feeling as safe and hidden away as, well, a bank vault?
