As a ceramics museum, the pieces in the Gardiner collection are elemental, essentially made of earth, water and fire. We took inspiration from the the vernacular of earthenware, and the artifacts and tooling typically found inside a ceramist’s studio. The minerals of clay tell the colour story, while a porcelain bar carries the concept through in materiality.

We created more than just a beautiful space by engaging closely with museum staff and leaders, as well as their hospitality partner. We implemented an optimal layout for the restaurant that could easily adapt to events. Modularity and compactness were key considerations for furnishings, due to the strict one-hour conversion timeframe. Existing storage was limited, so we integrated smart storage solutions, along with multi-purpose furniture. By analyzing their goals for the space and responding with design solutions to meet them, Denizens created a space that required fewer outside vendors to support major events, which translated directly into profit for our client.

Clay typifies the concrete business value that good design can create.