Holloway Li were invited by Georgian/French bakery brand first UK outpost in Notting Hill, a celebratory Georgian ‘supra’, a feast centred around a gathering table, seen through the aesthetic of Wes Anderson’s cinematic style.
The bakery has been organised as a ‘deconstructed shopfront’, based on a scene from Wes Anderson’s ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ which follows the main character Agatha through a process of chocolate-making at Mendl’s Sweet Shop, from gathering ingredients, to decoration through to assembly.
Taking cues from the organisation of theatre-space, the area between shopfront and kitchen is structured like the layered space between audience and back-stage. The shopfront window forms the ‘Apron’, the café area becomes the ‘Stage’, and the serving area the ‘Proscenium Arch’. A window behind the serving counter offers a glimpse into the ‘Backstage’ area, where traditional Georgian breads and pastries are baked, conjuring the child-like wonder of peering into a sweet shop.