Brookfield wanted to mark the pre-opening of London Wall Place with something that felt nothing like a construction site preview. The space was a near-complete shell, raw concrete, exposed steel beams, and an undeveloped floor weeks away from refurbishment. The brief was open and the opportunity seemed obvious.

The idea was to bring the building's newly installed external landscaping inside, softening the concrete shell with curated jungle greenery and cutting through it with stark neon interventions. The contrast would be the concept. We wanted to create a space which felt urban and unusual for its purpose, but something which spoke to the interior and exterior development. The result was more of an art installation than a functioning reception room, it became a space to explore. As dusk fell, the space shifted: raw surfaces gave way to architectural neon strips, leather lounge seating and smoked glass poseur tables.

At the centre stood an 18-foot platinum mirrored bar, framed by a truss arch and dressed with vintage neon signage sourced from across London. It was the first thing guests saw when they walked in and the thing the room was built around. Leaning in further we installed raw scaff pole and steel deck stairs, purposefully and perfectly scuffed throughout the build phase, to add authenticity to the installation.

The food matched the tone. Refined street food, including lobster rolls, shrimp burgers, chicken Karaage and mochi, alongside craft beers and exotic cocktails. The kind of menu that is accessible but elevated. Every element, from the spatial planning to the service flow, was designed to feel considered rather than improvised which, inside a live construction environment, took considerably more work than usual.