Rosebank News Cafe owner Lambros Argirys and Tristan Du Plessis of StudioA at the prestigious international Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, where they won the Middle East and Africa category.
The cutting edge design of the flagship News Cafe store, located in The Zone at Rosebank, designed by Tristan Du Plessis of StudioA Signature Projects recently took home the prestigious international Restaurant & Bar Design Award for the Middle East and Africa category.
The winners, across over 36 categories were revealed at the Restaurant & Bar Design award winner’s function, which took place at London’s Old Truman Brewery. The Awards ceremony was attended by 800 of the world’s best designers, and their clients responsible for the design of the most innovative food and beverage spaces. Tristan Du Plessis and News Cafe Rosebank owner Lambros Argirys were in attendance to accept this prestigious international award.
The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, now in its eighth year, is a globally recognised competition dedicated to the design of food and beverage spaces. The awards cover every imaginable space from ships to airports, museums to burger vans and from revered Michelin-starred establishments to the fleeting dynamism of pop-ups. Judged by a panel of some of the most influential personalities in design, hospitality and lifestyle globally, this annual edition of the awards attracted 1000 entries from the UK and 70 other countries.
Tristan Du Plessis of studioA Signature Projects, was tasked by News Café to take the brand into the next 20 years through a fresh store design for newly launched and re-vamped News Cafe stores. The result also had to resonate with the brands growing customer base as well as a new generation of patrons and serve as an iconic venue in Johannesburg’s revitalised urban cultural landscape.
“We took current local and international trends head on and created a great new aesthetic without losing touch with the News Cafe identity. Inspired by the brands world class offering, we borrowed from global trends and used interesting finishes and features to give character to the store. Appealing to News Cafe’s aspirational client base, we experimented with a bit of colour by expanding on the idea of the street art movement, which inspired the bar in the store”, says Du Plessis.
Du Plessis goes on to say that “as a designer it is always great to work with brands that are aspiring to be the best in their league. The News Cafe team passionately urged us to take risks and boldly introduce the South African market to a new normal, competing with the best in the world. Having my creativity recognised by an esteemed panel of international experts is truly amazing.”
The Rosebank store delivers an ingenious blend of hard metals and natural textures that speaks to the sophisticated and cosmopolitan urban consumer. Beautifully crafted features are accented by mood enhancing lighting, lending the space a refined and contemporary feel juxtaposed with studded distressed leather seating which contributes to a uniquely South African cocktail lounge culture ambience. The glass-expanse front allows natural light and opens to a street front which offers patrons an urban pavement vibe.
