THE MARCH HARE

This premises though a listed building had previously been converted into a high end Italian Restaurant known as Como. It had a very slick Italian interior design of porcelain tiles and polished stone. Upon entering the front door there was a single step trip hazard and a very expensive stainless steel and glass staircase up to first floor. However you had to walk right around the whole stair to get to the first flight rather than it be in front of you. In short it was style over substance and the interior was very much at odds with the building as a whole. A large part of the prime ground floor space was occupied by the ladies loos and there was a small shop unit to the primary elevation.
 

The main moves were to reposition the staircase and create a level threshold at the entrance so that wheelchair users could access the premises. The original stairwell to the first floor was enlarged so that customers in the dining space at the first floor would not feel disconnected from the ground floor customer area. The ladies loos were relocated to the first floor and this space and the former shop unit made a small and attractive bar area. The island kitchen was re-opened up to the dining space and the external courtyard fitted with a retractable awning roof so that it could function as a dining area in the spring and autumn but be opened up as an outside space in the summer.