Behind This Wall

Hackney, London

A Japanese-inspired home for one of London’s best bars.

Back in 2016, we worked closely with then fledgling designer Elliott Barnes and clients Behind This Wall on their first permanent home. Taking cues from their signature tiled tables, showcased during a residency at London’s Oval Space Terrace the previous year, and a love of minimal Japanese design, a series of plywood booths were designed around a tiled central bar to provide an intimate setting for exceptional beverages and music on a superb sound system. The initial design, which has clearly provided “inspiration” for numerous other venues since, was the foundation for an ever-evolving space.

The bar has been critically well-received in numerous publications, including The Evening Standard, The Nudge, The Vinyl Factory, FACT Magazine, GQ and Time Out, who featured it among their 100 Best Bars in London. We have also been lucky enough to embark on numerous other adventures with the Behind This Wall family, including designing and making a stage at Gottwood Festival and their Sonic Tonics production space in Hackney Wick.

Photos by Christian Brailey