Case studies Kricket Canary Wharf
Beneath the rumble of the DLR Railway, Kricket Canary Wharf marks CAKE Architecture’s first restaurant commission; a project shaped by the charged, imperfect character of its site. Drawing on the subtle tension and cinematic framing of Edward Hopper’s paintings, CAKE focused on atmosphere and mood, embracing the site’s unique conditions — the constant movement overhead, the heavy structure, and the lingering sense of leftover space — as opportunities to celebrate instead of conceal.
As the design evolved, the scheme became a study in opposites, balancing moments of warmth, colour, and intimacy with the raw, infrastructural presence of the railway above.
The restaurant carries a sense of stillness and subtle drama, with a layered lighting strategy that shapes the experience, emphasising contrast, shadow, and focus. Low-level lighting creates intimacy, while soft accents highlight materials and surfaces. Concealed sources maintain clarity and restraint, and as daylight fades, the space takes on a richer, more evocative quality that echoes Hopper’s cinematic influence.
Material selection was approached with care, emphasising a clear, legible palette. Each material has a distinct role: steel elements provide structure and robustness, while fabric installations and timber furnishings introduce warmth and a human scale. The materials sit harmoniously alongside one another — remaining distinct yet tonally cohesive — instead of competing.
The tiles provide duality. Functionally, they meet the demands of a high-traffic restaurant. Atmospherically, they anchor key areas to create moments of intensity within an otherwise restrained palette; their interaction with light and shadow heightens their presence, contributing to the overall mood.
A 15-metre-long counter stretches across the restaurant’s width, forming the central feature. Clad in a single tile range, I Colori, it reads as a continuous, monolithic form. Integrated bespoke table lamps interrupt the surface, introducing a softer, more intimate scale for diners seated at the counter. Here, the interplay of surface, shadow, and illumination is most pronounced, creating layered depth that defines the spatial experience.
Equally considered is how materials come together throughout the space. Junctions, proportions, and surface finishes were carefully tested to ensure each transition felt deliberate yet understated — “where the identity of the space is really formed,” as CAKE describes it.
In areas like the main kitchen counter and waitstations, edges are cleanly resolved, allowing these larger elements to sit with clarity and confidence. Elsewhere, details are more direct and exposed, lending the scheme a subtle rawness that balances the refined material palette.
Reflecting on the design process, Ryan Hart, Architect at CAKE, said, “The goal was to avoid unnecessary embellishment and instead let the material qualities speak for themselves, with detailing acting as a quiet framework rather than a focal point.”
For their inaugural restaurant commission, CAKE have created a space defined as much by what is held back as by what is expressed. The project derives its strength from balance, from moments of infrastructural permanence to transient moments of intimacy, between precise material definition and the movement around it.
Photography: Ollie Tomlinson; James Retief
For further information or technical advice please contact us