Located in Spring Gardens, Trafalgar. Rockwell is a destination bar inspired by the pleasure gardens of the Regency era with a surrealist twist. Designed to transport you to a botanical dreamworld.
Rockwell plunged into the fountain; the icy water almost took his breath away. When he re-emerged the busy streets of London had disappeared and in their place he saw a magnificent and luscious jungle. He stepped out of the fountain and into the undergrowth. As he picked through the thick foliage he began to notice strange scents: the air smelt of exotic spices and something indiscernible. Large green leaves surrounded him and trees towered above him before giving way to an alien sky, bleached yellow by the sun. He heard the cries of great birds above him caw! caw! and watched with amazement as they flew in awkward, juddering movements across the golden sky. He raised his bow as an unearthly cry sounded out – a macaque monkey with the head of a seashell swung above him, leaping from branch to branch. In a clearing ahead stood grazing a stag with a rich red coat and a pair of large blue feathered wings. He pushed on through the jungle…
Location | London
Client | London & Regional
Sector | Hospitality
Rockwell at Trafalgar St James is a destination bar of style and opulence, offering escapism in the heart of the West End. We created a brand identity that is fully immersive and enables its guests to step out of the busy streets of London and into a surreal and etherial environment.
The characters which adorn the walls were inspired by the stories of amazing new animals that were discovered around the world in the early 1700s (the same era as the pleasure gardens). Imaginations ran wild through the vivid descriptions of what people saw and the misinterpretation that followed as these stories were shared.
The hybrid animals that feature across the brand were inspired by this concept. We drew inspiration from artists Hieronymus Bosch and Salvador Dali to give a sense of surrealism, using symmetry and reflection heavily throughout the designs.
Rockwell, the brand character we created for the bar identity, is part human, animal and botanical element. Rockwell is the symbol of the dream world; the explorer of this fantastical landscape. We created an immersive, other-worldly place where the surreal and mythical meets a familiar reality. The characters intertwine with the wild and abundant plants and foliage. This ties in with the trees from the interior design and creates the perfect landscape for the characters to roam.
The cocktail offering ties in with the brand story and includes cocktails named after the brand characters, such as the ‘Fish in Flight’. Each of the brand touch points, from the surrounding environment, signage and collateral through to the restaurant offerings, creates a fully immersive and captivating experience.