Courtauld Vault Shop and Art Café
London, UK - Retail
Shaping a cultural retail experience.
Ryder Interiors was appointed to design The Courtauld Institute of Art’s permanent and exhibition retail shop, alongside the Art Café, as part of a wider redevelopment of the prestigious Grade I listed building. Collaborating closely with Witherford Watson Mann Architects, who led the restoration, we delivered sensitive and distinctive interior solutions that celebrate both history and innovation.
Flow, flexibility, and function
This enterprise focused project began with a full analysis of the site masterplan. It was decided to relocate the stop to the historic vaults, creating a seamless visitor experience that naturally concludes the gallery journey.
The vaults now serve as an integrated part of the exhibition route, with a flexible entrance and exit layout that allows for rotating, exhibition specific retail zones. The central vaulted arches display the wider Institute range, blending curated design with commercial functionality.
The Art Café
Located at street level with views over The Strand, the new Art Café and bar is designed to operate outside of gallery hours, encouraging greater public interaction with the institute. The interior design draws on the expressive work of the Bloomsbury Group, with a vibrant, layered palette inspired by Charleston House. It features a bold blue book wall, a striking red bar, and richly toned green and yellow surfaces pair with bespoke hand painted chairs and tables.
We worked closely with Courtauld curators to reproduce wallpapers and rug patterns from the Omega Group Collection, applying sustainable and recycled materials to bring a contemporary relevance to these archival designs. Every design choice links to the collection to communicate the essence of the Institute to café visitors, even if they have not visited the exhibitions.
