Following our hotly debated story about the new-look interiors for fast-food giant McDonalds in France, here’s a revamped outlet for rival Burger King in Singapore that's designed to imitate a garden.
Like McDonalds, Burger King want to appeal to families with children as well as to teenagers, so commissioned design collective Outofstock to update their restaurants.
The Burger King Garden Grill features a plant-covered trellis ceiling, exposed brick walls and plant-pot pendent lamps.
The dining area is filled with stick-back chairs more usually found in English kitchens and metal-framed wooden dining tables inspired by camping furniture, while sofas upholstered with outdoor fabrics line the walls.
Posters advertising food are displayed in pictures frames propped up on wooden shelves.
More restaurants incorporating the new design are scheduled to open in Singapore and Japan in 2012.
Other designer updates to fast-food restaurants include a Little Chef outlet by Ab Rogers and a chicken shop in Munich by Ippolito Fleitz Group.
Here's some more information from Outofstock:
"BK Garden Grill" by Outofstock
Burger King Asia-Pacific recently commissioned Outofstock to design a pilot restaurant in Singapore. The goal of the project was to create a new interior identity for Burger King. Some key points mentioned by BK was that they wanted a warm and welcoming store that would appeal to a wide audience - teens, young adults as well as families with children - the design should stand out but at the same time be accessible for the man on the street.
We started off by analysing the BK brand, it's advertising visuals as well as its history. We noticed that one word that kept popping up was "flame grilled", and we used this clue as a starting point. From collective experiences, our mental picture of flame grilling is closely associated with garden barbecues and camping cook-outs.
These activities, often held with groups of family and friends, left indelible memories in our growing up years. This led us to name the project "BK Garden Grill", which is based on bringing the garden, as well as colours and textures of the outdoors into the restaurant.
We wanted to remind people of the joy of communal dining with family and friends in a warm and natural atmosphere, evoking memories of BBQ parties and summer camps.
We also aimed at created a more personable and flexible space, where potted plants can be neatly arranged or randomly placed on wooden ledges along exposed brick walls and glass windows. Framed marketing posters placed on these wooden shelves can be changed or moved about easily. More objects can be added to the fray with time as the restaurant develops its own story.
Custom designed lounge seats and ottomans are upholstered with outdoor fabrics that are water repellent. The lounge seating area is set against a collage wall of materials and textures, most of which are applied throughout the restaurant, from raw concrete to clay bricks, wood veneers as well as cork, blackboard, copper and brass. BK's branding and slogans can be applied in a more engaging way with this material wall.
An overhead "roof" trellis takes visual attention away from exposed services such as air-conditioning and kitchen exhaust trunking while also acting as cable trays for pendant lamps and spot lights. We suspended clay, concrete and aluminum pots as pendant lamps to add to the garden atmosphere.
We designed simple metal framed tables whose structure is reminiscent of foldable camping furniture, but being very strong and easy to clean. We sourced for a traditional stick-back chair to complete the look of the restaurant.
The pilot store was officially opened during the recent BK Asia-Pacific Conference in Singapore and was met with generally positive feedback. More Burger King outlets based on our "Garden Grill" concept are currently being built in Singapore and Japan, and will be open by early 2012.
sketch ideas is far more interesting than pictures taken.
Cant see much of a difference in the first and last sketch :(
Totally agreed!!! Just rearrangement of tables and more stuff on walls. Aesthetically maybe different but spatially its the same, Cartesian arrangement of seats, row seats against walls. Kinda crafted but Boring spatially…it will be outdated again soon.
The question I have is: are designers supposed to just make things (anything and everything) look pretty or should they actually question the quality / sense behind their designs and, by extension, the quality and meaning behind the products that are being sold?
well either. it's up to the designer what kind of ethic they want to put in it. there is no moral prerogative to design as it is.
Your question isn't a question, it is a statement. You've already got your mind made up and now I feel stupid spending even these few seconds responding
That's the paradigm of design education in these few years. The aesthetic is only part of the quality(We also have experience, usability and sustainability…etc) … but that is the part that is most easily perceived by the general public.
pearls before swine
great concept art :) also check out this macdonalds http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&…
interesting only because of the client. the design itself is rather bland.
love it. congrats to outofstock. even though I do not like burger king I so would eat here. no feel of sickening fast food.
It doesn’t matter how much they invest in the interior or what you make it look like – scratch away the surface and it’s still the same multinational peddling the same dreadful food and using the same questionable employment and trading practices. It takes more than a few cutesy concept sketches to cover that up. I’d be ashamed to be associated with something like this.
Compared to the ugly plastic furniture at the fast food places here in Florida, I think it's great. It's a shame that BK and McD doesn't do that here.
It's like the BK execs took the designers to Starbucks, and said "make this for us".
What is the point of this? Their product (in quality and morals) doesn't relate to any aspect of this interior space.
I agree with Tom Dixon…designers have a responsibility and in this responsibility designers have a choice who they want to represent for in the end that reflex back on the designer . Who can honestly say Mc dees and Burger K as a whole represents ones self. The designers that gravitate to these projects shed their moral and ethical agenda for they possibly need the $ (desperate)or all they want is the $(and do not care)…it vary interesting because when one eats at these fast food places ones mindset has to be in the same place "desperate" =for they do not know where to eat and want something in their stomach fast or "Do not care"=for they do not care what they put in them….this says a lot about these places and it says a lot about who designs them..
You agree with "Tom Dixon" because… you think he really is Tom Dixon? (your opener cracked me up)… Fast food restaurants are very much part of the urban fabric. For someone who misses the last train, a fast food outlet becomes a respite from cold and hunger. You see kids and teenagers study in fast food restaurants after school (at least in my country they do), and many freelance workers, such as designers, insurance agents and writers can be seen doing their work or even meeting clients in fast food places. I do not usually like fast food but I do find myself in a McD's or BK from time to time (never had a craving for french fries or onion rings?). And if I were sitting in one of these Burger Kings, I would definitely appreciate that someone bothered to make my moments of pause here much more pleasant.
There are far better places one can go for food…. you said in your country this is a place where one can go and do your work/home work hang out. That is great just stay away form the food. Mc D and BK do you really think they are going to care about investing into any type of quality for you ,out side of getting you in there place and stuffing you with crap and making a profit. This is merely a face lift for the next 50 years yet the same type a food all over again use the new buzz words to make you think they are doing something new….Maybe if you had a chance you should open a place that creates an environment where one can go yet serves good food and a nice environment. I am sure you will be hit….As for what Tom Dixon said here if it is or isn't him it does not matter it is the content of they said.
I stand behind my designs and there quality it is a reflection of my self I am sure as hell not going to help represent any person or comp that I do not agree with there practices or the services they provide individuals.
This is a step forward in fast-food design, nice
Is this publicity or design news?
I hope they have lot's of extra chairs to replace and I want to see how long those sofas will survive.
I now have a urgent need to eat in a burger king.
They are a vast improvement but the food would still suck.
Amazing fast food joint. I don't eat that junk but definitely the coolest Burger King I have ever seen!
which part of Singapore is this new restaurant "Garden Grill" located?
I dont see the point of this, Its like eating a salad in Mc Donalds… just call a spade a spade and buy a burger!
I’m not sure if the new design that is inspired by a garden would work. Sure it looks nice, but if it is supposed to remind families of burger parties, they will realize that the majority of Singaporeans do not have that tradition. I could not recognise that the restaurant was from Burger King.
Someone know where can I find these tables?