The bar and restaurant at the top of the iconic Gherkin was one of the first high-rise fine dining offers in London when it opened in 2004 and is still a must visit destination.

As part of a major revamp of the offer, Searcys wanted to clearly define the multiple offers within the space. Our first priority was naming, and being situated in one of the most recognisable pieces of architecture in the world, it made sense to turn to this for inspiration. Iris, the top floor bar, refers to how the building comes together as a glass dome that forms its roof, while Helix, the restaurant, references the distinct graphic pattern created by the structure of the building in profile.

A key part of the brief was to soften the overall feel of the offer. The architecture is stunning but the interiors are quite hard and masculine. Our response was to create a series of photographic garlands from flowers, the kaleidoscopic nature of these being derived by the geometry of the building. Bespoke hardback menus were designed with a circular aperture that allowed for the first page of the menu to feature the relevant garland for the offer.