There’s not many places you can go in London to get a dose of Nordic culture. I certainly can’t think of anywhere that marries together the match made in heaven that is Japanese and Nordic design. Despite their separation across the world, the two have many commonalities: a less is more approach, a connection to nature, a respect for craftsmanship, and a love of the understated and uncluttered. While the Japanese embrace ‘wabi-sabi’ – accepting imperfections and the impermanence of things – the Scandinavian’s bring cosiness and warmth with the concept of ‘hygge’.
Now the two cultures have come together in the form of Pantechnicon, a new five-story concept store that celebrates Japanese and Nordic creativity and craftsmanship. Located in the heart of London’s Belgravia, the design destination brings together a concept store, cafe, two restaurants, bar and rooftop terrace. The polished Grade II-listed building hides behind it a raw, perfectly wabi-sabi interior that’s cool and contemporary yet relaxed and tactile.
I paid a visit the weekend after it opened. We were supposed to go to Japan for our honeymoon, so at the moment we’re living vicariously through any Japanese culture we can get our hands on. With travel plans put on hold, I also miss my regular design trips to Scandinavia. Venturing into town on the train and into an area we rarely spend time in, it felt like we had escaped for the day to a haven of Japanese and Nordic design. Basking in the last of the late summer rays on the roof terrace, it didn’t quite feel like London at all. And the best bit? Dogs were welcome too. I thought being in Belgravia that the space might be a wee bit pretentious and elitist. But I didn’t get that vibe at all – the staff were super friendly and we felt instantly at ease. Let’s take a tour!
All images courtesy Pantechnicon
On entering you’re greeted with the UK’s first Café Kitsuné, something of an institution for coffee lovers in Paris and Tokyo. There’s an intimate mezzanine above, where you can sit and enjoy your flat white, and people watch. The old brick walls have been exposed to reveal echoes of the original arts and crafts centre (Pantechnicon comes from the Greek words Pan, meaning all, and Techne, meaning craft and art). The building began life in 1830 as an upmarket warehouse where local residents could store curiosities from their travels around the world.
The Edit next door on the ground floor offers a curation of 150 Japanese and Nordic brands with a range of ceramics, homeware and small gifts. Meanwhile on the first floor there’s The Studio with a much wider range of designs including leisurewear, Japanese lifestyle products and beauty products. I spotted Nordic faves including Frama, Nuori and Mater. My husband loved browsing the menswear, and while there sadly wasn’t any womenswear, I was happy enough to enjoy all the homeware and beautiful corners.
On the second floor is a 70-seat Nordic restaurant called Eldr (meaning ‘Fire’ in Old Norse) let by Finnish head chef Joni Ketonen. The simple, seasonal menu showcases traditional cooking methods such as pickling, foraging and cooking over fire. The same menu can be found on the top floor bar, restaurant and the all season roof garden (there’s a retractable glass roof). Here wooden Danish dining chairs are paired with bare concrete walls and hanging plants to create a botanical oasis. I couldn’t help but admire the tactile, grey porcelain mugs and plates as we enjoyed a coffee outside on the terrace designed by Finnish horticulturalist Taina Suonio.
On the roof terrace you get a beautiful birds eye view of the rooftops and chimney pots. I can imagine it will really come to life in the summer with cocktails and sunshine pouring down.
Also to come in 2021 is a Japanese restaurant, bar and cocktail lounge on the lower ground floor called Sachi, as well as a takeaway ground floor Kiosk serving seasonal specialities inspired by various food scenes in the Nordics and Japan. In November, Sakaya, a bar and boutique bottle shop will open selling a selection of handcrafted Japanese barware, spirits and liquors. So there’s even more reason to come back again and get a slice of Japanese and Nordic culture!
I’m sure we’ll be back again, not least to sample the food. It’s so nice to see something so considered and beautifully designed in London. You see plenty of places like this in Copenhagen, for example, but finally London has a destination like this all of its own.
