DHP, which operates bars and clubs in Nottingham and Bristol, is to launch a new destination for food, drinks and music in Hackney in north-east London.
It has created Oslo, inspired by Nordic culture and design, in a former railway station built in 1870, working with design company Thehousewith.
It will be open in the daytime focusing on food and at night with live music. Food will be served all day, using locally sourced ingredients, alongside craft beers and spirits, again sourced locally where possible.
DHP is a leading music promoter and organiser of tours and festivals. In Nottingham, it operates Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Stealth and Bodega, with a focus on live music and DJs, as well as long-established water-borne venue Thekla in Bristol.
Managing director George Akins said: “It’s great to be making an impact in east London. Following on from the opening of our London Fields office last year, it’s really exciting to be bringing the Oslo venture to Hackney Central. And, of course, it’s pleasing to reflect a bit of my Norwegian roots in the Oslo name.”
The two-storey building provides a grand backdrop to the interior design with its high ceilings, exposed original brickwork and impressive Victorian arched windows.
The designers at Thehousewith took inspiration from Nordic freshness, seas and woodland folklore, according to concept designer Andy Lampard.
“Moving away from the conventional trends of factory industrial, we use the laying of raw oak slabs, delicate reeded glass and the softness of large velvet curtains and flowing linen shades to give a sense of faded grandeur – true to the building’s era,” he said.
“We thrive on the craftsmanship of simple materials, raw edges and nostalgic previous use. The name, Oslo, enabled us to take this beautiful piece of London architecture and reinvent it with a life and character unusual and artistic enough to suit its local community of creative minds.”
The general manager is Armand Wysocki who has joined from London venues Shoreditch House and House of Wolf. “I’m looking forward to introducing Oslo as a place where good music, fantastic food and inventive drink menus meet together to provide a great culinary, social and cultural experience.
“It’s something I think Hackney and east London have been waiting a long time for.”
