Hart Miller Design newly completed Experience Lab project for coffee specialist Victoria Arduino

Set within a historic warehouse (home to London’s largest colony of piano makers), The Experience Lab is the home for coffee machinery specialist Victoria Arduino in the UK. Located close to the redevelopment of Kings Cross and Euston, Camden Town is a brilliantly vibrant and bustling area, but for the showroom Victoria Arduino Machinery wanted to create a calm and welcoming space behind closed doors.

The Experience Lab showcases Victoria Arduino’s industry-leading equipment for the specialty coffee market and provides a vibrant space for training, hands-on experiences and social events. It also houses the UK team with office space supporting customer services, spare parts and dealer support.

“Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to build an amazing network of partners throughout the UK, who have supported us and helped us grow. Having a larger space will allow us to focus on each part of our business – partnerships, technical support and customer service, and also grow to host more events with the industry and beyond.” says Peter Garcia, Managing Director of Victoria Arduino UK.

The vaulted main space has been completely refurbished. Utilising the natural light which fills the room through the crittal windows and high ceiling, Hart Miller focused on sustainable materials and colour to soften the scale of the space. Arrival through a narrow alley leads to an internal courtyard complete with an original, restored weigh bridge and bespoke mural by local artist Choots.

A vibrant strike of colour splits the room to set off custom designed furniture showcasing the Victoria Arduino equipment on a series of stations fronted with natural reeded oak and brass details echoing historic manufacturing from the site. Worktops from recycled plastic specialist Smile evoke modernity.

“Our ambition was to create a social space to support the growing reputation of Victoria Arduino as they expand their market – the space needed to feel good to be in, one that is experience-led. We want people to experience the space as a journey in the same way that they’ll experience working with Victoria Arduino as a journey; it’s reflecting their expertise, their energy and their passion for their products.” says Anna Hart, co-founder of Hart Miller Design.

Collaborators of this project

Hart Miller Design’s sister furniture brand, MARK Product, provided flexible furniture across hard and soft areas with recycled fabric upholstery – allowing the space to be re-configured. BB Contracts, who are long time collaborators with Hart Miller, led the refurbishment with all joinery manufactured in Cornwall by Peter Jack Lincoln. “We love to work with trusted local suppliers where possible. Relationships build up over time over a number of products which gives us a real advantage in quality of detailing and execution” explains Anna.

About Hart Miller Design

Hart Miller Design is a multi-disciplinary studio specialising in creating and delivering hospitality spaces. They have extensive experience within the specialty coffee sector having developed spaces for industry leaders, Origin Coffee Roasters, Beanberry Coffee and Prufrock. Designing cross-sector for businesses that put people first, Hart Miller Design’s mission is to inject life into our work, designing environments where good things can happen. Recognising their work and talent includes Softer Volumes: Cafes (Prufrock) 2021; ‘Project of the Year’ Bar & Leisure Interiors Mixology short-list (Mullion Cove Hotel & Spa) 2020; ‘Café Culture: for lovers of coffee and good design’ (Origin Aircraft Factory) 2019; ‘Design team of the year’ Mixology 2017 and ‘Designer of the year’ FX Magazine 2017.

About Victoria Arduino

Established in the early 1900’s Victoria Arduino is a leading Italian manufacturer on a mission to feed every espresso coffee lover’s passion for excellence with the best technology, the best design and the most advanced coffee knowledge. Design, innovation, sustainability and heritage are the values upon which all their products are built – with a particular focuson social and environmental responsibility. They stand alongside business owners who are pursuing their dream of professional success through a vocation for excellence in espresso coffee, offering more than one hundred years of history and innovation in the world of coffee.

For more information please visit Hart Miller Design website.

Victoria Arduino website.

Read another design case study: Merging hospitality with artistic creativity: project by THiRTYONE Design.