Broche Headington

Our project for the second Broche branch is set within a 1937 Manor in Headington, designed in a traditional Oxford style just as modernism gained momentum in the UK. The building belongs to a wave of architecture that sought to preserve the city’s historical character amid widespread urban change.

Today, Oxford presents a layered urban fabric where classical architecture, modernism, and contemporary interventions coexist. This coexistence informs the interior—a bridge between the building’s classical context and a contemporary language. Drawing on mid-century modernism, the project pairs characteristic clarity and proportion with a softer minimalism and playful forms.

Original features—including the yellow stained-glass windows and the wooden entrance door—remain as integral parts of the interior narrative.

The character of the neighbourhood also informed the concept. Surrounded by academic, scientific, and medical institutions, Headington’s context suggests an audience of mid-career professionals, placing the emphasis on restraint, comfort, and material quality.

The material palette centres on dark glossy veneer, used consistently across the bar, wall panelling, and built-in seating. Walls are finished in light butter-yellow paint, while brown marmoleum flooring creates a visually continuous, understated surface.

Behind the bar, a simple stained-glass insert echoes the original façade glazing. Stools referencing modernist design icons provide seating, while tables made from recycled Slime Plastic continue the sustainable approach of the first Broche project. To complete the space, wall-mounted lights introduce a soft, diffused glow, adding a necessary warmth to the otherwise restrained interior.