Olympic Studios, the famous London recording studios that in its day played host to such musical legends as Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, U2 and Led Zeppelin, opens its doors in its new guise as a Cinema, Private Members’ Club and Café and Dining Room.
The venue – originally a cinema, dating back to 1906 – is the creation of local Barnes couple Stephen and Lisa Burdge who bought the studios from EMI in 2010 and spent two years gaining planning permission. Their aim is to return Olympic Studios to its roots as an important West London entertainment venue, and to preserve and protect its music and sound heritage. The funding was aided in part by 250 founder members, all of whom paid £5000 each.
Olympic Café & Dining Room will be overseen by Jon Laycock, formerly of Soho House Group, with Swedish-born Andreas Engberg (ex-Racine, The Arts Club and Garnier) as Head Chef. It will open seven days a week, for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, offering a predominantly seasonal British menu with European influences.
Two cinemas
Olympic Studios will be a multi-faceted venue with two cinemas. Screen 1 seats 125 people and will be home to the latest state-of-the-art Dolby ‘Atmos’ sound system, while Screen 2 will seat 65.
The Private Members’ Club and Recording Studio, spread across all three floors, will comprise private dining rooms, bars, work rooms, and meeting spaces.
Design by Simone McEwan
The new interior design at Olympic Studios has been overseen by Simone McEwan Design & Consultancy (www.simonemcewan.co.uk). Simone, former Director of Design of the Soho House Group and Concept Director at Selfridges, has created a friendly environment that opens up the studios’ history to the public and communicates its musical and artistic legacy through the pop, cultural and musical artefacts left behind. Original features have been retained, such as large wooden beams, exposed brickwork walls, and handsome wooden floors covered with the original rugs and carpets that helped soundproof the old music rooms.
The Café & Dining Room will be warm, homely and welcoming with large wooden sharing tables and more intimate tables framed by comfortable leather banquette seating.
Olympic Studios, 117 Church Road, Barnes, SW13 9HL