Crafting an Immersive Wine and Spirits Shop Interior for Berry Bros. & Rudd
When Berry Bros. & Rudd relocated their London retail space to 63 Pall Mall, the move marked a new chapter for Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant. The new setting required an interior capable of expressing centuries of heritage within a contemporary retail environment.
At the centre of this ambition was a single defining gesture: a feature ceiling formed from reclaimed wine barrels, designed to establish atmosphere and identity from the moment visitors entered the space.
Defining the Scope of the Installation
Young & Norgate were entrusted with the manufacture and installation of the feature ceiling element, a complex intervention intended to anchor the wider retail interior. Young & Norgate were recommended for the project by architects Mowat and Co. The joinery and wine storage elements were delivered by a different company.
The concept centred on repurposing century-old wine barrels sourced from the South of France. These historic oak vessels, each marked by age and use, were to be suspended above the store, transforming material history into architectural presence.
Reclaimed Material, Structural Challenge
What began as a material story quickly became a structural one.
Wine barrels are not uniform objects. Age, wear and variation in construction meant that no two pieces were identical. Before installation could be considered, each barrel required careful assessment, preparation and adaptation to ensure suitability for suspension.
Introducing significant suspended weight into a retail environment demanded precise engineering resolution. Structural coordination was required to ensure the installation remained secure while preserving the visual lightness of the composition.
The barrels needed to read as atmospheric and cavernous, evoking traditional wine cellars, without appearing heavy or imposed. Fixing strategies and support systems were therefore concealed wherever possible, allowing the historic material to remain visually dominant.
Installation Within an Active Retail Fit-Out
Installation became the point at which reclaimed material, structural engineering and interior ambition converged.
Aged oak barrels were transported, positioned and secured within the ceiling plane, requiring careful sequencing and coordination. Each element had to align with the wider retail layout while maintaining structural integrity.
The technical resolution was not overtly visible; its success lay in allowing the installation to feel inevitable rather than engineered.
The Result
The completed ceiling defines the atmosphere of the Pall Mall store.
Suspended barrels introduce depth, texture and narrative overhead, referencing the cellars in which Berry Bros. & Rudd’s wines are traditionally aged. The historic material becomes architectural, transforming the retail interior into an immersive environment grounded in provenance.
As Geordie Willis, Creative Director, noted:
“We have enjoyed working with the Young & Norgate team on a number of projects over the last few years, and I have been continuously impressed by their ability, attitude and attention to detail.”
The result is a retail space shaped not only by display, but by material memory, heritage elevated into built form.
