In 2018 the first of a family of eight kiosks, designed by award-winning architecture
and design practice Mizzi Studio on behalf of artisan brand Colicci for prominent locations in The Royal Parks in London, opened at Ritz Corner, Green Park. Seven more kiosks, along with a landmark cafe next to the Serpentine, opened throughout the central Royal Parks between 2018 and 2021, characterising the largest mobilisation The Royal Parks has seen in 14 years.

The organic-inspired designs for the family of kiosks respond sympathetically to the Grade I listed landscape and embody the ethos of The Royal Parks as a sustainability leader. Mizzi Studio has used sustainable materials and traditional craft techniques, together with state-of-the-art manufacturing methods, to create simple, functional forms that are both striking and elegant.

Together with Colicci, Mizzi Studio explored the parks’ heritage and tailored the design of each kiosk to the history and nuances of their respective site to create new visitor experiences and make a refreshment stop an integral part of a journey through the parks.

The family of nine kiosks, designed by Mizzi Studio, mark the entrances to Hyde Park, St James’s Park, and Green Park, where the first has opened in November 2018. The kiosks are conceived as a family of individual forms that are united in their design language, with a 360-degree sculptural canopy that swells out like a tree’s crown creating a recognisable silhouette. The organic-inspired volumes follow a continuous shape with varying degrees of curvature and differing cladding profiles, which provide contrasting textures to the surface. Each design variation is informed by the architectural or organic elements that the kiosk shares its space with.

The flagship Horse Shoe Bend kiosk in St James’s Park, in view of Buckingham Palace, is clad in tubular brass to mirror the ornate precious metals that adorn Sir Thomas Brock’s Queen Victoria Memorial, which looks over the site, while the choice of timber cladding for the other seven kiosks rests on the relationship with the park environment. Entrusted with bringing Mizzi Studio’s curvaceous design to life, Tom Raffield hand steambent the oak cladding for the kiosks. High quality materials have been used throughout the design, from sustainable oak to oxidised copper, new copper, stainless steel and brass.

Mizzi Studio’s holistic approach to the design also takes into careful consideration the use of space, energy efficiency and practicalities such as waste disposal. A rear entrance leaves the sides of the kiosk available for subtle and efficient service features including integrated bins and condiment holders.

Jonathan Mizzi, Director of Mizzi Studio, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to see the first kiosk open in Green Park. It is an honour to have been entrusted with such a high-profile project of this size and scale. The kiosks form an important part of The Royal Parks’ heritage by serving the public with refreshments and acting as local information points. The design challenge was to create a family of functional sculptures with a goal to continuously surprise and delight while further enhancing the visitor’s experience. This is an important milestone for Mizzi Studio and is central to our commitment to innovative sustainable design for the public realm.”