A vibrant new restaurant in an historic setting

Establishing a new restaurant in St Peter Port’s historic, protected Market Buildings presented both a rare opportunity and a significant challenge. At every stage, Alba demanded vision, sensitivity, precision and collaboration.

Designed to accommodate retail units on Market Square, the Market Building’s neoclassical colonnade conceals a series of compact, double-height spaces which, while modest in scale, are impressively lofty, much of the upper space having been used for overhead display.

Alba comprises two such units, 6 and 7, the most notable having originally housed Thomas and Mowat’s Fruiterers and Poulterers. The walls of this unit are covered with fine, bespoke tiling, overlain by metal hanging bars for the presentation of poultry. The second unit, having been subdivided in a recent reworking, accommodates a mezzanine with discrete views of the square. The result is a series of compact, highly significant historic spaces, the repurposing of which required the utmost care.

Aligning with the building’s commercial heritage, restaurateur David Matheson envisioned the dining space as a living space, with a working kitchen enhancing the theatre of the dining experience. Referring to the room’s historic commercial use, a live charcoal grill front and centre would elevate the sense of an active kitchen.

The design involved careful tailoring to accommodate the activities which define each space. The tiled room in particular became an exercise in extreme precision, with sizable equipment required to stand between the historic tiles. At the same time, in overlaying the tiling with simple utilitarian furniture, the new installation buys into the pragmatic simplicity of the blocks and hanging frames that defined the original poulter.

The design builds a synergy with the existing building fabric while also maintaining its integrity. Throughout the interior, found objects sourced by Simply Lifestyle are overlain in a way that both populates the space and informs the aesthetic of the new bespoke fitted furniture.

Succeeding despite, and in response to, the constraints presented by the space, the result is a blend of contemporary design and rich historical texture. An intimate, crafted layout, warm tones and subtle layered lighting make Alba stand out—not just in terms of design, but in how it reinvigorates the Market Buildings.

Architect: Chris Martel
Contractor: Select Carpentry Services
Interior styling: Simply Lifestyle and David Matheson
Photography: Etienne Laine