The Windmill

“Reviving The Windmill in Waterloo”

Situated on The Cut in Waterloo, home of The Old and New Vic theatres, The Windmill pub was in a dilapidated and unloved state and had huge potential for a renaissance.

The pubs kerb appeal was a huge aspect of the re-design. The building is a fine example of early 20th century architecture and we wanted to celebrate this by highlighting the architectural features including the original sign pediments and cornices, as well as re-cladding the building in a beautiful glazed green tile. The new signage included a feature “ghost sign” to the corner end of the building and gold leaf, traditional signage / messaging to the existing windows.

Internally, the existing bar location was incongruous and located in the centre of the pub. This created pinch points and impacted on the trading areas as well as the customer journey. Part of our proposal was to remove it and re-introduce the bar servery along the main wall, that way we could utilise it to accommodate the back bar and create a welcoming feature for customers as they enter.

We also completely refurbished the customer toilets, with Victorian mosaic flooring and beautiful wall tiling details. In the main bar area we introduced new fixed seating and bespoke screening to create little nooks where customers could sit more privately. The pub now has an eclectic, moody feel and is hugely popular for pre-theatre drinks and the local community.