Belfast based fit-out specialist firm Portview has completed work on Butlers Chocolate Café‘s newest store on-concourse airside at terminal 2, Dublin Airport.
The design and fit-out of this complex, space constrained unit, which retails luxury chocolate and incorporates a café, was challenging.
The centrepiece of the café is a 4000 piece, cast brass- capped, individually mounted tiled counter. Created by the Giles Miller Studio, the cast zinc metal "Harper" tile with reflective brass plated finish is robust, strong and strikingly beautiful.
The challenge for Portview was in the fitting and fixing of this innovative material, with teams having to work together to agree the fixing solution.
Inside the café, the seating area is framed with curved black glass backed fitted seating on Bolon vinyl, creating overall a relaxing, luxurious ambience which reflects the nature of the product and has eye-catching appeal to the walk-by customer in the busy airport environment.
Portview Contracts Director, Sean McEvoy, said: "There were several challenges in the Butlers Chocolate Café project.
"At Portview, we have a great deal of airside experience and understanding of the complex logistics requirements. Security clearance must be obtained for every team member and deliveries are planned to the minute. Any errors in the paperwork can hold up progress and incur cost.
In addition, working with unusual materials that require creative fitting solutions, like the central counter here, is now a regular feature of our work as retailers seek to deliver a more enriched shopping experience to their customers. We work closely with the design teams and manufacturers involved to get the best possible result for the location."
Butlers Chocolate Café Retail Director, Michelle McBride, said: "T2 at Dublin Airport was a labour of love for us and an extremely important strategic opening. Working with Portview helped to make the project seamless.
"Airports are always difficult environments to work in and Portview's professionalism and experience of working in airports made the project a success.
"Whilst we have an excellent relationship with Portview and have worked with them for over ten years, this T2 store was a new design direction with a challenging handmade counter, the application of which they managed brilliantly."
