Bluebird Garage Cafe, King’s Road Building, Chelsea Restaurant, Bar, Cafe

Bluebird Garage Cafe London : King’s Road Restaurant

Bluebird Garage west London – Chelsea Café Bar design by Sir Terence Conran

18 Sep 2011

Bluebird Garage

Location: 330-350 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UU

Date built: 1923

Design: Robert Sharp

Bluebird Garage Cafe, King's Road Restaurant
photograph © Adrian Welch

Bluebird Gastrodrome – Restaurant, Bar & Cafe / Sainsbury’s Supermarket
Date of renewal: 1997
Design: Conran Roche (now Conran & Partners)

Former garage for the Bluebird Motor Company, reputedly the largest in Europe at the time.

Location: 330-340 King’s Road, Chelsea, southwest London

Bluebird Garage Cafe London building
photo © Nick Weall

The Bluebird Garage closed in 1927 and later became an ambulance station.

Sir Terence Conran’s architects designed a conversion into the Bluebird Gastrodrome with a Sainsbury’s below. The retail space was later converted The Shop at Bluebird.

Bluebird Garage Cafe building London cars
photograph© Nick Weall

Bluebird Restaurant & Bar, Bluebird Café & Forecourt, Bluebird Food Store, Bakery and Wine Cellar

The garage was built for the Bluebird Motor Company in 1923, designed to the very latest style by the architect Robert Sharp. At the time of its completion the garages were claimed to be the largest in Europe. At 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2), there was room for 300 cars in the main garage, a further 7,000 sq ft (650 m2) was given over to workshops. On either side of the garage two further buildings contained lounges and writing rooms. The lounges were segregated for ladies, owners and chauffeurs.

Bluebird Cafe, King's Road Chelsea London
photo © Adrian Welch

The land speed record breaker Malcolm Campbell was connected with the Bluebird garage, initially holding the franchise for Itala and Ballot cars. He raced both of these marques, using this hobby as a form of advertising. In 1925 he also became the agent for the newly founded Chrysler company.

Bluebird Garage Cafe, King's Road Chelsea
photo © Adrian Welch

In later years the building was used as an ambulance station. In the late 1990s the main building housed a fashion market.

In 1997 the building was converted by Sir Terence Conran’s Conran Group into the ‘Bluebird Gastrodrome’, including a restaurant, bar, café and private dining rooms.

Bluebird Garage Cafe Building London
photo © Nick Weall

The garage area was occupied by the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain as an experimental ‘concept’ shop. Sainsbury’s withdrew from the space which made way for ‘the shop at bluebird’, a high-end clothes, furniture and book shop.
Source: wikipedia

Bluebird Cafe London Bluebird Garage Cafe London Bluebird Garage Cafe London
photos © Nick Weall

Bluebird Garage redevelopment architects : Conran & Partners

Location: 330-350 King’s Road, West London, England, UK

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A related building in west London by Conran:

Michelin House redevelopment, Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, southwest London
Date of renewal: 1987
Design: Conran Roche
Michelin House
photo © Nick Weall
Michelin House

Art Deco Architecture

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Lanesborough Hotel & Spa, Hyde Park Corner, Belgravia, Southwest London
Architecture: Filer & Cox ; Interiors: 1508
Lanesborough Hotel & Spa, London Club
image from architects
Lanesborough Hotel & Spa

Central St Giles
Design: Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW)

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Website: www.bluebird-restaurant.co.uk/