ABSTRACT
The burgeoning international community of temporary ‘pop-up’ restaurants and supper clubs has considerably changed London’s dining scene. Flash, the pop-up restaurant that found a home in 6 Burlington Gardens, a Grade II–listed building in London, was an integral part of the GSK contemporary season: a new series of contemporary art exhibitions organised by the Royal Academy and their sponsor. The name ‘Flash’ encapsulated the ambivalence of the short-lived, the ostentatiousness of the surroundings, the possibility of success and the exhibitionism of the fashionable visitors it hoped to attract. The examination rooms were vast and thus perfect for a restaurant: Flash was given a large room in the west wing of the ground floor. The neutral timber also generated a sense of warmth inside the restaurant. The space around the outside of the room was dedicated to back-of-house functions, and also provided access to the restaurant.
