We’re proud to announce that 2G Design and Build has been shortlisted for the FX Design Awards 2025 in the Bar or Restaurant category, for our work at Albatross Death Cult.
Being recognised by FX is especially meaningful for us. As one of the leading trade magazines in contract interior design, FX magazine has long been viewed as a benchmark in the industry. The FX Design Awards celebrate excellence across commercial interiors, and the Bar / Restaurant category invites submissions that push boundaries in hospitality design.
Albatross Death Cult isn’t just another restaurant, it’s an experimental dining concept rooted in theatricality, intimacy, and craftsmanship.
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Operated by the team behind The Wilderness, it’s described as a “raw, unedited, and decidedly stripped-back sibling” to the parent concept.
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The restaurant seats just fourteen guests at a time, arranged around a monolithic kitchen counter, so every diner has direct sight of the action on the pass.
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The menu is omakase-style, typically offering 12+ courses composed predominantly of seafood and coastal ingredients, with Japanese influence, cured elements, raw dishes and always an intention to surprise and provoke.
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The space is housed in a Grade II-listed warehouse in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, with raw industrial touches, exposed brick, concrete, and an intentionally minimal aesthetic to let the food, the counter, and the experience take centre stage.
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Critics have highlighted the juxtaposition: a dark-wave soundtrack and post-punk energy paired with elegant, delicate seafood compositions. Grace Dent called it “one of the top five seafood places in the UK today,” while also noting the contrast between its industrial shell and refined dishes.
That tension between raw and refined, visceral and delicate is central to the design challenge we embraced.
The Creative Retail Awards are a benchmark for innovation across commercial interiors – recognising not just aesthetic impact, but the way design enhances experience, storytelling and brand. To be shortlisted is a real honour and a reflection of the collaboration and creativity that went into the project.
We’ll find out if we’ve been lucky enough to win at the awards ceremony in September, but for now we’re delighted to be recognised alongside such a strong shortlist.
Thank you to our brilliant in-house team for their meticulous execution, and to the team behind Albatross Death Cult for trusting us with such a bold concept.
Read more about the project here.
Find out more about the awards at creativeretailawards.com
Turning such a bold culinary concept into a physical interior meant embracing paradoxes and amplifying the theatre. Our brief was not to mask, but to lean into contrast, so that every element, material, light, texture, would echo the narrative of the food.
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Counter-centric layout: Because the dining experience happens around the kitchen pass, our design prioritised sightlines, intimacy, and fluid interaction between chefs and diners.
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Material honesty with curated detail: We chose raw finishes; concrete, steel, exposed structure, but layered in bespoke joinery, lighting accents, and subtle detailing to create moments of intentional refinement.
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Lighting and ambience: Ambient light is moody but deliberate, guiding focus to the counter and accentuating textures without overwhelming. Light, shadow, and drama all play a role.
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Acoustic and spatial balance: In a room where every movement, sound, and whisper is perceptible, managing acoustics, echoes, and room energy was critical.
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Dialogue with the building: Working within a historic warehouse meant respecting existing structure, column patterns, and raw geometry, while injecting the personality and narrative needed for the Albatross experience.
Ultimately, the space had to feel like an extension of the food: sharp, evocative, intentional, and unafraid.
The winners will be announced later this year in London, at a gala event that brings together designers, clients, and creatives from across sectors. Whether we win or not, being shortlisted for Albatross Death Cult is a moment we’ll celebrate. It recognises not just one project but the culture of collaboration we strive for at 2G; the willingness to experiment, to push boundaries, and to deliver immersive, meaningful interiors.
