A collection of public realm interventions at Coal Drops Yard, including a 1000 sqm restaurant pavilion sitting between the historic arches to activate the large public space at the heart of the site. The design does not pander to pastiche of the Victorian arches, instead proposing a confident and contemporary response to the complex constraints of the site with subtle references to the material qualities of the site’s railway heritage. Characterful wayfinding pieces and public art interventions add to the ensemble, strategically placed around the site to connect the yard spaces and provide landmark locations for navigation. A pavilion bar with a chain-mail curtain is proposed alongside the canal on the upper level, providing covered space for colder days and nights.