At the heart of Amazon’s Seattle campus, the Spheres complex has unveiled new F&B concept, Willmott’s Ghost, across its ground floor. Local architecture firm Heliotrope Architects oversaw the design of the Italian eatery—one of only three spaces open to the public within the complex. Crowned with a three-story jungle overhead, the restaurant receives its name from the thistle-like flower christened in honor of Victorian horticulturalist Ellen Ann Willmott.
The overall design evokes classical themes through a contemporary lens with a timeless materiality of marble, tiles, and brass that adorn curved countertops, rounded walls, and shelves. The unique geometry of the glass and steel volume also informed the design, which is characterized by numerous curved elements from leather banquettes to walls wrapped in painted wood pickets. A soft, pastel palette of white marble, pink tiles, and forest green recall traditional Italian iconography, while brass details, white oak chairs, tabletops, and bar stools infuse warmth. Brass also covers the custom curved liquor racks as well as the brass sink and mirror in the restroom.