The Cadogan Estate today announced the six design teams invited to submit proposals for the new Cadogan Café, in the heart of fashionable Chelsea.

The shortlisted teams are (in alphabetical order):
• Architecture 00 Ltd.
• Carmody Groarke
• Duggan Morris Architects Ltd.
• NEX
• Pernilla Ohrstedt Ltd.
• TaylorSnell

One hundred and forty-seven teams expressed interest in being considered for the project. The decision of the selection panel, including representatives of Cadogan, Paul Davis + Partners (as masterplanner) and Malcolm Reading Consultants, was unanimous. Hugh Seaborn, Chief Executive of the Cadogan Estate said: "We have been bowled-over by the response to the competition. The care put into the submissions by the shortlisted teams is quite inspirational. What we’re looking for now, is a proposal that is creative, sensitive to the setting, and practical to build."

Malcolm Reading, who is managing the competition, commented: "The proportion of practices that made the longlist was slightly under fifty per cent. Those practices that leapt to the shortlist did so because their submission was exceptional, in terms of presentation, and they had seized the opportunity to add supplementary information to the PQQ; describing why their previous work was relevant to this project."

"The panel came to the process without preconceptions about the kind of practices who might emerge; each member of the shortlist made it on their own merits, and it’s great to see two brand new practices in the six chosen. The shortlisted teams now have until 12 November to develop their final submission."

An exhibition of the shortlisted designs is planned in November, prior to the selection panel interviews in late November.

The café site is positioned in a key part of Duke of York Square, in Chelsea.

It is adjacent to the main thoroughfare to The Saatchi Gallery and set slightly back from the King’s Road.

The £2 million project will redevelop the existing café, designed by Block Architecture and currently run as a Gelateria Valerie, which has been a great success over the past ten years but which has been overwhelmed by demand.

The winning architect-led team will be announced by early December.