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      Studio Paolo Ferrari designs Toronto restaurant as a “world unto itself”

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      Toronto-based Studio Paolo Ferrari has created cinematic interiors for a restaurant in the city’s Downtown area, combining influences from filmmakers that range from Stanley Kubrick to Nancy Meyers.

      Unlike a typical restaurant layout, Daphne unfolds as a series of rooms with distinct identities, each borrowing references from different cinema styles.
      Daphne is laid out across several spaces, including a Great Room designed to feel like Nancy Meyers movieStudio Paolo Ferrari intended each space to offer a different experience for guests, and custom-designed all of the furniture and lighting for the restaurant to make it feel even more unique.
      “Daphne is an elevated and exceedingly creative take on the American bistro, fusing the nostalgia of New England prep with wonder and eccentricity,” said Studio Paolo Ferrari. “At once intimate and grand, eccentric and sculptural, convivial and experimental, the deeply imaginative space is reminiscent of a great residence that’s evolved over time.”
      Studio Paolo Ferrari designed custom furniture and lighting throughout the restaurantGuests arrive into an intimate space that features a transparent full-height wine cabinet, which offers glimpses of the dining area beyond.

      They then move through to the Great Room, a cavernous room framed by a dramatic vaulted ceiling and decorated in a warm neutral palette.
      The Drawing Room is fully enveloped in a burnt orange hueThrough the centre is a line of dining tables, each paired with a rounded striped sofa and two boucle-covered chairs.
      The open kitchen is fully visible through the arches on one side, while a darker, cosier dining area coloured a burnt orange hue runs along the other.
      A mirrored corridor with a hand-painted landscape mural leads to a separate bar area”The grand space is reminiscent of the warmly luxurious spirit of a Nancy Meyers film, with custom furnishings that are deeply residential in feel and varsity-inspired checkerboard tiling,” said Studio Paolo Ferrari.
      The Drawing Room beyond continues the burnt orange colour, fully enveloping the walls, ceiling and seating upholstery to create a monochromatic space.
      The mural continues across the wavy walls of the bar room and green banquette seating follow the curvesCove lighting is installed behind louvres that cover the upper walls, adding texture and shadows as well as hint of “Cape Cod Americana”.
      The bar area is reached via a long corridor that’s mirrored from floor to ceiling along one wall, and is lined with a hand-painted landscape mural across the opposite side.
      The glass bar countertop is illuminated from within, while the counter front is flutedThis verdant rural scene continues across the wavy surfaces in the bar room, above green banquettes that follow the flow of the wall.
      “Daphne is a world unto itself, awaiting discovery,” the studio said. “Stepping into the bar is almost akin to stepping into an exquisitely-designed film set.”

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      The snaking glass-topped bar counter is illuminated from within, as a nod to the bar in the fictional Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrick’s movie The Shining.
      The counter front is fluted in reverence to Beaux-Arts architect Henry Bacon, while reflective stainless steel across the back bar matches the circular tables and chair feet in the room.
      An adjacent dilapidated building was razed to create an expansive outdoor terraceA dilapidated building adjacent to the restaurant was demolished to make way for an expansive outdoor Garden Terrace with a dining area and bar.
      Sandwiched between two brick structures, this exterior space features comfy yellow and white-striped seating surrounded by plants, and a row of tall trees in the centre – continuing the botanical theme from inside.
      Plants behind the yellow and white-striped seating continue the botanical theme from insideA separate entrance from the street leads guests between tall columns clad in dark blue-purple iridescent tiles into the alley-like space.
      “It was important that the space had depth and a quality of experimentation,” said Paolo Ferrari, founder of his eponymous firm. “Daphne is truly an active experience of discovery, where guests can uncover thoughtful and innovative details throughout.”
      Columns of blue-purple iridescent tiles form a gateway from the street into the alley-like outdoor terraceThe designer’s earlier projects in Canada have included a lake house with wood and granite interiors, and a showroom for a development in Ottawa that appears more like a home than a sales gallery.
      Other recent additions to Toronto’s dining scene include Prime Seafood Palace, which features a vaulted-wood interior by Omar Gandhi Architect.
      The photography is by Joel Esposito.

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      Stingray-shaped roof crowns Maldives restaurant by Atelier Nomadic

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      A bamboo canopy modelled on stingrays tops Overwater Restaurant, which architecture studio Atelier Nomadic has added to a lagoon in the Maldives.

      The Japanese restaurant is raised on an existing jetty that extends out from the shore and has a bamboo structure with tree-like columns to support its wavy roof.
      Drawing inspiration from the surrounding water, Atelier Nomadic designed its form to resemble the shape of pink whiprays, a species of stingray found in the lagoon.
      Atelier Nomadic has added a Japanese restaurant to a lagoon in the Maldives”Maldives is known for its spectacular underwater life,” studio creative director Olav Bruin told Dezeen.
      “We aimed to bring this sub-aquatic theme to the surface in an architectural form, without being too literal,” he continued.

      “For the main shape, we found inspiration in the pink whiprays that graze in the lagoon, as it was a convenient form to cover the open-air dining space.”
      The wavy roof is informed by a local species of stingrayAccessed beyond the long stretch of the boardwalk, the restaurant’s entrance is set under the lower and slimmer portion of the roof, which is intended to represent the tail of a stingray.
      A network of tree-like columns, which are formed from three angled lengths of bamboo, is arranged underneath the structure and extends from the entrance to the end of the jetty.
      A boardwalk provides access between the shore and the restaurant”This system allowed us to make an organic form from straight bamboo poles that provide stability to the structure in all directions,” Bruin explained.
      “By coincidence, we realised only after the structure was built that the interior space feels a bit like the mouth of a giant manta ray, with its rhythm of gills that filter plankton out of the seawater.”

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      The undulating bamboo structure of the roof sits on top of the columns, reaching its peak at a spine-like ridge. It is clad externally in timber shingles, which the studio hopes will resemble fish scales after ageing.
      “Timber shingles age gracefully and gain a grey-silverish patina over time,” said Bruin. “Together with the layered pattern, the roof will resemble the scales of a fish.”
      The structure is built from a network of bamboo columnsSet on either side of a walkway where the jetty widens are two bamboo-clad volumes, painted black, which hold the kitchen and bathrooms.
      The bar, coated in the same black bamboo, sits beyond the two blocks. It marks the transition into a large open-plan dining area filled with furnishings that match the colour of the bamboo structure.
      A lounge area sits at the end of the restaurantBeyond the covered dining space, the jetty steps down to a more casual, open seating area furnished with curved sofas and armchairs.
      At the end of the jetty is a swimming pool split across two levels, while white nets used as overwater seating areas wrap around the outer edges of the restaurant.
      The roof is clad in timber shingles intended to mimic scalesOther oceanside projects in the Maldives include a proposal for a garden-filled resort by Shigeru Ban and a complex made up of wooden villas that sit on an artificial island.
      In a recent interview with Dezeen, Atelier One engineer Chris Matthews said bamboo has the potential to be as dominant in construction as concrete and steel.
      The photography is by Joe Chua Agdeppa.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Atelier NomadicClient: Banyan TreeDesign team: Olav Bruin, with Louis Thompson, Habiba MukhtaContractor: Asali Bali

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      Zooco Estudio resurrects “vestige of the past” for brutalist restaurant

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      Madrid-based Zooco Estudio has created a striking restaurant within the Cantabrian Maritime Museum in Santander, Spain, that celebrates the building’s brutalist architecture.

      The restaurant is set within a dramatic vault of concrete paraboloids that were unearthed during the renovation, while a slatted timber ceiling pays homage to the area’s shipbuilding legacy.
      Zooco Estudio added a restaurant to the second floor of the Cantabrian Maritime MuseumOverlooking the tranquil waters of Santander Bay, the restaurant is located on the second floor of the landmark Cantabrian Maritime Museum, which was designed in the mid-1970s by architects Vicente Roig Forner and Ángel Hernández Morales.
      The paraboloids were an original fixture of the structure and supported the roof of what was once the museum’s patio.
      Oak details were designed to contrast the restaurant’s concrete archesThe studio focused on restoring the historic fabric of the space and reviving the paraboloids, which had been concealed for around 20 years, as “a vestige of the past”.

      “In 2003, the building was renovated and as part of this intervention, the paraboloids were covered with a new roof and the space between them and the perimeter of the building was closed with glass, generating a covered space where there was previously a terrace,” Zooco Estudio co-founder Javier Guzmán told Dezeen.
      “We wanted the concrete paraboloids to be the absolute protagonists of the space and by removing the paint and the coating, the paraboloids are visible again and regain their full prominence.”
      The renovation exposed the raw concrete surface of the paraboloidsThe previous renovation also altered the dimensions of the space and reconfigured the volume as a square.
      To promote symmetry, four additional concrete triangles were added to balance out the original paraboloids in the brutalist restaurant.
      Slatted wooden ceiling panels bridge the gaps between the archesOverhead, a false ceiling of slatted timber panels frames the concrete arches.
      The studio designed theses triangular boards to reference the arrangement of timber across the hull of a boat, a nod to the museum and the area’s nautical past.

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      The panels also serve the purpose of concealing the restaurant’s mechanical systems.
      “The wooden slats bring warmth and friendliness to the space while allowing us to solve all the technical needs for air conditioning, heating and lighting, leaving them hidden,” Guzmán said.
      “In this way, we ensure that all these elements do not interfere with the dialogue of concrete and wood, which are presented as continuous and clean elements.”
      Walls of floor-to-ceiling glazing offer views across the bayThe interior layout was largely dictated by the low arches of the elliptic paraboloids that dominate the brutalist restaurant.
      “The geometry of the existing structure conditions the space, because its height in its lower part is impractical, so a large bench is arranged around the entire contour that allows us to take advantage of that space and organise the distribution of the rest of the floor plan,” added Guzmán.
      Grey porcelain floors mirror the concrete paraboloidsLike the ceiling panels, the interior finishes and furnishings allude to the maritime history that the building commemorates.
      “The use of wood and steel for all the furniture is reminiscent of the materials used in shipbuilding – the furniture has slight curvatures that are reminiscent of the aerodynamic shapes of boats,” explained Guzmán.
      “Likewise, the lamps are inspired by the masts for ship sails.”
      Zooco Estudio also designed the restaurant’s curved timber furnitureAnother key change was the replacement of the perimeter glass wall.
      The inclined glazing was swapped for vertical glass, a decision that reclaimed external space for the patio, which stretches the length of the restaurant and overlooks the harbour below.
      “When we are inside, the feeling is the same as when we are inside a boat, there is only water around, and that is why we used clean glass from floor to ceiling, generating a perimeter terrace as happens on boats,” said Guzmán.
      The terrace features green curvilinear outdoor furnitureOther projects by Zooco Estudio include a renovated house in Madrid and a co-working space with a kids’ play area in California.
      The photography is by David Zarzoso.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Zooco EstudioConstruction: Rotedama Constructora SLLighting: Zooco EstudioFurniture: Zooco Estudio

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      Soba restaurant Kawamichiya takes over century-old townhouse in Kyoto

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      Japanese studios Td-Atelier and Endo Shorijo Design have transformed a townhouse in Kyoto into a noodle restaurant that combines traditional residential details with modern geometric interventions.

      Kawamichiya Kosho-An is an outpost of soba restaurant Kawamichiya, which can trace its history of creating dishes using buckwheat noodles back more than 300 years.
      Diners enter Kawamichiya Kosho-An via a small gardenIt occupies a 110-year-old property in the downtown Nakagyo Ward that retained several features typical of traditional Japanese houses, including a lattice-screened facade and an alcove known as a tokonoma.
      Architect Masaharu Tada and designer Shorijo Endo collaborated on the townhouse’s conversion into a 143-square-metre restaurant, restoring some of the original elements while adapting others to suit its new purpose.
      Changes in floor height delineate different dining areas”Originally it looked like a townhouse with an elaborate design, but various modifications were made for living and those designs were hidden or destroyed,” said Tada.

      “Therefore, we tried to restore the elements of the townhouse such as hidden or lost design windows and alcoves and add new geometry to them to revive them as a new store.”
      Guests can sit on floor cushions in the traditional Japanese parlourA lattice screen at the front of the building was restored to help preserve its residential aesthetic, while renovations were carried out on walls, pillars and eaves within the open-air entrance passage.
      The entryway leads to a small genkan-niwa garden, where paving stones are laid to create a path using a traditional technique known as shiki-ishi.

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      Customers enter Kawamichiya Kosho-An through a small retail area containing freestanding partitions that allow the original wooden ceiling structure to remain visible.
      Built-in bench seating is positioned along one wall and a window seat offers a view of the street outside. Customers here can eat with their shoes on, while beyond this space they are required to remove footwear as is customary when entering a Japanese house.
      Many of the building’s traditional lattice screens were retainedThe use of different materials and changes in floor height help to delineate areas within the restaurant and create a range of experiences. Guests can choose to sit on chairs in a porch-like space known as a doma or on floor cushions in the traditional Japanese parlour.
      The kitchen is positioned at the centre of the building and is set slightly lower than the surrounding floors, allowing staff working behind the counter to have a clear view of each diner.
      “We control the line of sight to the audience, the garden and the street by the height of each floor,” Tada said. “As a result, it is an original townhouse element […] and a new design that fuses old and new.”
      One of the upstairs rooms features a curved funazoko-tenjo ceilingSome of the existing features that help to preserve the building’s character include the tokonoma alcove in a room on the first floor, which also has a curved wooden ceiling known as a funazoko-tenjo.
      In Kawamichiya Kosho-An’s main dining area, a tokonoma was replaced with a low decorative shelf while the original screened window in this space was retained. Traditional wooden doors and paper shoji screens were also adapted and used to partition the space.
      The restaurant is set in a converted townhouse in KyotoTada studied at Osaka University before founding his studio in 2006. He has collaborated on several projects with Endo, who completed a master’s in plastic engineering at the Kyoto Institute of Technology before establishing his studio in 2009.
      The pair’s previous work includes the renovation of a typical machiya townhouse in Kyoto, which they modernised to better suit the living requirements of its occupants.

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      ALA draws on West Village history for Talea taproom interiors

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      New York studio Alda Ly Architecture has designed a taproom for female- and veteran-owned brewery Talea in the city’s West Village neighbourhood, which includes a place for groups to “scheme”.

      Talea West Village is the beer company’s third outpost and its first Manhattan location, following two established in Brooklyn.
      The main dining and drinking area at the Talea West Village taproom is anchored by a colourful barThe space is located in a 1920s building on Christopher Street, an iconic thoroughfare that’s home to several landmarks, businesses and historic spaces associated with the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
      “This new taproom on Christopher Street reclaims the masculine identity of a West Village saloon to celebrate voices of women and LGBTQ+ communities in the Village, all while serving Talea’s popular sour brews in an elevated, vibrant space,” said Alda Ly Architecture (ALA).
      Bright hues chosen by ALA for the space include yellow for tiles, green seat backs and red dining chairsFlooded with natural light thanks to large windows along the street facade, the main space is anchored by a purple-fronted bar with a curved white quartz countertop in one corner.

      Behind, numerous beer taps are mounted onto a yellow-tiled partition, while glassware and cans are displayed on shelves above.
      Exposed brick and stone floors allude to a saloon-style aestheticThe bar is lit by Junit oak pendants from Schneid Studio and brass Dottie sconces by Visual Comfort are mounted around the perimeter.
      “We opened up the space to provide as much open area for the front dining room, and brought the bar front and centre to highlight the taps with their extensive selection of beers,” said ALA founder Alda Ly.
      The taproom was designed to celebrate its location in the West Village, which has played an important role in LGBTQ+ history”We wanted the bar to be a welcoming beacon for all people in the neighborhood,” she added.
      The other side features built-in, stained-oak seating and small circular tables against an exposed brick wall.
      Behind the bar is The Revolution Room, intended for larger groups to gatherPale green backrests and muted red Scroll dining chairs from Industry West continue the interior’s bright colour palette, which is also echoed in the works by local artists displayed on the walls.
      “It was important to us to capture the spirit of Talea in a space that felt elevated but also very warm and welcoming,” said ALA project director Marissa Feddema.

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      Past the bar is a more intimate space called The Revolution Room, designed for groups of eight to 10 people to “scheme, hang and gather” according to the team.
      A large table sits below a Nuura Miira 8 Oval chandelier that’s suspended from a skylight, and more brickwork is exposed to add to the saloon-like vibe.
      At the back is the Snug, a cosy space furnished with jewel-tone piecesFurther back still, patrons will find the Snug – a much darker and cosier room decorated with jewel-toned furniture, navy limewash painted walls and a vintage fireplace mantle.
      The moody bathrooms are adorned with images of prominent local residents and gender activists through the years, further emphasising the neighbourhood’s importance to the LGBTQ+ community.
      Images of prominent local residents and gender activists are displayed in the moody bathroomsThe West Village is packed with bars and restaurants, from upscale dining spots like Cecchi’s to casual cocktail places like Donna.
      Close by, in the Union Square area, ALA has previously designed the interior for a doctor’s office and clinic with earthy and homey details.
      The photography is by Brooke Holm.
      Project credits:
      Architect and interior designer: ALA (Alda Ly, Marissa Feddema, Sheridan Treadwell, Marlee Anderson)MEP engineer: Tan EngineeringGeneral contractor: Aerial Design & Build

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      Brazilian-informed murals bring character to Parisian restaurant duo Oka Fogo

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      Architect Arnaud Behzadi and artist Florence Bamberger have combined French and Brazilian influences to create interiors for a pair of adjoining restaurants.

      Located in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, Oka Fogo is the latest eatery from Raphael Rego, a Michelin-starred chef who is originally from Rio de Janeiro.
      Behzadi designed interiors that aim to capture the spirit of Rego’s cuisine, while Bamberger painted wall and ceiling murals that bring an extra spark of energy.
      Bamberger reinterpreted Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe on the wall of FogoThe two restaurants each have a distinct character.
      Oka, which means “house” in the language of Brazil’s indigenous Tupi people, is an intimate 16-seat dinner-service restaurant with the feel of a grand yet cosy lounge.

      The neighbouring Fogo, which translates as “fire”, is a less formal space that offers a sense of dining al fresco. With an adjoining bar and grill, this 40-seat space is open for lunch and dinner.
      Oka is a 16-seat restaurant with the feel of a grand but cosy lounge”I approached the project as a journey through a house,” Behzadi told Dezeen.
      “I see Oka as a prestigious living room and Fogo as an interior garden.”
      A ceiling mural incorporates references to Brazil’s flora and faunaBamberger’s expressive murals reinforce this approach.
      In Fogo, she has painted a reinterpretation of the Édouard Manet artwork, Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe. The work takes cues from the free-flowing lines of Brazilian artist José Francisco Borgès, resulting in a vibrant style.
      The Oka mural features on the ceiling rather than a wall. This more abstract work is based on Brazil’s flora and fauna, along with objects that represent the nation’s culture.
      The facade combines Jatoba wood with striated marbleBehzadi chose richly toned woods and highly textural marbles for the interior design palette, in a nod to materials favoured by Brazil’s prolific mid-century designers.
      This partnering of stone and wood begins with the facade, where panels of Jatoba wood from the Amazon sit above a plinth of striated Iranian marble.

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      “I decided to interpret a classical style for the storefront,” said Behzadi.
      “It’s a very Parisian approach, using an exotic material to start evoking the interior that you will discover inside.”
      Fogo’s floor is a grid of green marble and travertine tilesInside, decorative wooden furniture and joinery are accompanied by a mix of different stones, including white travertine and various green-toned marbles.
      Other eye-catching details include sculptural wall lights by Behzadi’s former business partner, designer Cathy Crinon, and chairs by the late Brazilian designer Sergio Rodrigues.
      “There is a clear Brazilian inspiration,” added Behzadi.
      Additional spaces include a private alcoveThe venue also includes an alcove dining space with room for six, featuring a mirrored ceiling and curved banquette in red velvet, and a wine and champagne tasting room with a vaulted ceiling.
      Oka Fogo opened earlier this month. Other recent openings in Paris include Moët Hennessy’s Cravan cocktail bar and oyster bar Citrons et Huîtres.
      The photography is by Claire Israel.

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      Plantea Estudio plays with light and shadow for Acid cafe interior

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      Spanish studio Plantea Estudio has completed a cafe and bakery inside an early 20th-century building in Madrid, contrasting the original dark tones of the interior with modern steel surfaces.

      Taking over a former gem store on a busy street in the Justicia district, the Acid cafe and bakeshop was designed to provide a place for quiet conversation away from the bustle of the city.
      The Acid Cafe and Bakeshop provides an intimate space away from the busy streetIt occupies the ground floor of a turn-of-the-century building, which is rich with historic details such as a deep storefront made from wood and green marble, with curved windows on either side of the entrance.
      Plantea Estudio sought to retain the original character of the space by restoring elements including the facade and the internal wood shelving and windows, as well as a decorative plaster frieze above the new serving area.
      Reflective steel contrasts with the space’s existing dark-toned interiorMinimal architectural interventions and a carefully chosen material palette help to define Acid’s interior ambience while supporting the new function of the space.

      “We completed and adapted what was there and added the rest to match this same character – or to contrast as an opposition that enhances it,” Plantea Estudio architectural designer Carla Morán told Dezeen.
      “Old and new, figurative and abstract, colour and shadow, rough and soft, matt and satin, all in the same space as different sides of the same coin.”
      The walls and ceilings are finished with warm-grey lime wash paintThe shop was previously divided into two parts, with the rear part housing storage and toilets. Plantea Estudio retained this configuration but looked to make better use of these neglected space at the back by creating a cosy lounge area for patrons.
      In the front part of the space, wooden shelves were sanded and varnished to return them to their original condition. Any anachronous additions were removed and replaced with shelves or doors painted in a deep red chosen to complement the wood tones.
      A mirror added to the ceiling above Acid’s entrance increases the sense of space in this area and multiplies reflections produced by the curved windows.

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      The building’s original terrazzo was uncovered from underneath layers of flooring, while the walls and ceiling were finished with a warm-grey lime wash paint that contributes to the cosy atmosphere.
      A coffee machine and pastry display sit on a stainless steel counter that provides a point of contrast with its precise and modern appearance, softened by a matte finish that produces blurred reflections.
      Original terrazzo flooring was uncovered by removing layers of flooringThe elongated lounge area at the rear of the unit is designed as a refuge from the busy neighbourhood, where guests can relax in semi-darkness with a coffee and pastry.
      “The interior space was quite dark, only connected to the exterior part by two openings in a structural wall,” Morán recalled. “So we thought about a room in shadow and quietness, with the reflection of the soft light over a stainless steel shared table.”
      A cosy lounge occupies the rear of the bakeryThe room’s new floor is made from plywood that produces a soft sound underfoot as guests transition from the terrazzo-floored shop to this calmer and quieter space.
      The wood is painted a deep blue colour to match the walls at either end of the room and contribute to the intimate half-lit atmosphere. A row of exposed light bulbs hangs above the table to provide gentle illumination along with shimmering reflections.
      Blue-painted plywood floors were chosen to muffle stepsThis is the third project that Plantea Studio has completed for the owners of Acid cafe in Madrid, following the Gota wine bar with its cave-like dining room.
      The studio was founded in 2008 by brothers Luis and Lorenzo Gil. Its other projects include a raw and minimal shop for footwear brand Veja and a multi-purpose entertainment space housed in a former erotic cinema.
      The photography is by Salva López.
      Project credits:
      Architecture and interior design: Plantea EstudioPromoter: Acid caféFurniture: Plantea Estudio and FramaLighting: Frama, Santa & Cole, Vitra, Ferm Living and AnglepoiseGraphic design: Koln studioArt: Armando MesíasPaint: Bauwerk colour

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      Studio NAAW uncovers Soviet-era details in Almaty restaurant interior

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      Local practice NAAW Studio has converted a former Soviet railway workers’ housing block into the Fika restaurant in Almaty, Kazakhstan, retaining original features of 1950s building.

      According to NAAW Studio, the restaurant re-examines the TurkSib Workers’ House’s social context by contrasting the original ornamentation with playful, contemporary details informed by Almaty’s surroundings.
      Studio NAAW uncovered Soviet-era details in a Kazakhstan restaurant interior”We wanted to ensure that the interior did not romanticise the legacy of the colonial era, but at the same time did not deny it,” NAAW co-founder Elvira Bakubayeva told Dezeen.
      “When we found the original ceiling mouldings and capitals in a dilapidated state underneath the suspended ceiling panels from the past owners, we made the decision to preserve and give them visibility without a thorough restoration.”
      A monolithic counter and timber shelves frame the cafe entranceFollowing the client’s brief for a cafe that also acts as an urban space, the studio opened up the interior to reduce friction with the streetscape.

      “The key feature of the place is its openness,” Bakubayeva explained. “We wanted to make it an extension of the city through a lack of unnecessary walls, an open bakery, spacious seating and large windows.”
      “To support this, the floor material enters from the outside, from the porch, and passes through all the rooms and flows seamlessly into the bar.”
      The studio followed the building’s original apertures for large feature windowsFinishes consist primarily of light grey terrazzo, white walls and bare structural concrete against accents of cedar wood and pops of colour.
      Following the geometry of the original openings, angular windows with nook seating run the length of the restaurant and were fitted with undivided panes of glass to further dissolve the interior-exterior boundary.
      The feature arched windows were carved with nook seating, cushions and matsThe studio placed a monolithic counter and timber display shelves in front the cafe entrance between the open bakery and primary dining space.
      Tables, stools and cabinets were produced by local craftsman using regionally-sourced karagach wood, while upholstered chairs informed by Kazakh yurts and imported fixtures from &Tradition and Hay complete the “spatial tapestry”.

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      Towards the back of the restaurant, a secondary seating zone was defined by a bold, yellow-painted dado wall.
      “Half-painting the walls is a technique that was used in all entrances and municipal establishments during the Soviet era,” Bakubayeva said.
      “This was used consciously; we wanted to reinterpret this ascetic technique and give it a cosy touch by adding elements such as striped textiles, artistic lamps and tables made of recycled plastic with ‘confetti’ patterns.”
      NAAW Studio used a yellow-painted dado wall to reference Soviet-era interior stylesThe bathroom corridor was lined with bright chequerboard tiles as a vibrant counterpoint to the rest of the restaurant.
      “The chequerboard pattern on the floor, walls and ceiling of the bathroom was originally invented as a visual effect to dissolve the planes of a disproportionately narrow and tall space,” Bakubayeva said.
      “The corridor to the toilets wanted to be like a brightly coloured ‘jacket lining’: not immediately visible, but pleasing to the eye of the user who went deep into the space.”
      The bathroom corridor was lined in vibrant chequerboard tilesTwo key art pieces were selected for the project, the first being a painted depiction of Almaty city by Nurbol Nurahmet and the second an abstract work by Assel Nussipkozhanova reinterpreting Kazakh patterns.
      “We wanted the art to reflect the idea of urban public space and tell the story of the building,” Bakubayeva explained.
      “The walls also feature photographs from the building’s construction and a recreated drawing of the original facade, which pay tribute to the building itself as an architectural object, a physical witness to history.”
      Fika restaurant in Kazakhstan by NAAW StudioNAAW Studio is a female-led Kazakhastani architectural practice based in Almaty, founded in 2019 by Elvira Bakubayeva and Aisulu Uali.
      Other restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeen include a restaurant in Portugal with a bench made from ancient rock salt by Studio Gameiro and a collection of hospitality venues within a 1920s Detroit skyscraper by Method Co.
      The photography is by Damir Otegen

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