Orlov & Co Cafe

V12 Architects designed the Orlov & Co Cafe as a casual eatery with various seating options, uniform colors, and an elevation to showcase their food and wine options.

  • area / size 3,000 sqft
  • Year 2020
  • Location Moscow, Russia,
  • Located on the ground floor of a modern residential building on Leo Tolstoy Street, in one of Moscow’s oldest districts, Orlov & CO represents a novel approach to the cafe format. It differentiates itself from its competitors by offering healthy food accompanied by a wide selection of fine wines.

    The architects were faced with the task of fitting various functions and seating areas in a deep rectangular space, with a large number of water pipes and communications running through the middle. It was important not to block the space but preserve its openness and visual accessibility. Pipes and fuse boxes are the focus of attention. As they traverse the space, the bright orange fixtures function as art objects in their own right.

    The cafe has a partially open kitchen and a food display, a common seating area, а wine area, a children’s room and two toilets. The display case and the adjacent kitchen are located in the back of the room.

    The main seating area with its range of seating arrangement was placed along the windows on the left side of the room. It is separated from the customer traffic by a semitransparent partition and plants.

    For guests seeking more privacy booth for 2-4 people is located near the entrance, separated from the main seating area by a perforated partition with an arched opening.

    Placed on the other side of the entrance is a light open structure of the wine bar and a curved high table seating 12 people, which form a separate area. The toilets are made from translucent materials and glow from the inside. They have the appearance of light sculptures, and their glow creates an attractive environment in the bar area.

    By making them free-standing curvilinear semi-transparent structures the design architects preserved the freedom of movement through the space and relieved it visually.

    The concept is based on filling the space with a mixture of elements: bright, warm colors, an unusual combination of materials, curvilinear shapes, light and living plants.

    The project makes use of simple, affordable materials which create a variety of tactile surfaces that contrast with the neutral gray color of the space and the metallic surfaces of the partially open kitchen.

    The design solution relies on the plasticity of forms, а multilayered approach and visual openness.

    The lighting concept is based on a combination of the architectural lighting, a variety of decorative accent lights and colored LED lights. A curved white bespoke ceiling structure – a chandelier – was created specially for the project. It works not only as a source of light for the tables but as a sculptural solution to the plain surface of the ceiling.

    The floor and countertops are conceptually linked by common patterns of embedded colored pieces. In the floor, colored pieces of recycled plastic are embedded as well. Furniture is built of plastic, using also MDF and plywood — all sustainable materials.

    Ventilation and communication pipes and furniture elements are painted bright orange, yellow, white and gray as a basic design code that refer to the colors of the client’s corporate identity.

    Design: V12 Architects
    Design Team: Elizaveta Semionova, Evgeny Shchetinkin, Ekaterina Turbina, Photo: Polina Poludkina
    Photography: Polina Poludkina