Cafe Krujok
Taking inspiration from the glaze, cream, and airy shape of a donut, Eduard Eremchuk and Katy Pititskaya have designed Cafe Krujok to be a whimsical and fun destination for coffee and pastry.
Located at the heart of the Russian city Voronezh, cafe Krujok (a round form of a donut in Russian) has been designed to take the guests into an imaginary space. When creating a concept, architect Eduard Eremchuk and designer Katy Pititskaya were inspired by airy shapes of the donuts, melting glaze, and cream – the essence of a donut, and take it to another level – a form of hyperreal pastry.
The goal was to create an ambiance so each guest could dream his own dream in the world of pastry. Once you are inside, a new reality absorbs you. The pastry is everywhere, it looks and even feels like the cafe is made of dough.
The place is owned by a team of professionals – pastry chef, barista, and a general manager. They bonded over their love for coffee and breakfasts.
All space is divided into 2 halls. The first one, where you start your journey as if you are inside of a donut – as though crumpled glossy furniture, beige and sand-coloured walls and furniture refer to different forms of dough. Glossy colorful popcorn sculptures on the walls created by Russian artist Elena Minaev, are there not by accident. Pastry cook decorates donuts with caramelized popcorn – this is an important element of the dessert.
In the next space, Katy and Eduard reinterpreted a melting glaze. They played with tactility by mixing mystic purple shades with soft velvet fabric, on the walls and accessories.
In this space, there is an area for a large company – a “crumpled” table and a chandelier as if molded from the dough. These details became an accent point, echoing with the entering space.
Next to it is a podium with several seats for one or two people. When you get to the restroom, it feels like the creamy-sweet filling of the pastry is melting around you – because of the finishing and monochromatic beige, from the floor to the ceiling. The team achieved this effect by using a construction foam that was painted in beige and covered with a transparent epoxy resin on top.
The overall combination of cream shades in the cafe, bright purple lightboxes, together with the crumpled strange shapes brings out a distinctive contrast with the grey concrete surroundings. We wanted to create an unusual, slightly crazy, and “unreal” place, but at the same time, understandable to the guests. As a result, Kruzhok has become a prominent and desired place to be – a key spot on the map.
Design: Eduard Eremchuk and Katy Pititskaya
Photography: Inna Kablukova
