Function: Cafe, Kulinariya Location: Leo Tolstoy str. 23, Moscow Client: Bulldozer Group Project: 2019-20, Total area: 250 m2 Status: Completed
Orlov & Co was conceived as a contemporary culinary format positioned within the Red Rose loft quarter in Moscow’s Khamovniki district — a dense urban cluster of IT companies and creative offices. The founders intentionally chose this location to engage a young, design-conscious audience and to test a scalable model aimed at future expansion. The program combined healthy food with an extended wine offer, positioning the venue as a potential competitor to established urban culinary chains. The project began with a spatial constraint: a deep rectangular hall where, after the removal of previous interior finishes, massive engineering services were revealed running through the center of the space. Rather than concealing them, it was decided to keep the infrastructure exposed and integrate it into the overall concept. These linear elements structure the space and establish an industrial logic that informs the layout.
Between these structural lines, two freestanding sanitary volumes were introduced as curved, translucent polycarbonate forms rising below the level of the exposed ceiling infrastructure. Technically complex in fabrication, the overall engineering systems required additional acoustic treatment, while the sanitary volumes themselves were carefully insulated to ensure comfort within the open hall. These elements function simultaneously as infrastructure and sculptural objects. Their positioning along the central axis allows circulation to flow around them, distributing visitor traffic while maintaining visual permeability. The spatial program is layered. A semi-open kitchen and gastronomic display operate on the main level of the café, while a large production kitchen in the basement was conceived as a factory unit for future branches and is connected to the upper level via a service lift. Seating zones vary in scale and atmosphere: a communal curved bar table for twelve, window-side dining areas, semi-private booth seating near the entrance, an open wine shelving structure integrated into the layout, and a dedicated children’s room enclosed by a dense curtain. The interior supports multiple scenarios — quick breakfast, business lunch, dinner, or a glass of wine. Materially and geometrically, the project follows the idea of assembling the interior as a “Power Salad” concept — a composition of distinct ingredients. The concept informs the mix of durable materials and the use of curved, plastic forms throughout the space. Simple, robust finishes — plywood, MDF, profiled metal sheet, fiber-reinforced acoustic panels, translucent polycarbonate, ceramic tile — are combined against a neutral grey base, while brighter elements, including the orange infrastructure and planted partitions, introduce contrast. Custom-built elements were designed specifically for the project, including storage systems, partitions and sculptural lighting. A curved white ceiling installation acts as both functional illumination and dynamic spatial gesture. The multilayered use of perforation, translucency, greenery and varied textures creates depth while maintaining openness and adaptability.
