Orlov & Co / FAT32

Type: Cafe, Culinary Shop | Scope: Interiors
Location: Leo Tolstoy Street, Moscow
Client: Bulldozer Group
Year: 2019-20 | Area: 250 sq m
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 bands organize the space and establish an industrial logic that informs the layout.

Special Diploma: 2022 Dom na Brestskoy Festival | Interior Design of Public Spaces

Within this technical framework, two freestanding sanitary volumes were introduced as curved, translucent polycarbonate forms rising below the exposed ceiling level. Complex in fabrication, the overall engineering systems required additional acoustic treatment, while the pods were carefully insulated to ensure comfort within the open hall. Serving both functional and sculptural roles, they are positioned along the central axis, allowing circulation to flow around, distributing visitor traffic while maintaining visual permeability.
The 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 venue accommodates 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 that 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 accents, including the orange service lines and selected furniture pieces, introduce contrast. Custom-built elements were designed specifically for the project, including storage systems, freestanding screens and sculptural lighting. A flowing 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.

Project team: Evgeniy Shchetinkin, Elizaveta Semeonova, Ekaterina Turbina, Kristina Shleverda | Lighting design: Ilya Semenov
Photo: Polyna Poludkina, Bulldozer Group

Publications: ProRus, Archello, Hospitality Snapshots