At Kazakh café Fika, whimsical interiors meet Soviet-era industrial detailing

Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest and most developed metropolis, captivates for its dramatic distinction between a contemporary skyline and the scenic Trans-Ili Alatau mountains. It’s this uncommon symbiotic relationship between city and pure landscapes that retains on inspiring native designers and artisans to innovate, as is clear in Studio NAAW’s current design venture for Fika.

Step inside Fika, designed by Studio NAAW

Situated throughout the historic TurkSib Railway Employees’ Home, a Soviet-era constructing that embodies the area’s industrial and architectural heritage, Fika’s design provides a ravishing mix of the outdated and new. The Kazakhstani structure and design studio NAAW preserved the intricate Nineteen Fifties Soviet-style ceiling mouldings and merged them with structural concrete detailing, reflecting a brand new wave of design within the metropolis. The home windows have been additionally changed with wood steel frames, providing metropolis views and permitting ample pure gentle to come back in.

Fika’s spacious inside is thoughtfully divided into a number of zones primarily based on perform and seating kind. Upon coming into, guests are welcomed by a number of baked items and a whimsical ambiance. The left facet contains a bar with small espresso seating, an open bakery, armchairs, and several other massive tables. The breakfast menu provides a wide range of brunch choices, from any-style egg plates to bread and pastries, in addition to scrumptious candy treats.

The suitable facet has a communal desk for social gatherings and bench seating perched alongside the wall, near wine cabinets. The lunch and dinner menu provides all the things from small sharing plates to bigger dishes, akin to soups and pasta. In direction of the again of the room, a yellow-painted dado wall with monolithic sofas emerges, providing south-facing home windows.

Furnishings for the venture was designed by NAAW Studio, impressed by the founders’ journeys to Copenhagen, and crafted by native artisans utilizing regionally sourced wooden for tables, stools, and cupboards. The usage of upcycled plastic tables sourced from native recyclers can be noteworthy. The design additionally consists of Danish items akin to Hay chairs and lamps, &custom chandeliers, and a Normann Copenhagen espresso desk, which merge worldwide design with the native context.

Artwork performs a major position in Fika, with Nurbol Nurakhmet’s monumental work Constellation (2018) depicting town of Almaty, incorporating a map with stars representing essential factors for its residents. One other summary work, by Assel Nussipkozhanova, addresses the up to date agenda of artists in Kazakhstan and their relationship with cultural codes.

fika-almaty.com