VOKRUG_PODRUG

About the Project

A “Pink Narnia, ” where from the very threshold everything is designed to awaken girlish energy, guided by a rich concentration of pink hues.

99% of the project team working on the space are women — designers, coordinators, contractors, and the brand’s founders themselves.

Layout

VOKRUG_PODRUG consists of two connected spaces: a café and a local brand concept store. The historic building in Penza is part of the city’s cultural heritage, featuring original brickwork that could not be altered.

Originally, there was a single passage between the two rooms, which was closed. On the café side, a kitchen and service areas were installed, and a new passage connecting the café and the concept store was created along the axis of the store’s entrance.

The central area of both spaces is occupied by the café counter and retail desk, visually unifying the two zones. The fitting room, enclosed with matcha-colored textile matching the central shelving, is neatly positioned in the center of the concept store.

Concept

Tinted mirrors with a pink gradient were installed along the main walls. The café counter and retail checkout are composed of multiple volumes. The café bar is finished with glazed surfaces transitioning gently from white to a soft blush, while a luminous ceiling above the work areas — like a clouded sky — connects the two spaces.

A multi-tiered shelving unit, bound with clamps, adds additional geometric rhythm to the interior. Geometry also appears as part of the architecture — for example, in the slatted ceiling or shelves that “flow” out of niches.

Notable details include a colored concrete sink, playful heart motifs on stainless-steel belts on poufs, colored mirrors, and striking furniture forms by Russian brand Eburet, crafted from recycled materials.