工装餐厅丨俄罗斯莫斯科丨LEFTdesign

LEFTdesign has developed a special interior for the Relict restaurant, which is located in Moscow, right opposite the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The spacious two-level space is decorated in the spirit of eco-minimalism with restrained ethnic motifs: muted gray and black colors, monochrome patterns, taiga moss and pine needles, the coziness of a blazing hearth, warm accents of copper and wood. However, Relict does not strive for historical reconstruction and does not rely on cliches, but is inspired by centuries-old traditions, creating something new and original. The two-level restaurant space is designed for 120 seats.

The very name of the restaurant refers us to the key image for its interior — a shady, endless, mysterious relict forest. A striking example of a relict ecosystem is the relict forests that previously covered most of modern Europe. Today, Russia is the country with the largest forest areas in the world, with forests covering half of the country's area. The largest relict forest in Europe, protected by UNESCO, is located in Russia on the western slopes of the Northern and Subpolar Urals in the Komi Republic.On the banks of the Mezen River in Komi, a special style of decorative painting was born and flourished, elements of which can be seen in prints, patterns, or reliefs of the restaurant's interior. Geometric stars, flowers and crosses, strings of rhombuses and triangles, as well as characteristic images of horses and deer make up the main pictorial repertoire of the painting and will fill the restaurant space with important archetypal images.

History and modernity are combined in each designer interior item. Matte black massive throne chairs with carved backs are a kind of homage to the theme of wooden architecture of the Russian North. Pendant lamps resemble Neolithic ceramics fired in a fire, or tree mushrooms that seem to have grown out of the ceiling itself. The textured bar counter, made of solid elm in combination with dense acrylic and backlighting, also creates a feeling of connection with nature and tradition, inviolability and "rootedness".

The materials used in the project not only create a harmonious visual image, they are also tactilely pleasant, durable and do not require special care even with intensive daily use in a restaurant. All design solutions in this space are maximally functional, and the carefully calculated engineering systems and communications ensure the coordinated and efficient operation of restaurant services.

Both the kitchen and the interior of the Relict restaurant reflect the complexity and diversity of elements that make up that very “Russian spirit”, our multinational, mysterious and amazing culture.

After all, historically, the forest is not only a home, hunting grounds and a place where edible berries, nuts, mushrooms and herbs grow, which has provided human existence in this harsh region for thousands of years. It is also the most important source of mythological and cultural traditions, folklore stories and characters. In epics, fairy tales, songs and legends, the forest appears as a place of power, mysterious and supernatural phenomena, the border between the real and otherworldly worlds.

So in the space of the restaurant, an atmosphere of "otherworldliness" is created, where at the entrance you are greeted by a real "world tree" - a mossy pine trunk that penetrates both floors. The dark color scheme of the interior in a gradient from light smoky to graphite and soft muted light envelop and soothe, inviting you to immerse yourself in this man-made thicket filled with gastronomic secrets. Natural colors and textures look brighter and more contrasting against this background: light honey wood of massive tabletops, emerald mosses and ferns, red-orange metal of lamps and decorative elements.