A small and minimalistic Mini Turkish Spot bistro was opened in Moscow on Tverskaya st. in 2022. The project was designed by studio UTRO architects. The atmosphere of Turkey with its bright colors, brass lamps and colorful carpets became an inspiration for the new cafe’s interior and exterior design.
The space has an unusual feature: it was used as a through archway for cars some years ago. The area of the archway is about 30 sq. m., while the bistro room occupies only half of the space. And the owners wanted to have a place for a kitchen with a barbecue and a bar counter. Therefore studio UTRO came up with the idea to enlarge the space with a full-length stained glass window, which can be opened and connect the street area with the cafe room.
“We faced a great challenge — to create a cozy space for both a quick lunch and for parties. As a result, we’ve made a bistro with a technical zone and kitchen on the right half of space and the left half for guests,” says Alyona Zaitseva, architect and co-founder of the studio UTRO.
Bright red became the main color for an authentic Turkish bistro, the bar and arched ceiling were painted in it – architects wanted to make an allusion to the red carpet.
One wall is made of plywood, and together with wooden tables and chairs they create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in the small space.
The kitchen with a bar and a shelf are created as a central mono object. Small wooden tables semicircles are attached to the shelf and are created just for a glass with a drink. The architects created them so that guests who are waiting for an order or do not want to sit down could comfortably stand near the bar and talk.
Most of the decorative elements — carpets and chairs at the entrance, lamps — are antique, and the project’s team chose them specifically for the cafe together with the owners. Elongated lamps on the ceiling were created by light designers from Poisson spot. They are made with reference to Arabic brass lamps with small holes through which light passes. Lamps at Mini are with built-in RGB lighting so that the light can be with blue, yellow or green shades at different times of the day.
The external space in front of the cafe is hidden from the street by a bright carpet and a vintage Thonet bench near the wall. Together with the bench, this area continues the space and atmosphere of the cafe and allows guests to sit and talk outside in the warmer months.
