Wine Happens Restaurant | Evgeniy Shchetinkin

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Wine Happens is a new project by the team behind Moscow’s popular Beer Happens bar Timur Abuzyarov and Roman Vorotnikov. The new establishment is located near Patriarch's Ponds, in an upscale neighborhood full of bars and restaurants.

Architects were commissioned to radically alter the existing space under tight time constraints - design and construction had to be completed within two months - and to transform it into a new restaurant with a signature menu and a wine list. The goal was to create an intimate atmosphere for a relaxing dinner accompanied by a glass of wine. 

Functionally, the existing space was divided into a dining area and a semi-open kitchen. It was decided to maximize the visibility of the chef’s workspace and to bring diners closer to the area of food preparation. Separation between the kitchen and dining area was achieved with the help of an elongated brass niche, a marble bar and a fresh seafood display.

The seating was brought lower with soft banquette benches and comfortable chairs, to create a cozy, intimate evening atmosphere.

Overlaying the concrete walls is a minimalist shell constructed of reclaimed wood taken from dilapidated rural dwellings. The wood was polished, tinted and treated with special solutions and wax.

Architects used an architectural solution for the project, rather than merely altering the space with a different design. The purpose of a wooden layer was to lower the visual plane of the room and radically change the perception of space. The wooden skin breaks off at a certain level, framing the stained glass windows on the inside and creating the impression of the dining space being enveloped in the warmth of the dark wood.

“The concrete floor and ceiling were left exposed, with the surface only slightly refurbished,” explain the architects. “The rigid geometry and the color scheme of the space were accented with brass detailing on the inner surface of the bar, round sconces, marble accents on table tops and the texture and brick-and-wine color of the furniture.”

The central decorative element of the space is a cluster of brass lighting fixtures of different size and with different perforations. The bright red cabinets for storing wine bottles are fashioned of a metal mesh and serve to hide the waiter station.

Metal strings above the bar are placed at different angles; they serve to screen the engineering works of the kitchen and visually echo the grain of the wood. 

An additional accent is provided by wall mirrors installed at different angles. The mirrors enhance the sparkle of wine glasses and the light of the lamps, while visually expanding the space of the dining area..

We consider lighting a key element for creating a unique atmosphere at the restaurant. Lighting fixtures used at the bar and the dining area were manufactured by Delta Light Systems. Round sconces and fixtures above central tables were designed by the architects and custom-made for this project.

Location: Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya 32, Moscow

Area: 100 sq.m.

Completion year: 2018

Authors: Evgeniy Shchetinkin, Elizaveta Semionova

Photo: Polina Poludkina