Classical grace – Moscow

Housed in one of Moscow’s landmark buildings, LOBBY is the new art consultancy designed as a cultural space containing an events space and café. Architect Daria Belyakova, founder of Arch(e)type architectural and design practice with offices in Moscow, London and Paris, took inspiration from the grandeur of the historic building.
Embracing a free-flowing configuration, the front of the space is taken over by the café with a central bar counter and plush seating areas on either side, while a lounge and an office space at the rear are connected by wide openings. Swathed in a muted palette of whites and greys, the interiors feature white-smooth barrel vaults, flowing velvety curtains and upholstery, light-toned terrazzo floors, and dreamy fluted marble wall cladding. Add in the double-height ceilings and abundant daylight streaming in from the tall street facing windows, and the result is an airy, bright sequence of spaces that lifts the spirits and soothes the soul.
While the café area is defined by the use of fluted marble, on the other hand, both the lounge, which is used for thematic meetings, and the art consultants’ office are centred on custom-designed timber furnishings. In the lounge, a floor-to-ceiling cabinet serves as a bookcase as well as a display for art albums, collectible design items and small sculptures for sale, whereas a wide desk that also functions as storage serves as the office’s centrepiece.
Brass details accentuate the muted colour palette along with the meticulous furniture selection. Ranging from terracotta-coloured and golden-hued chairs, to slender black round tables and minimalist black ottomans, the bespoke items combine classical grace with a modernist ethos.