In Russia, an ethereal flower shop located in a building built in 1928 by Michail Kondratyev during the constructivist era has opened its doors to the public. Nothing to do with the traditional flower boutique.
Guapa is a minimalist, all-white flower shop designed by Eduard Eremchuk whose lighting comes from the ceiling and its futuristic aesthetics, far from natural, is inspired by Kubrick’s movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
Located on the ground floor of a residential building, the space has only one window; that’s why the design team has created the ceiling as a full lightning surface to face the lack of light. The whole interior is monochrome. This aesthetic comes from contemporary art galleries with white walls and bright lightning. The idea was to make a space which will not disturb a viewers eyes from flowers, their shapes, and colors. Only one small room leading to the bathroom stands out in bold purple.
This interior represents a new wave of Russian design that blends with the context of Soviet history representing by the old apartment building, where the flower shop is located.
The curved walls are a reference to the exterior, creating a visual and historical link between the inside and the outside. In the main room, there is a big four meters long working table made of stainless steel. A silver volume divides the space between the public front and the private back, where storage and refrigerator for flowers are. There is a small bunch to the left where visitors can read art books and magazines waiting for their bouquets.
