Project name: Drinkit Flagship on Lenina, Yekaterinburg
Head of design: Nikita Tugarin
Lead Architect: Anastasia Manovitskaya
Architects: Svetlana Avdeeva, Kristina Vakha, Aleksey Kolesnik
Location: 53 Lenina Ave, Yekaterinburg, Russia
Photo: Valery Nemirov
Area: 185 sqm
Year: 2025
Project description from design firms Drinkit
Ural Marshmallow and Reinforced Concrete: How the New Drinkit Flagship Reinterprets Yekaterinburg’s Context
The authors of the project created an atmospheric city in miniature. The concept was driven by a desire to express a local character through nuances: shades, textures, and bold artistic gestures.
Today, Yekaterinburg is a place where bold fashion brands, progressive IT, artists, and musicians emerge. The new Urals are no longer defined by their industrial weight, but by a powerful creative energy, says Anastasia Manovitskaya, lead architect of the project. Within this context, we were looking for the tone of the interior: marshmallow boldness, playful irony, and reinforced concrete coziness.
The palette was composed like a dessert set: dusty pistachio and a Pompadour pink — all served with an industrial edge. The space features candy-like glass blocks, upcycled plastic resembling dragee, and an acrylic ceiling curtain above the bar — a sweet accent at the epicenter of the café.
The layout is driven by the complex existing geometry. The space was quite literally split in two by massive load-bearing columns. Rather than fighting the structure, the team chose to enter into a dialogue with it: along this axis, they stretched a string of lights and reinforced the rhythm with a 6.8-meter communal table. This is how the heart note emerged — the bar on one side, and the lounge on the other.
The unconventional zoning makes the space engaging to explore. The lounge was conceived as a hotel lobby: soft modular sofas, enveloping armchairs, mid-height floor lamps, and lush greenery. The communal table became a natural hub for brainstorming, while a deep, windowless niche offers a more secluded, intimate spot for those looking to retreat from the bustle.
Materiality and Sustainability To achieve the desired contrast, the design team selected materials that reflect both the marshmallow and concrete sides of the concept. The furniture, including custom pieces by the Qullar studio (KOLAK RECYCLED) and Siju chairs, combines functionality with minimalist aesthetics. For the lighting, we utilized high-index Arlight solutions to emphasize the textures and the vibrant colors of the drinks. A key sustainable feature is the use of upcycled plastic which resembles sweet dragee — it is not just a visual element, but a statement on modern ecological responsibility. The bar area is defined by stainless steel surfaces and glass blocks, creating a cold, reflective background for the warm, wooden textures used in the seating zones.
Artistic Exploration The compositional spice of the interior is an artistic exploration of Ural street culture. Yekaterinburg is a place where art does not ask for permission. The space became a canvas for the Ural Tarot project by Alexey Shakhov and a collaboration with Andrey Skrepa (SKREP ONE). Here, the café acts as a mediator: today, it is a place for a morning latte; tomorrow, a living art platform where the guest encounters art at arm’s length. By integrating local street art, the café turns into a cultural mediator where guests can interact with contemporary art in an informal setting.
Project Team:
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Head of Design: Nikita Tugarin
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Lead Architect: Anastasia Manovitskaya
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Lead Technologist: Andrey Ulyashev
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Architects: Svetlana Avdeeva, Kristina Vakha, Aleksey Kolesnik
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Technologist: Aiganym Ismagambetova
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Photographer: Valery Nemirov
Specifications:
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Lighting: Arlight
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Chairs (Communal Table): Qullar (KOLAK RECYCLED)
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Chairs (Hall): Siju
