Project name: Meryane
Interior design: Raimer Bureau
Design Team: Raimer К, Gritsyuk Y., Evseeva V., Lomaev A., Gordeev A.
Location: Russia, Vladimir
Photo: Dmitry Suvorov
Area: 290 sq.m.
Year: 2024
Project description from design firms Raimer Bureau
I want new sensations on a good level, I want to feel interest and taste, but we have almost no interesting places with a good atmosphere in our city ,, – with such a request the customer addressed us.
The client, with whom we already have experience of cooperation, shares our views on design. His ideas about the masculinity and brutality of the interior coincide with ours – without obvious references, he wanted the decor and textures to express strength and character, and the overall style to be aggressively laconic. To create a dense atmosphere while providing a sense of privacy for each visitor.
History and Meaning
Merians or Merja is an ancient pagan tribe that lived on the territory of the Yaroslavl, Ivanovo and Vladimir regions in the middle of the first millennium AD. The tribe belongs to the Finno-Ugric group. The name is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric word “Möri”, which means “man”.
Researchers note that the Merians were followers of the cult of “blue stones” associated with the name of Ukko, the supreme thunder deity of Finnish mythology, who had the nickname “Blue Cloak” (Sinivitta).


The restaurant with the area of 290 square meters is located in the historical part of Vladimir, near the Golden Gate. Merians is a restaurant of Russian cuisine in the author’s reading. It occupies the basement, first and second floors of the building built in 1787 in the western wing of the Trade Rows, built by architect N.P. Von Berk.
First of all, we turned the original idea of dividing the restaurant into 2 separate zones into the concept of a single space. It was important for us to make the interior attractive due to its functional scenarios and visual content from all sides. In the process of working together with the customer we realized that for us in this project it was important to create a design that seemed to take us on a journey through centuries of history. We used a variety of materials and techniques that helped immerse guests in an atmosphere of mystery and references to ancient times. Looking at the reflections in stainless steel, art objects frozen in translucent resin and finding passwords in unexpected places in the interior, guests are immersed in the atmosphere of Merjan times.
On the first floor it was possible to place the main hall with a contact bar area and open kitchen, as a result the process of food preparation turned into one of the main attractions of the restaurant. The second floor – more chamber and disposing atmosphere for relaxation and socializing. Various seating options – at the bar counter, in sofa areas, benches and comfortable armchairs, as well as at large communal tables – provide a capacity of 64 visitors in the restaurant. On the basement floor is located the main workshop area of the kitchen and sanitary facilities.
AXONOMETRY
FLOOR PLAN





Upon entering the compact lobby, guests are greeted by a mountain of stones in a dimly lit and lushly textured space. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that these “boulders” are an allusion to an ancient animal trap. Each stone has its own special role in this form: one serves as a bait, another as a trap lid tied with jute, the third as a continuation element.
In the south of the Urals found boulders, which turned out to be more than a hundred years old, we took them and sent them for production.
The hostess stand reminds of the relationship between man and nature, how ancient tribes used traps for survival and how much they depended on the world around them. Each boulder carries its own meaning, encouraging the guest to look deeper into the establishment and reflect on the roots and connection to the past.





We worked closely with our partners to realize individual products, and most of the furniture, lighting and décor solutions were designed specifically for the establishment, for example, all stainless steel products and the bar island were designed by Raimer Bureau.
The whole space of the restaurant resembles a house, in which historical and modern layers are layered. For starters, the reference to the hut is striking: we kept the oak beams on the ceiling and supplemented them with carved planks, somewhat similar to the platbands of such familiar Russian huts.
In addition, the project uses two types of plaster. One of them is more textured and charismatic, resembling clay with a natural earthy color. We used this plaster to fill in between the beams and on some of the partitions. On the other hand, on the walls, we applied a calm and light-colored texture of the mazanka.
The freestanding bar island draws the attention of guests with its contrast of stainless steel, concrete and natural materials. We paid great attention to the liquor collection – it is in the most prominent position, beautifully lit, and the shelves are densely stocked – creating a feeling of fullness. The stainless steel reflects all the colors, shades and textures, creating a mesmerizing effect.
The part of the counter where guests sit is made up of multicolored layers of concrete, which resemble a slice of earth and also reference archaeology and excavations. On the table top are embossed messages – runes. The same principle was used for the tables, which resemble primitive furniture in a cave. The guys in the production lost count of how many times we changed the color of crumbs in the concrete to achieve the desired shade.
Each floor has seating at large tables decorated with live candles. This is a reference to the hearth around which members of large families gathered.








In the past, the staff had to run around the floors. For the convenience of the waiters, the restaurant has elevators for serving food, which work on three floors. We also managed to move the floor sink to the second floor for the comfort of the guests.
The bathrooms continue the concept of the project – they are realized in a common style, the engravings on the walls created according to sketches, imaginary spaces with a forest, in which cabins old fairy tales are told – become an artwork that reflects the interests and ideas of the customer himself.
The lighting was programmed by “Aledo” company, which participated in its design and development. The atmosphere in the interior can be easily adjusted during the day with the help of the control panel. During the design process, we opted for colored lights to represent the everyday life of the Merians during sunset. Suggesting lighting scenarios for different times of day: calm and light for mornings, bright and bold for parties.
One of our favorite elements in the design is the curtains, containing traces of the landscape where the Merians lived. The light shines through the texture of the fabrics and we see a vibrant sunset in black and white pictures.


