Vokrug Podrug / Quadrum Studio

Architects: Albert Bagdasaryan, Inna Bagdasaryan, Ekaterina Semenova
Area: 150 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: Inna Kablukova
Project Manager and Procurement: Anna Kulikova
Materials: Original brickwork, glazed surfaces, stainless steel, colored concrete, tinted mirrors, textiles, recycled materials
City: Penza, Penza Oblast
Country: Russia

Vokrug Podrug brings together a café and a concept store for local brands within a 150-square-meter interior in Penza, Russia. Designed by Quadrum Studio, the project introduces a vivid contemporary identity into a historic building whose original brickwork forms part of the city’s protected cultural heritage. The interior is defined by a concentrated pink palette, reflective surfaces, carefully composed geometric elements, and contrasting matcha-colored accents. A reworked circulation strategy establishes a new connection between the café and retail areas, while centrally positioned counters reinforce the visual relationship between the two programs. Gradient-tinted mirrors expand the perception of depth, and glazed finishes transition from white to pale blush across the café bar. A luminous ceiling treatment further connects the spaces through diffused light. Custom shelving, colored concrete, stainless-steel details, and furniture by Russian brand Eburet contribute to an interior that balances historic fabric with playful contemporary expression.

Vokrug Podrug was conceived as a “Pink Narnia,” an immersive interior in which color, reflection, and material contrast shape the experience from the threshold onward. The concept is closely tied to the identity of the project and to the composition of the team itself, with 99% of those involved in the space, including designers, coordinators, contractors, and the brand’s founders, being women. Quadrum Studio translates this collaborative context into an environment centered on what the designers describe as “girlish energy,” using pink not as a secondary decorative device but as the dominant spatial language.

Vokrug Podrug occupies two adjoining spaces within a historic building in Penza, accommodating a café alongside a concept store dedicated to local brands. Because the existing brickwork is protected as part of the city’s cultural heritage, the architects were required to retain it without alteration. This constraint established a clear relationship between the preserved masonry and the project’s new interventions, allowing the original envelope to remain visible against a distinctly contemporary interior.

The previous layout included a single passage between the two rooms. As part of the reorganization, that opening was closed on the café side to provide space for the kitchen and associated service functions. A new passage was then introduced along the axis of the concept store entrance, creating a clearer visual and physical connection between the two programs.

The primary service elements occupy central positions in both interiors. In the café, the bar counter functions as a strong visual anchor, while the retail desk performs a similar role in the concept store. Their placement creates continuity between the two spaces without dissolving their individual functions. The fitting room is also positioned toward the center of the retail area and enclosed by matcha-colored textile, matching the tone of the central shelving and providing a deliberate chromatic contrast to the surrounding pink surfaces.

Vokrug Podrug uses mirrored surfaces to intensify both color and spatial depth. Tinted mirrors with a pink gradient extend along the principal walls, reflecting movement, furnishings, and light throughout the interior. The café counter and retail checkout are composed as assemblies of several volumes rather than singular monolithic objects. In the café, glazed surfaces shift gradually from white to a soft blush tone, reinforcing the broader palette through subtle transitions rather than abrupt changes.

Above the working areas, a luminous ceiling creates an effect described as being “like a clouded sky.” This glowing surface visually connects the café and concept store while softening the stronger geometric elements below. Its diffused quality contrasts with the reflective mirrors and polished finishes, adding another layer to the interior’s controlled interplay of texture and light.

Geometry appears repeatedly throughout Vokrug Podrug, both in freestanding fixtures and in architectural details. A multi-tiered shelving unit secured with clamps introduces a distinct structural rhythm, while the slatted ceiling reinforces a linear order overhead. Elsewhere, shelving appears to “flow” from wall niches, visually blurring the boundary between furniture and architecture. Smaller details bring a more playful character to the project. A colored concrete sink introduces a tactile and sculptural counterpoint to the glazed and reflective finishes. Stainless-steel bands with heart motifs wrap around poufs, while colored mirrors and expressive furniture forms add further variation across the interior. Pieces by Russian brand Eburet, made from recycled materials, extend the project’s interest in unconventional forms while introducing an element of material reuse.

Vokrug Podrug ultimately combines protected historic fabric with a deliberately contemporary and highly recognizable visual identity. Rather than concealing the age of the building, Quadrum Studio allows the retained brickwork to remain an active part of the composition, setting it against pink gradients, luminous surfaces, matcha-colored textiles, and sculptural furnishings. The result is a café and retail environment in which preservation, color, and geometry operate together as defining elements of the project.