The premises on Usacheva Street previously housed a bank. The architects retained the exposed services and the building’s original material fabric, using the contrast between old and new as the basis of the interior. The interplay of matt textures and glossy surfaces underscores Drinkit’s contemporary digital service model.
New finishes and architectural elements were introduced only in the parts of the space with which guests interact directly. Brickwork, aged timber, concrete and fragments of plaster already formed a richly textured backdrop. The new interventions were therefore kept uniformly grey and deliberately understated to avoid overloading the interior with additional materials and accents.
A difference in floor levels restricted the possible locations of the bar, so the architects positioned it at the centre of the room and concealed the required services within the raised section.
On the street-facing elevation, the architects removed the incongruous tiles left by the previous tenant, stripped the green film from the windows and restored the rendered façade. As a result, the coffee shop’s exterior once again sits naturally within the urban context.
Drinkit is an international coffee shop chain operating in Russia, Kazakhstan and the UAE. Rather than replicating standardised interiors, the team develops a site-specific design for each location, drawing on its context. A defining feature of the format is Drinkit’s proprietary IT system, which includes order-status tracking and “smart pickup”. These technologies are discreetly integrated into the interior, helping to streamline guest flows and avoid queues while preserving the visual clarity of the space.
