Kinkally is a project in one of the trendiest restaurant areas of Fitzrovia in central London. It includes two concepts: a quiet and minimalistic Kinkally restaurant on the ground floor and a more colourful and accentuated Kinky bar in the basement. The logo of the project depicts a twist, which symbolises the whole concept of the place: the twisting and intertwining of Georgian and Asian cultures. This twist is reflected in the cuisine offered at the restaurant traditional Khinkali here is combined with Asian dumplings offering an original and aesthetic mix based on traditional Georgian flavour combinations and forms. We reflected the same unique twist in the interior.
It was important for us to emphasise the original Georgian inspiration with an Asian. We found convergence between the two cultures in their unifying love of nature and manual labour. Georgia is a more rough, dynamic, almost raw form. In the restaurant, it is reflected in the rough counter of the open kitchen on the ground floor and the asymmetrical table in the basement with overhanging textured stones that refer to mountains and caves. In contrast, Asia is reflected in the project in symmetrical benches, thin metal tables, and walls with rounded corners.
Floor plan features
The project occupies a two-storey space, 2/3 of which is in the basement. The space itself is narrow and elongated, which is traditional in central London due to the density of the housing. One of the most important challenges in this project was the floor plan. We needed to transform this geometrically complex space into a dual-function space: a fully functioning restaurant and a hidden bar. Our task was to emphasise each zone, but at the same time create a seamless continuation of one space into the other.
The project unfolds gradually: firstly, there appears the upper bright room of the restaurant, then the darker room underneath it, concluding with a bold bar with coloured lighting and a huge bar counter appearing from behind a massive curtain.
Kinkally
We designed a complex seating configuration: although the room is narrow, it turned out to be varied and dense. In the upper hall, we placed two staircases on each side: a guest staircase and a technical staircase, with the main seating placed between them. There is also seating at the back of the room, around the open kitchen counter where the chef and his team work. In the lower hall, the main seating is formed around a huge transformable table, referring to traditional Georgian feasts. The guests' view opens up to the preparatory kitchen, where they can watch the process of making khinkali by hand.
In the restaurant part, we used natural materials: wood, concrete, and metal. Warm, merging shades of natural materials make the restaurant elegant and calm and create a pleasant sensual experience for its guests. On the ground floor and in the basement there is an art object – branches hanging from the ceiling, which we brought from Richmond Park and handcrafted. These branches are a symbol of our connection with nature and a kind of tribute to the chef's Georgian roots.
Kinky
At Kinky Bar, the guest enters a completely new space that contrasts with the restaurant: the colours are darker, the shapes are sharper, and the lighting is bright and accentuated. The entire interior of the bar resembles a futuristic metal capsule with a single object in the middle - an open bar with seating around it. With a combination of brushed reflective stainless steel, bright lighting, and contrast with the ultramarine VIP zone, the boundaries of space in Kinky seem to blur.
Even though the two spaces - the restaurant and the bar – have completely different moods and functionality, they are linked by the same principles of form and architectural techniques. The interior of Kinky is a logical continuation of Kinkally: the soaring stainless steel stone above the bar is a reference to the stone ceilings in the restaurant, and the shape of the bar counter rhymes with the shape of the rough countertop in the open kitchen.
Lighting
The lighting created in collaboration with the amazing Expolight team plays a very important role in this project. In the restaurant area, it creates a soft, natural atmosphere: the spotlights fill the space with a warm glow, and the shadows from the branches emphasise the connection with nature and enhance the feeling of peace in the interior. In Kinki, the lighting, in contrast, is bright, vibrant, and filling. The warm amber lighting of the common area and the cool purple lighting of the VIP room enhance each other through the contrast.
In this project, we have brought to life an authentic melange of two cultures: Georgian and Asian. This non-trivial combination of styles creates an exquisite environment, offering guests a unique experience. The Kinkally restaurant is harmoniously linked to the Kinky bar in the basement, which resembles a space capsule that enhances the visual interest of the restaurant thanks to its mesmerising reflections.
Team
DA bureau: Anna Lvovskaia, Boris Lvovskiy, Fedor Goreglyad, Maria Romanova
Project team: Anna Lvovskaia, Boris Lvovskiy, Fedor Goreglyad, Maria Romanova, Alexander Pankov
Photography: Sergey Melnikov
