In Kiev you’ll find a jungle-themed bar with vegetarian sandwiches. However, it’s an intensely white jungle with only a vivid splash of colour in the toilets. ORANG+UTAN bar makes an imposing impression on the Ukrainian capital.
Architects Artem Vakhrin and Katya Zuieva, from Ukrainian firm AKZ ARCHITECTURA, tiled the whole bar in white. This wasn’t just some random choice, because these tiles bear a striking resemblance to the tiles used in the former USSR in swimming pools, hospitals and many companies. They conjuring up something of a sterile atmosphere that’s reinforced by white neon signs and white furniture. By contrast, the bright colour used in the toilets is really very striking.
In their choice of design, the architects wanted to convey the main idea behind ORANG+UTAN to its visitors. “This city is our new ‘jungle’ and the people who live here are the new ‘smart animals’ in need of a place to build up their energy levels.” Behind the bar, writing on the wall explains how to do this, with a small menu card offering specialty sandwiches, soup of the day and homemade masala tea.
ORANG+UTAN
Artema street 72
Kiev, Ukraine
Photos Lesha Yanchenkov l via urdesignmag