Sunday, July 26, 2009

SINGER HOUSE

ST.PETERSBURG, Russia

One of the most inspiring and intellectual buildings in St. Pete, Singer House (architect Pavel Syuzor, built 1902 -- 1904, restored 2006), hosts extensive bookstore, a cafe with a nice view, and exposes these wonderfully crafted wall luminaries. They are being restored one by one, and there's an older version (the farthest fitting).
Posted from a mobile device.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

So Simple... Yet So Refined!


FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT FRIKADELKI, StPetersburg, Russia

Maybe it just reminds me very much of Paris (oh Paris!) and the organic restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien with it's simple rustic yet refined and sincere setting - well, we can argue on the concepts of quality fast food and le pain quotidien, the daily bread still... Maybe the name Frikadelki sounds Scandinavian (it's Russian for köttbullar)... Maybe it's a 10 min walk from my new office in StPete... Anyway, I like it!

The terrace - the orange tent letting the natural sunlight come through gives this warm happy glow on faces and food - ough, dangerous! :) Big twiggen Ikea fixtures help in creating the datcha feel which is supported by rough undone wooden signes with burnedout letters and pictures. The signes are lit by very trendy Loft lamps by Jielde which are in vogue in Paris right now.



The counter is made of glass Ikea pots with LED put inside - improvised lighting fixture aka display and storage stand. Nothing new but goes well with the general concept. A little bit of imagination - et voila! The general and accent lighting is solved with the help of nice-looking Ikea spotlights on tracks - have to explore Ikea range more carefully next time I go there...



My fav is the pendant fixture made of (surprise!) Ikea stainless steel pots and some light sources in the middle - the glow from the light source is almost non-existent as the construction is flexible as the whole mass of pots slightly moves with a smallest draught air.

PS. ...yeah, the food is tassssssty, BTW :) The place is in StPetersburg, Vasiljevsky Ostrov, and then call me for orientation :)