Beacon of white

16 : 11 : 2015 Vegetarian Restaurant : Soviet Style : Kiev

Kiev – Vegetarian restaurant Orang+Utan shies away from the traditional interior design of a healthy eating establishment, preferring a minimalist aesthetic.

  • Interior inspired by the uniform tiles of the former USSR
  • Splashes of coloured fruit and greenery hint at the healthy menu
Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev
Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev
Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev
Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev
Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev Orang+Utan by AKZ Architectura, Kiev

The interior, designed by Ukrainian studio AKZ Architectura, features stark white tiling and white neon lettering. The aim was to create a bright, white, inviting space amid the Soviet-era buildings that surround the restaurant.

The architects hinted at the healthy menu with pink-painted fruit at the counter and a veritable forest of green plants hidden in the bathroom, to add a dose of nature. ‘We created a green zone to make customers feel like they are in a natural habitat,’ they told Dezeen. ‘The idea was to create a place that would show costumers the idea behind Orang+Utan bar. The city is a jungle and people who live there are smart animals. They need a place to refill energy.’

The tiles used throughout also reference Kiev’s Soviet past, when ‘there was only one type of tile for everything’.

The Big Picture

As healthy eating changes from fad to permanent lifestyle choice, newer establishments are shying away from the visual stereotypes of wellness. For more, see the dark allure of juice bar Owen + Alchemy.

Discover More Daily Signals
Snooz launches a night-time ice cream with sleep-friendly twist

Daily Signals

Snooz launches a night-time ice cream with sleep-friendly twist

Snooz, an ice cream brand formulated for evening indulgence, has launched with a suitably dreamy identity by How&How.
Food : Ice Cream : Functional Foods
Foresight Friday: Ayesha Evans, marketing assistant

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Ayesha Evans, marketing assistant

 Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, marketing assistant...
Design : London Fashion Week : Global Events
Stat:  What makes a nation proud of its country?

Daily Signals

Stat: What makes a nation proud of its country?

Pew Research Center has conducted a study of more than 30,000 adults in 25 countries to find out what makes citizens proud of their nation.
Culture : Pariotism : Statistic
Great Western Railway revives legend-led travel storytelling

Daily Signals

Great Western Railway revives legend-led travel storytelling

British train company Great Western Railway (GWR) has launched a new chapter of its long-running Famous Five campaign, drawing on myths and legends...
Travel : Marketing : Brand Heritage
Peanut and Tommee Tippee launch global campaign to put ‘matrescence’ in dictionaries

Daily Signals

Peanut and Tommee Tippee launch global campaign to put ‘matrescence’ in dictionaries

Peanut and Tommee Tippee have launched a global campaign to add the term ‘matrescence’ to dictionaries, arguing that the transition into motherhoo...
Health : Motherhood : Matrescence
Stat: British retail faces generational divide

Daily Signals

Stat: British retail faces generational divide

Some 40% of Gen Z in the UK say they have never bought from a bricks-and-mortar store, according to new research from Adobe Express.
Retail : Generations : Statistic
Niod’s anti-facial disrupts beauty’s clean narrative

Daily Signals

Niod’s anti-facial disrupts beauty’s clean narrative

Deciem’s science-led skincare brand Niod has launched a new campaign video subverting the polished conventions of beauty marketing by replacing ser...
Beauty : Advertising : Environment
Singapore moves to regulate blind boxes over gambling risks

Daily Signals

Singapore moves to regulate blind boxes over gambling risks

Singapore is set to become the first market to require blind box products to disclose the probability of obtaining specific items, as authorities a...
Retail : Toys : Blind Boxes
Stat: ‘My employer’ emerges as the most trusted institution

Daily Signals

Stat: ‘My employer’ emerges as the most trusted institution

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, based on a survey of nearly 34,000 respondents across 28 countries, shows insularity reshaping how people re...
Work : Trust : Employers
The Salvation Army launches world’s first digital thrift store on Roblox

Daily Signals

The Salvation Army launches world’s first digital thrift store on Roblox

The Salvation Army is extending its resale model into gaming with the launch of Thrift Score, translating the charity’s bricks-and-mortar thrift fo...
Fashion : Retail : Digital
You have 2 free Daily Signals remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN