SHATO RUSTAVELI
A contemporary interpretation of a Georgian restaurant in Moscow. The project is inspired by Tbilisi — its architecture, color, and warmth. The references are emotional rather than literal. We created a collective image of what a "good Georgian restaurant" feels like — not through clichés, but through details that stay in memory.
Category
RESTAURANTS & BARS
Location
Moscow, Russia
Architects
Vlad Gaiduk, Olga Potapova
Area
75
Completion date
2025
Photographer
Inna Kablukova
CONCEPT
Our main reference was the restaurant Keto & Kote in Tbilisi. The goal was not to replicate it, but to convey its atmosphere — calm, welcoming, slightly nostalgic. White 10×10 tiles, like in their kitchen, remain visible to guests passing by. The blue walls and golden lamps are reinterpreted in a modern way. Wooden beams and structures recall the balconies and verandas of old Tbilisi.
The main idea is about feeling: as if you’ve come to visit relatives — dishes brought straight from home, and you’re sitting on a winter veranda.
DESIGN
The space originally housed a small café without clear structure.
We redesigned the seating, bar, wardrobe, and restroom zones using a wooden balcony element that softly divides the space without partitions.
We redesigned the seating, bar, wardrobe, and restroom zones using a wooden balcony element that softly divides the space without partitions.
The bar became the compositional center — in deep pomegranate color, with a white metal structure above that visually lightens the upper volume and ties it to the floor. The burgundy floor continues into the bar, uniting the lower part of the space and creating rhythm.
This project introduced more expressive details: a red floor, a solid wooden partition and an active ceiling.
We used the white metal bar structure and white tablecloths to balance the composition. It binds all elements into a single visual rhythm.
We used the white metal bar structure and white tablecloths to balance the composition. It binds all elements into a single visual rhythm.
Finishes include wood, tile and fabric with a carpet-like texture, not direct quotes, but subtle references to tradition.
The color palette is built around pomegranate, burgundy, and blue — shades linked to Georgia’s wine, earth, and light.
The color palette is built around pomegranate, burgundy, and blue — shades linked to Georgia’s wine, earth, and light.
Our first association was with golden porcelain chandeliers often seen in Georgian restaurants: classic, warm, a bit theatrical. In Shato Rustaveli, we reinterpreted that image. Davide Groppi fixtures with gold at the base hang above the round tables — our minimalist version of a traditional chandelier.
On the walls French DCW Editions sconces bring another layer, its soft shapes and textures echo Georgian ceramics and ornament. If you didn’t know the brand, you would think they were made by local craftsmen — so naturally they blend with the space.
Shato Rustaveli is not a reconstruction or stylization. It’s a conversation with Georgia through modern form with respect for its rhythm and culture. We intentionally worked with familiar elements: blue walls, balconies, tile, gold — not to copy them, but to recreate the feeling: as if you’ve stepped into a Tbilisi home — warm, simple and real.
IN PROGRESS
TEAM
