This hotel bar in the centre of Kyiv, Ukraine, was designed by Mirzoyan Studio to have plywood panelled walls and a green latticed ceiling to improve acoustics.
Bursa Bar opened earlier this year in the city’s historic Podil neighbourhood, on the first floor of the boutique Bursa Hotel.
The 55-square-metre cocktail bar was designed by Mirzoyan Studio founder Nastia Mirzoyan as a place for music lovers, hoping to attract “vinyl record enthusiasts and live-set lovers every weekend”.
“The architect’s idea was to create a space reminiscent of a musical instrument, where every visitor would feel like they’re inside a giant music speaker or guitar, surrounded by a cosy atmosphere of plywood,” said the team.
The interior is lined with dark-stained plywood as a nod to contemporary Japanese design.
The material forms evenly spaced wall panelling, simple bench seating and shelves for displaying liquor bottles and vinyl records.
A grid of wooden boards creates a coffered ceiling that helps to dampen echoes and improve acoustics in the space, as well as preventing the sound from travelling to guest rooms above.
This results in a lower ceiling height but allows lighting and ventilation systems to be hidden inside while creating a more intimate atmosphere within the bar.
“In our design, we aimed to subtly implement the features of Eastern style: orthogonal lines, clean shapes, horizontal orientation of objects, vertical rhythm of walls, and orthogonal ceiling,” Mirzoyan said.
Furniture with stainless steel legs is pushed to the edges of the rectangular room, with the bar and accompanying stools on one side, and a row of small high-top tables along the built-in bench on the other.
Straight in front of the entry door is a DJ booth, also crafted from plywood, behind which the extensive vinyl record collection is stored.
The centre of the space is left empty as a dance floor, where guests can move freely to sounds from the Ojas speakers.
The front of the bar counter is clad using relief tiles in ochre, white and a dark forest green hue that matches the ceiling and the Flowerpot lamps by Verner Panton, which illuminate some of the tables.
Extra seating is provided at stainless steel counters installed in the window niches on either side of the door.
The lighting scheme is fully adjustable to create different atmospheres in different areas of the room.
“We combined accent lighting for guest seating areas, creating small bright spots, and used soft linear lighting to emphasize vinyl shelves and exquisite drinks,” said Mirzoyan. “This way, every guest feels special.”
Despite Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, several projects have completed in Kyiv – from a laser clinic with futuristic interiors to a dance studio outfitted with custom furniture made from materials sourced in the face of wartime shortages.
Other spots for drinking and dancing in the city include the Virgin Izakaya Bar in a former arsenal building, which was shortlisted in the restaurant and bar interior category of Dezeen Awards 2021.
The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.
