KHACHAPURI & WINE, MAYAK

Khachapuri & Wine at Mayak — a project in which we wanted to preserve as much of the space’s own authenticity as possible: the existing plasterwork and the brick.

As in the chain’s other projects, we worked on a contemporary reading of Georgian symbols, looking for ways to carry the mood of Georgian hospitality through materials and visual effects.

The wall of red crosses is a homage to the red Georgian cross, used with a measure of irony: the same shape also reads as builders’ markers, the layout marks made before tiling. The wall of fabric strips is a homage to Georgian courtyards, where laundry is always hanging out to dry. The furniture is made of plywood.

Light is a subject of its own here. We designed a line of fittings that draws the space together as a red line, and several lighting scenarios: the light hangs low and falls in pools on the tables, creating an intimate atmosphere. A custom fitting with frosted shades is a homage to Alexander Calder’s mobiles and gives a very dim, diffused light. And partitions of clear coloured glass reflect that light beautifully.