© Pogodin Rogov / Photography: Polina Poludkina

Daily coffee rituals have become a global phenomenon with urban dwellers across the planet, including in Moscow. Similar to other leading cities, there’s a growing array of coffee parlours, each one usually catering to a specific demographic. The newly opened LOCALS café, situated in the suburban Tekstilshchiki neighbourhood, offers a clean and understated setting which resonates well with savvy urban dwellers. The café occupies an elongated 60 sqm. (646 sq.ft.) unit on the ground floor of a newly erected structure and sees an interior design created by local architecture and design practice Pogodin Rogov. Given the modest dimensions, installing an enclosed kitchen wasn’t possible, so the workspace is placed front and centre, albeit in a specially shaped niche, for all the clientele to see. In addition to the coffee bar, which is an elongated rounded volume made of glossy white tiles, another volume of the same shape but a different height was made in order to accommodate all additional functions.

The latter includes a bathroom for visitors, a dishwasher and a small pantry, all concealed by a metallic curtain. The chosen aesthetic not only takes cues from Japanese streets with their facades of houses in white tiles, but also downtown’s hustle and bustle. A floor-to-ceiling mirror which sits in the middle of the LOCALS café is emblematic of this vibe, while it also optically enlarges the space at the same time. Furnishings are few and simple, comprising of an elongated bench lining the windows and a smaller bench against the back wall, both crafted from MDF, in addition to seating cubes crafted from the same material, circular metal tables and folding chairs with chrome elements. The bare ceiling intentionally reveals utility pipes which effortlessly blends in with the low-key yet meticulously crafted industrial setting. The menu at LOCALS obviously lists various coffee concoctions, in addition to teas, other beverages, small hot dishes and pastries. © superfuture

LOCALS
Vtoroy Grayvoronovskiy Proyezd 44K3 (Tekstilshchiki)
109518 Moscow
Mon-Fri 8am-9pm
Sat-Sun 9am-9pm

© Pogodin Rogov / Photography: Polina Poludkina