Istetyka, a Kyiv eatery by Yakusha Studio, is the first Ukrainian project to win the Dezeen Awards. A clean minimalist space holds a cultural connotation and celebrates modern Ukrainian design.
The idea behind Istetyka is that high-quality healthy food with local products can be served in a stylish, simple and sustainable way. In addition to the interior, the studio also worked on the naming and branding of the establishment. A full-fledged concept project was created in a short three months time.
Istetyka, (Ukrainian: yisti - eat, istetyka - aesthetics). A play on words, which captures the essence of this project, that's all about design. Being an eatery in the center of Kyiv, it's also centered around food, of course. The two in search of simplicity, authenticity and style.
The interior features one of Viktorias main points of interest in design — contrasting opposites, combining the uncombinable. At Istetyka the cold meets the warm, the curvy offsets the straight, rough concrete somehow perfectly marries delicate crochet in what Dezeen Awards judges call "a surreal experience". Walking around Istetyka one finds that after all, opposites do, in fact, attract.
Dining tables and decor in the eatery come from FAINA collection of live Ukrainian design. Each object and design que is a witness to craftsmanship, to history, to the live spirit of Ukraine. Natural, living materials become soulful design pieces in the hands of Ukrainian artisans.
