— Fabulously Answered Questions — Boutique
Winner of Project Russia Award in category "Best Public Space" 2020
Shortlisted in Building Of the Year Awards of ArchDaily
FAQ - is a unique adult boutique, located in Moscow in the Aviapark Shopping Center as a part of the Trend Island department store.
The creation of such a space is a delicate question, especially taking into account the fact that it is located in plain sight, in the huge shopping center. It was crucial to create a place that doesn’t cause visitors don't blush upon seeing it, and does not make them hesitate to access it. They also need to feel free inside the space. The second phase of the Trend Island department store was also designed by Blank Architects. White, pale pink, lilac and pink gold were used as the primary colours for the interior design. The goal was to design the boutique so that it would be harmonically blended in the existing space of the department store, while eschewing vulgarity and clichés.
Design - a soft and cosy atmosphere
Aviapark
Khodynsky Boulevard, 4
45 sq.m.
18+
Soft
Smooth
Nude
The space of the boutique was designed with the use of nude colours. The minimalistic design and roundish forms of the furniture, mirrors and various decorative elements create an atmosphere of coziness, calm and comfort. It also links with the main interior of the department store. The silhouettes of people on the walls, made of LED bright orange-red pipes, work as main accents.
Conversation —
the veil of secrecy
— It was crucial for us that people wouldn't hesitate to take a look inside and would not blush when looking at the showcases. In order to achieve this, we proposed using a very soft, enveloping design, which would invite the visitor to open up the veil of secrecy around a theme that tends to be unmentionable in our society.
Our goal was to create a space in which a person would feel comfortable, and would unwittingly embrace a new topic. We aimed to transmit this feeling by using soft lines, sinuous forms and nude colours on the walls, which create occasional compositions.
The velvet of the body, the colour of the skin, and the smooth lines of the body —these were the tingling gentle images, which inspired us. We tried to reflect them with the colors, textures and forms of the boutique, by combining these images with the boutique’s function. The soft, sinuous volume of the curtain creates depth in the seemingly tiny space. The folding form of the shelf with its curved niches enables shoppers to select wares among intimate, natural artefacts. The smooth and velvet textures always follow the visitor, creating a pleasant impression on a tactile level.
The silhouettes on the walls show that the shop is divided on two zones — with female and male energy. In first zone, everything for the art of seduction can be found, in the second — something more… The apogee of the adventure is the central, phallic table, upon which, shiny toys are arranged by colour as if on a pedestal. It is easy to spend plenty of time by the table. The founders of the boutique are always ready to help with choices and detailed instructions.
We have enjoyed the FAQ project as a social experiment, which shifts the boundaries of a significant, taboo subject. Because people in Russia tend to avoid these “unmentionable" topics, it is an important challenge to encourage them to talk out loud about sexuality, to propagate love of their bodies and in being comfortable with themselves. The more projects like this there are in the city, the easier the approach to this will be. It is difficult to call it a sexual revolution, but it’s a step in the right direction!