Guapa Flower Store in Rostov-on-Don, Russia by Eduard Eremchuk.

Rostov-on-Don’s latest flower shop, Guapa, is located in Michail Kondratyev’s 1928 heritage constructivist style building that represented “The new way of life”.

Young local architect, artist and interior designer Eduard Eremchuk was commissioned to create a unique space which avoided typical flower shop references like salvaged timber, dark colours, flower vessels and warm interior lighting. The result is an interior that appears more like a medical lab or a minimalist gallery, rather than a flower store, but it somehow still just works.

The 43-square-metre retail space is located on the ground floor, with only a single window allowing natural light into the interior. For this reason, Eremchuk imagined the ceiling as a full lighting surface, inspired by Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The whole interior is monochromatic. “This aesthetics comes from contemporary art galleries with white walls and bright lightning”, explains Eremchuk. “The idea was to make a space which will not distract the viewer’s eyes from the flowers, their shapes and colours.” Only one small room leading to the bathroom stands out in all purple colour.

The interior represents a new wave of architectural design in Russia in contrast with the Soviet history represented by the old apartment building where the flower shop is located.

“Curved walls were inspired by the facade of the local buildings and create continuity between the interior and the exterior,” says Eremchuk.

The main room features a four-meter-long work table made from stainless steel. The silver volume divides the interior between the public area and private back-of-house spaces playing host to storage and refrigeration for the flowers.

A small bench which concealed pink neon lights provides a modest reading space for visitors waiting for their bouquets.

[Images courtesy of Eduard Eremchuk. Photography by Inna Kablukova.]