Dubler Cafe, Kyiv

Dubler is a city cafe in the Pechersk district of Kyiv.  Designed by balbek bureau, this café with a terrace and balcony is located in a cozy courtyard. The facade of the building with arched windows is partially covered with grapevines.

The main value of the Dubler is the community that is formed around its cool cuisine and easy-going service. With this in mind, balbek bureau decided to create a cozy interior that will allow guests to simultaneously enjoy the food and socialize. The cafe communicates with its guests via intricate details and draws them into dialogue. The architecture and atmosphere of the old building were emphasized with the help of vintage furniture and decor. Dubler’s vibe resembles a flea market of the ‘70s, but due to its simple and pure forms, it does not lose touch with the modern world.

Previously on the site of the cafe stood an office and an apartment. To combine these rooms into one single space, they dismantled several partitions. The bathroom is constructed out of solid aerated concrete blocks. In order for the wall leading to the main hall to be of the needed length, they had to trim each element symmetrically. This was challenging because aerated concrete blocks are quite fragile.

The cafe consists of two halls: the main one, which has access to the balcony, and a smaller one. The first hall seats 18 guests, and the second – up to 32. The main hall is located right by the entrance. The first thing the guests of Dubler see is the bar and pastry counter, with friendly baristas at work.  Most of the cafe’s lighting is achieved via spotlights. LED lamps were placed in perforated trays: in the evening the light is diffused, emphasizing the imperfect beauty of the ceiling. Above the communal table hang three lamps found at a flea market fabricated circa 1940. During their restoration, they were cleaned, sanded, painted, reassembled and welded into one single structure.

To the left of the entrance hangs a board where an image can be changed and modified daily, in a similar fashion as is done with the ‘phrase of the day’ board in Dyletant cafe. Ideas for illustrations are offered by the guests themselves. The asymmetrical mirror to the right of the entrance is custom-made, while the leather sofas, coffee table and the yellow Lumibär lamp were purchased at a flea market. A vintage ceramic dog, which greets guests at the bar, was ordered from Brussels. The six-meter communal table was created especially for this project. Swedish chairs fabricated circa 1960 were refurbished: new propro wooden seats and backrests were welded onto the original metal frame.