Located in the heart of Central Asia, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, “Collab Cafe & Concept Store” repurposes the ground floor and basement of an old Soviet-era residential building into a welcoming, modern establishment that seamlessly combines a café and a concept store within a coherent environment.

The core idea behind the design was to blend the café and concept store into a single permeable space where visitors feel welcomed rather than distracted by the dual functions. The architectural concept centers on collaboration between different narratives: retail exhibitions are integrated directly into the dining area to function as curated decor, while selected dining seats are positioned near the concept store counter, allowing guests to drink coffee and dine as if seated within an intimate micro-museum.

Extending this permeability outdoors, the summer terrace acts as a soft, organic threshold between the urban sidewalk and the interior. Defined by tiered, curvilinear wooden decking built carefully around a mature existing tree trunk, the open-air lounge features sleek metallic service carts, generous green parasols, and an abundance of potted greenery, offering an inviting, shaded extension of the café experience.

The design strategically contrasts industrial-grade materials with warm, playful elements to balance functionality with atmosphere. Brushed stainless-steel cladding delivers durability, hygiene, and light-reflecting visual depth, while a backlit glass-block counter pays homage to Soviet modernist vernacular – energized by a vivid coral-red solid surface and softened by light timber seating and indoor greenery.

Construction techniques emphasize seamlessness, utilizing monolithic metal paneling with tight reveals to conceal existing structural irregularities, custom curved millwork to promote fluid circulation, and recessed LED channels alongside a luminous stretch-fabric ceiling above the bar to provide uniform, glare-free illumination.

Sustainability is fundamentally anchored in the adaptive reuse of the Soviet-era housing envelope – drastically reducing embodied carbon compared to new construction – and is reinforced by long-lasting, recyclable materials like steel and glass, biophilic plantings, and energy-efficient LED systems paired with maximized natural daylighting.

Collab Cafe & Concept Store breathes fresh civic vitality into Almaty’s urban fabric by transforming an aging residential base into an active third place that unites coffee culture, local creative community, and community gathering. Its lasting legacy lies in mastering spatial hybridity: reimagining the retail concept store as an accessible, lived-in gallery and setting a progressive benchmark for contemporary design and neighborhood revitalization across Central Asia.