DA BUREAU Designs IYKYK Smash Burger Restaurant Interior in Yerevan
Explore the 100-square-meter smash burger restaurant in Armenia featuring 1980s American street culture references and bold orange volumes.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- IYKYK is the first smash burger restaurant in Yerevan, Armenia
- Designed by DA BUREAU across a 100-square-meter space
- Draws heavy inspiration from 1980s American street culture
- Features signature orange inflated modular volumes and retro details
Designed by DA BUREAU, IYKYK marks the very first smash burger restaurant in Yerevan, Armenia. Spanning 100 square meters, the project was conceived as more than just a standalone interior, establishing a scalable architectural and visual identity meant to guide future expansions. The design merges interior architecture, brand identity, and custom-built elements into a cohesive system that maintains a consistent spatial language across the growing chain.
The project draws visual cues from 1980s American street culture, incorporating modular forms, retro fast-food aesthetics, and the brand's signature orange palette. Classic burger joints and food trucks heavily inform both the architectural language and bespoke furnishings, creating a unified framework that spans both interior and exterior zones.
Implementing a scalable modular design system is a powerful strategy for modern restaurant chains seeking rapid expansion while preserving strict brand consistency. In this case, the bold orange color scheme and sculptural rounded shapes function as instant visual anchors, leveraging fast-food design psychology to evoke energy, familiarity, and a playful dining atmosphere.
At the core of the dining space sits a modular service counter constructed from inflated, rounded volumes that reinterpret classic Los Angeles food trucks. DA BUREAU extends this volumetric language directly to the main facade, where orange sculptural elements bridge the exterior and interior while asserting a strong street presence
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Additional branded details reinforce the spatial narrative throughout the venue, including an LED menu display positioned above the ordering counter, a merchandise display case, an illuminated terrace sign, and a distinctively styled restroom. Rather than serving as mere decorations, these features form an integral part of the repeatable design framework for upcoming locations. The interior also incorporates subtle nods to roadside culture, such as a rotary telephone inside the restroom, while the outdoor terrace features inward-facing seating to foster community within the compact footprint.
Bespoke construction techniques were custom-developed specifically for the venue. The modular counter is built around a structural frame featuring a high-density expanded polystyrene core, reinforced with a fiberglass shell and finished in vibrant orange paint to achieve its smooth, continuous curves. Overhead, exposed mechanical systems integrate seamlessly with a suspended transparent Perspex ceiling in the brand hue, complemented by cable-mounted LED tube lighting.
Completed in 2024, the project was led by principal architects Boris Lvovsky, Fedor Goreglyad, Anna Lvovskaia, and Maria Romanova, alongside design team members Irina Oleynikova and Olga Naumova. Together, they established a modular architectural system blending branding, custom furniture, and lighting into a cohesive, adaptable framework.
Source: designboom
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