РУEN
Grey armchair and built-in shelves with pink boxes inside Grand Orac Hotel.

Name of the project

Grand Orac Hotel — Orac stand at the MosBuild 2023 exhibition.

Main character

Orac — an international brand of decorative profiles and architectural solutions that combines aesthetics, technology, and environmental responsibility.

Setting

MosBuild 2023, Moscow — Russia’s largest exhibition of architecture, construction, and interior finishes.

Grand Orac Hotel at MosBuild 2023

Objective

To rethink the decorative potential of Orac products through an artistic metaphor — creating a booth where classical elements gain cinematic presence and ornamentation becomes a narrative device.

Conceptual scenario

The concept was inspired by Wes Anderson’s film The Grand Budapest Hotel. The goal was to convey its refined eccentricity, graphic precision, and playful manipulation of scale.

The main façade took on familiar contours, lightened and reimagined through monochrome, pure lines, and a touch of architectural grotesque. The interior was composed cinematically: each area a scene, bound together by rhythm and narrative.

The visual centerpiece was a reinterpretation of the painting Boy with Apple, created from 3D panels and flex mouldings — a focal point deepening the storyline of the space.

Client’s role in the project

The Orac team was closely involved throughout the entire process — from logistics to technical support during installation. Their commitment and the quality of signature materials guaranteed a precise and refined result.

  1. Pastel-pink Grand Orac Hotel stand facade with arched windows and a central entrance.
  2. Grand Orac Hotel exhibition stand facade under pink and lilac lighting.
  3. Entrance beneath the Orac Decor logo with pink mouldings and a lounge area inside.
  4. Two black chairs and a round table beside a relief wall in Grand Orac Hotel.
  5. Lounge area with two grey armchairs and ottomans in a pastel-pink interior.
  6. Close-up of a decorative panel made of horizontal pink and gold profiles.
  7. Red Grand Orac Hotel reception desk beneath the Orac Decor logo and a chandelier.

Architecture of the idea

The booth interprets cinema as a tool for spatial storytelling: - A deliberately scaled-down “dollhouse” effect. - Vertical rhythms and sculptural contrast of light and shadow. - A carefully curated color palette, echoing cinematic tones.

Architectural elements reference classical forms yet speak a modern language. The “hotel” became a living set, where ornamentation conveys meaning beyond decoration.

On site

The project went from concept to completion in just over three months. Assembly was rapid and meticulous, involving lighting calibration, color matching, and precise installation of panels and decorative elements.

Details and meanings

  • Approx. 100 m² of panels and 1000 linear meters of mouldings used.
  • All colors custom-matched; key tones were revised multiple times.
  • Two vintage Soviet armchairs restored and integrated.
  • Core elements like the Boy with Apple panel were repurposed for Orac’s interiors.

The reception desk echoed the iconic red elevator from the film.

  1. Staff member at the red counter holding a brass handle on a decorative panel.
  2. Staff member seated in a grey armchair against a lilac wall with mouldings.
  3. Hand on the brass handle of a red Grand Orac Hotel door.
  4. Reed diffuser and a bowl of sweets beside the Orac logo.
  5. Water bottles with pink Orac labels and brochures held by a visitor.
  6. Hand touching a white decorative detail beside a lilac 3D wall panel.
  7. Man in an orange jacket being interviewed in front of the Grand Orac Hotel facade.
  8. Woman speaking into a microphone at the Grand Orac Hotel exhibition stand.
  9. Film crew with a camera and light panel beside the Grand Orac Hotel facade.
  10. Woman holding a winner’s certificate while seated in an armchair at the Grand Orac Hotel stand.

Final result

The stand became not just a striking visual reference but a resonant artistic statement. It sparked enthusiastic response from visitors and partners, capturing Orac’s strategy: blending cultural nuance, ecological awareness, and bold artistic thinking. The project affirmed that architectural décor can do more than embellish — it can shape atmosphere, provoke emotion, and leave a lasting impression.

Other case studies

The name Zariza

Engraving of historic Tsaritsyn by Adam Olearius, 1636

In 1663, a book by Adam Olearius, a German scholar and secretary to the Holstein embassy to Russia and Persia, included a plate with six engraved views of Russian cities.

Tetus, Samara, Soratof, Zariza, Tzornogar, Kusmamedianski. Olearius passed Tsaritsyn on 6 September 1636.

Partners and clients sometimes jokingly associate our name with royalty. We do not mind, although for us it is rooted above all in the history of a place.

The city’s name is associated with the Tsaritsa River. One explanation traces it to the Turkic “sary-su”, meaning “yellow river”; another links it to “yellow sand”.

The fortress in the engraving stands at a meeting of currents: goods and embassies travelled along the river, and routes crossed here. This image resonates with us. Design and implementation also form a system of many factors, whose parts need to work together.

The studio’s name is tied to the history of Tsaritsyn, a city at the confluence of the Volga and Tsaritsa rivers. Our first office opened here, near the Architecture University. The studio began work on 21 December 2012, the day a 5,125-year cycle of the Maya calendar came to a close.

“Art” was added later, when we registered the domain. The name retains our connection to our place of origin, while the studio’s work has long reached beyond its geography.

Brand Identity

Brand identity is a combination of visual, verbal, and emotional characteristics that make your brand recognizable and unique. It is a holistic system of meanings, images, and values that reflects the essence of the company and shapes how it is perceived by the audience.