РУEN
Smolenka Frame — project image 1

Name of the project

Showroom for Giulia Novars on Smolenskaya Embankment

Main character

Giulia Novars — a Russian manufacturer of premium furniture, offering a wide range of products that blend technology, individuality, and visual culture.

Setting

Moscow, Smolenskaya Embankment. A space with panoramic views of the Moscow River, the Borodinsky Bridge, Kievsky Railway Station, and the architectural façades of the city centre.

“Smolenka Frame” showroom for Giulia Novars

Objective

To create an atmospheric showroom where interior aesthetics engage in dialogue with the surrounding cityscape. The goal was to highlight the character of the location, integrate new product lines, and update the display based on technical upgrades and user experience.

Conceptual scenario

The large panoramic window became a portal through which the urban architecture flows inward — the sandy tones of façades dissolve into the interior’s palette. Furniture is arranged in a unified composition, where each zone supports the overarching idea: lightness, precision, modernity. Terminal ventilation elements were replaced, ceiling structures revised, and painting and flooring works completed. Lighting was selected to match the modest ceiling height — balanced in temperature and output.

Client’s role in the project

The project was carried out in close collaboration with Irina Stepanova, head of the Giulia Novars studio, with whom the custom furniture pieces were co-developed.

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  11. Smolenka Frame showroom interior for Giulia Novars

Architecture of the idea

At the heart of the composition is the interplay between landscape and interior. The showroom appears to continue beyond the glass. Furniture pieces are not merely display samples, but functional scenes showcasing design and utility. Special attention was given to materials, texture pairings, and the integration of technical systems.

On site

A full reconstruction was undertaken: final finishes were replaced, new lighting systems installed, and custom furniture elements mounted. The display was completely renewed.

Details and meanings

  • The exhibition features new items developed to custom specifications, including textile-fronted façades and stainless steel shelving
  • Furniture is arranged in a cohesive ensemble, emphasising the space and geometry of the room
  • The layout invites visitors to linger — over coffee, in conversation, or simply watching the play of light
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Final result

The Smolenskaya showroom became a point of attraction not only due to its location, but because of the refined spatial work within. This is a place where furniture doesn’t merely display — it lives. Where the city view is not a backdrop but a co-author. And where every element speaks the brand’s language: calm, precise, expressive.

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.