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Want your coffee with sugar or pixels? The Dot Coffee Station in Kyiv brews a pop twist

YOD Group furnishes The DOT Coffee Station in Ukraine with mosaic floor tiles and quirky art as a reflection of the city, its pace and the people who inhabit it.

by Aditi Sharma MaheshwariPublished on : Dec 01, 2021

For most people, the coffee ritual in the morning is sacrosanct. And, if a fresh-ground exotic brew is served in an inspiring barista, even better. The DOT Coffee Station in Kyiv, Ukraine, designed by YOD Group is perhaps an unconventional yet fitting example. As passersby enter through glass sliding doors, they're welcomed inside an interior which is almost like a manifestation of modern city life—rugged stone walls meet white mosaic floor tiles, and pixel art of pop culture along with community benches paint a picture of familiarity yet intrigue.

  • The glass doors help create an indoor-outdoor connection | YOD Group| Ukraine | STIRworld
    The glass doors help create an indoor-outdoor connection Image: Andriy Bezuglov
  • The pixel art denotes the emotions that commuters feel frequently during their daily travels | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The pixel art denotes the emotions that commuters feel frequently during their daily travels Image: Andriy Bezuglov
  • The art juxtaposes against the rugged, vintage stone walls | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The art juxtaposes against the rugged, vintage stone walls Image: Andriy Bezuglov
    Every guest in DOT is imagined like a pixel in the Kyiv puzzle | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    Every guest in DOT is imagined like a pixel in the Kyiv puzzle Image: Andriy Bezuglov
    The screen with the scrolling text is a standard LED panel | YOD Group| Ukraine | STIRworld
    The screen with the scrolling text is a standard LED panel Image: Andriy Bezuglov

While the coffee shop emerges as a convenient stopover for hurried customers, its USP truly lies in its quirky design—right from the entrance staircase, to the art on the walls; the large, visible spaces are enhanced with small mosaic tiles that look like pixels and make the interiors seem like a graphic, digital arena. The foot-on-face pop art greets customers, creating a light-hearted yet relatable moment—one a regular metropolis inhabitant would possibly feel several times a day during the daily rigmarole. "The mosaic on the wall reflects the cafe’s pixel theme. The pixel is the starting point of every image. We deliberately chose not to convey any hidden message in this picture, but create something weird, sincere and universal," shares Dmytro Bonesko, co-founder and art director, YOD Group. Right next to it, a narrow screen with slow scrolling text is designed in a way that it denotes the adrenaline moving through the veins of the people who just got a double espresso. “The board is a standard LED panel, commonly seen in currency exchange signboards across the city streets. We brought a popular element of the city landscape inside the cafe to emphasise the connection between the inside and outside. The screen twinkles and changes to attract attention. The scrolling text is programmed and changed according to any special occasion like holidays, events, and special offers," adds Bonesko. Every guest in DOT is imagined like a pixel in the Kyiv puzzle, filled with energy, emotion, and plenty of coffee.

  • A narrow seating arrangement is tucked inside a niche in the café | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    A narrow seating arrangement is tucked inside a niche in the cafe Image: Andriy Bezuglov
  • The seating is made of timber taken from an old barn | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The seating is made of timber taken from an old barn Image: Andriy Bezuglov
  • The vintage elements such as the brick wall and the timber seating contrast with the stainless steel elements of the café | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The vintage elements such as the brick wall and the timber seating contrast with the stainless steel elements of the cafe Image: Andriy Bezuglov

The location of the cafe plays a key role in its design as well. Situated in central Kyiv on the street that borders Bessarabska Square, the vibe, energy and the fast pace of the city almost wafts inside the café as well, giving it its identity and character. Patrons enter the premises yet don’t feel closed inside it—the large glass doors ensure uninterrupted visuals between the indoors and outdoors.

  • The cafe’s design is immersed in the concept of pixel art | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The cafe’s design is immersed in the concept of pixel art Image: Andriy Bezuglov
  • The seating provides a moment of rest and pause to the busy commuters | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The seating provides a moment of rest and pause to the busy commuters Image: Andriy Bezuglov
  • The mosaic tiles run along the walls, floor and stairs | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The mosaic tiles run along the walls, floor and stairs Image: Andriy Bezuglov

On the ground floor are two chairs and a bench, tucked inside a niche where a few guests can settle down. Another seating is along the building façade next to the café. The timber used to create these was sourced from old beams that were once part of a barn. "It is a time-proven material that tells its own story and works as a contrast with the cold stainless steel elements like the small round tables and shelves. Other than that, the main materials we've used are the space's original old bricks, and mosaic tiles by Cinca on the walls, floor, and stairs. We designed a few large-scale lamps for the counter. Also, we have LED lines behind shelves and in the niche above the seating place," shares Bonesko.

On a busy street in the heart of the city, frequented by professionals, students and vendors, it’s not easy to create a space that begs a double take, and coaxes you to come inside. The DOT Coffee Station and its design, in that sense, is a true win.

  • The DOT Coffee Station is imagined as a space that assimilates the spirit of the city | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    The DOT Coffee Station is imagined as a space that assimilates the spirit of the city Image: Andriy Bezuglov
  • Right from the entrance steps, the cafe’s design-theme of pixel art is made evident | YOD Group| Ukraine| STIRworld
    Right from the entrance steps, the cafe’s design-theme of pixel art is made evident Image: Andriy Bezuglov

Project Details

Name of the project: The DOT Coffee Station
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Architect: Dmytro Bonesko, YOD Group
Area: 30.6 sqm
Year of completion: 2021

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