Fluid space

In Minsk, Café Moulin interprets the contemporary café as a space for moments of respite and contemplation. Designed by Anna Lazar, the project eschews spectacular gestures to create an environment in which architecture, light and materials establish a restrained atmosphere, conceived to accompany the daily coffee ritual without ever overshadowing the guest experience. The interior unfolds through a deliberately fluid design language. Arches, rounded openings, curved walls and oval mirrors replace orthogonal geometry, creating a continuous sequence of surfaces that guides the eye and softens the perception of boundaries. This architecture works primarily through perception, establishing a sense of continuity that makes the space welcoming and relaxing.

The same approach informs the choice of materials and colours. Neutral tones, warm greys, milky whites and textured surfaces define a pared-back backdrop against which natural light continually alters the perception of the interior. During the day, generous openings admit soft daylight, while in the evening artificial lighting transforms the café into a more intimate, secluded setting. Arranged along the main axis of the room, the pendant lights do more than provide illumination: they establish a rhythm, amplified by reflections in the mirrors that visually extend the depth of the space. Within this carefully judged balance, the flooring plays a decisive role.

The ceramic surface is more than a finish: its material presence gives the interior visual depth. The marble veining interacts with the plastered surfaces and the metal elements of the counter and furnishings, creating a controlled contrast that avoids decorative excess. The bathroom maintains the same design coherence, reinterpreting the café’s geometric language through a graphic pattern that reinforces the identity of the spaces. This approach extends to the washbasin, made by a local manufacturer using the same ceramic slabs.

For the project, Anna Lazar chose Sound of Marbles by Ceramica Fioranese, a marble-inspired porcelain tile collection developed in collaboration with the creative collective Neropaco. The collection gives a classic material a contemporary interpretation, combining marble-effect surfaces with geometric patterns formed by intersecting lines, diagonals and curves. The aim is to reinterpret the character of natural stone, creating surfaces that engage with contemporary architecture and pared-back interiors. The range encompasses numerous sizes, finishes and colourways, alongside a family of decorative designs offering considerable compositional freedom for floors and walls. At Café Moulin, the Verde Intenso variant was selected for the main floor in the large 74 × 148 cm format, with a polished finish and rectified edges. The depth of the green veining provides a material counterpoint to the interior’s neutral palette, visually grounding the space without disrupting its continuity. In the bathroom, the FioMood Verde decorative design, also in the 74 × 148 cm format, translates the collection’s colours into a geometric composition with a strong graphic character, extending to the bespoke washbasin.