365 Studio in Kyiv, Ukraine by Bogdanova|Beauty Salon

The Kyiv-based architecture and design studio Bogdanova Bureau has recently completed ''365 Studio'' a beauty studio that is located in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Architect's statement: 365 Studio occupies some part of the ground floor and the first floor in a new building in central Kyiv. What made this project complicated was its belonging to the chain which already had its identity guide. There are certain rules which are formalized in the brandbook such as combination of white and green colors, plants and natural materials in the interior because the company is eco friendly and tries to keep closer to nature.

The key element of the project is the stairs with green steel banister. We had to cut out a part of the floor above and reinforce the building construction before it. 10 mm thick steel sheets for banister were cut and bent in advance to be welded on site. We built up a lifting tackle in the building which held every metal sheet and let weld them unsupported. After that we had all joints primed and moped like in automotive manufacturing.

Rounded shapes of the banister add some dynamics and continuity to space. These elements are aligned with some of the walls and work surfaces radiuses, shapes of mirrors on walls and three bar islands.

image © Yevhenii Avramenko

Color Bar is a place where hair dyes are mixed. Also, you can drink some champagne next to it. In the 365 Studio customers decide where to spend the time during hair dying by themselves, there is no need to stay in a hairdressing chair all the time.

The real bar with drinks is located on the ground floor under the stairs. We brought a cozy rattan couch and chairs from Bali specially for this zone next to the bar.

The Man zone is located on the ground floor and has a separate entrance. The glass wall divides this space from other studio. Besides three barber chairs, there is a zone for combined manicure and pedicure where you can watch a movie on 52 inches screen or play on a Playstation with your neighbor during the procedures.

The crucial aspect of 365 Studio’s interior is its ergonomics and thoughtful logistics inside the space. We got a precise brief from our client and checked some other points directly with the masters who work there. The comfort of customers and masters is equally important. There are integrated dust collectors in manicure tables, circle stands for nail polishes on the tables, and some places for keeping electric nail drills and heaters. We calculated a correct swing of the pedicure chair by testing it on the real-size model so that a client can take off and take on their shoes in the most comfortable way.

image © Yevhenii Avramenko

One of the features of 365 Studio is the possibility of parallel processes. Up to five masters can work with the client at the same time. Manicure, pedicure, hair dying, eyebrows and makeup can be done in one or two hours. Such an approach saves the customer’s time. It requires the perfect logic of the space where several masters do their work in one square meter.

– Good beauty studio reminds me of a pit stop in Formula-1 where a group of professionals change wheels and charge a car within a couple of seconds. When masters are doing their business the customer feels calmness and trust. He or she comes here to rest, look after themselves, chit-chat and have a glass of champagne, – an architect Olga Bogdanova tells.

– Most of our clients are busy people and they have to look appropriately. A visit to a beauty salon is scheduled in their life planner. They respect their time and demand a certain level of service. That’s why we implemented parallel processes in our studio when several masters work with one client at the same time. For me it is important to make such an approach comfortable not only for customers but for masters. They spend in salon the whole day and it feel right if they come to work and see that everything is arranged for their comfort.

Together with Bogdanova Bureau we checked every step – where a master takes the equipment, where she throws the trash, where a client puts their purse, and where they leave shoes. It is important to have all this in your mind when you plan the space at a very early stage. – the founder of 365 Studio Iryna Popova says.