Auyl Restaurant / NAAW + DUNIE

Architects: NAAW
Designers: DUNIE
Area: 350 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Damir Otegen, Yulo Khan, Zarina Zoman, Sergey Kuchin
Architects: Elvira Bakubayeva, Aisulu Uali, Victoria Akram
Collaborators: Dunie Design, Assel Nussipkozhanova
City: Almaty
Country: Kazakhstan

Auyl restaurant designed by NAAW and DUNIE in Almaty, Kazakhstan has transformed the dining experience by merging gastronomy with performance. Completed in 2023, the immersive space allows guests to witness the entire cooking process from various vantage points. The design incorporates elements of nomadic architecture and uses subdued lighting to create a theatrical atmosphere. The dynamic kitchen activities, combined with natural sounds, offer a sensory-rich experience, aiming to share a heartfelt story with diners.

Auyl is an experimental restaurant in Almaty’s Medeu mountain district. This project resulted from the collaboration between architectural studio NAAW and design studio DUNIE, involving architects, artists, artisans, designers, and creative producers. The immersive space merges gastronomy and performance, offering guests an experience enriched by lighting, sound, atmosphere, textures, and smells. The restaurant presents unique interpretations of Central Asian cuisine, designed to create an engaging and sensory-rich environment.

Elvira Bakubayeva and Aisulu Uali, architects and founders of NAAW, collaborated with designer Assel Nusipkozhanova of DUNIE to design a space that evokes emotions. They aimed to craft an architecture that is spacious, powerful, and impressive from the moment guests enter. After extensive research and various iterations, the team settled on an open-kitchen concept, allowing diners to observe the entire cooking process.

Guests can view the kitchen activities from different areas within the restaurant, such as the Topchan area, bar stools, or traditional tables and chairs. The domes above the cooking area resemble bowls, a nod to nomadic architecture, and visually separate the dining area from the kitchen. Subdued lighting adds a mysterious ambiance, reminiscent of a theater auditorium.

The lighting is part of the overall performance, complemented by the kitchen’s live cooking. Chefs are seen kneading dough, churning kumys, baking flatbread in tandoor ovens, and grilling meat. The atmosphere, combined with sounds of nature like wind, rustling leaves, and chirping birds, immerses guests in the dining experience. The open floor plan, innovative lighting, and natural sounds create a whimsical show, transporting diners to the vast steppes. The project aims to share a heartfelt and sincere story with Auyl’s guests.