Project name: STAN
Design: Dubrovska Studio
Team: Natalie Dubrovska, Katerina Bandura, Daria Shmyrko
Location: Kyiv (UA)
Sector: Yoga and barre studio
Area: 120 m2 / 1290 ft2
Year: 2023
Photo: Yevhenii Avramenko
Stan is a yoga and barre studio in central Kyiv, welcomes those identifying as women.
Ukrainian word CTAH (STAN in Latin transliteration) means physical posture OR state, as a feeling of yourself.
Situated in a vibrant area, it’s founded by a professional ballet dancer, Mariia Dreihaupt.. Designers intentionally crafted a significant part of the project around her, intertwining her personality with a broader celebration of women.
Stan encapsulates the spirit of feminine strength, elegance, and individuality, inviting to embark on a transformative journey within its carefully curated space. It is not just a studio; it is a sanctuary for self-expression and holistic well-being.
The existing layout was quite sharp and didn’t match the envisioned soft, elegant, and feminine personality for the future concept. Dubrovska Studio designers aimed to add more softness by rounding corners and using light curtains to smooth out the layout.
The interior unfolds seamlessly, with a curtain corridor leading to changing rooms and showers. Faced with the absence of a minimalistic and soft solution for lockers, the designers crafted their own, complete with bespoke number and key tags. The showers, covered in small mosaic tiles, took inspiration from the modernist aesthetics of public bathrooms.
Venturing further into the studio, another turn from the curtain corridor reveals the heart of Stan – the spacious room where classes come to life. This versatile space, accommodating up to 15 people, boasts a flexible lighting setup and mirror walls, creating an environment where the magic of each training session unfolds.
The primary concept for the space involves reusing existing elements and sourcing locally. Despite the challenges of ordering from abroad due to wartime conditions during construction, the emphasis on sustainability aligned well with the overall concept.
“In our situation, when we initiated the project, there was virtually nothing available. We literally pieced the project together from leftovers we found around Kyiv.”, – designer Natalie Dubrovska said.
Despite these challenges and frequent electricity blackouts in Ukraine during the construction process, the design aimed for uniqueness and creativity became the driving force. All elements were crafted based on designer drawings, with the sofa serving as a centrepiece for the welcoming area, inspired by the overall layout.
Designer Natalie Dubrovska shared, “I envisioned upholstering it with gobelin fabric, sourced second-hand or from an old fabric manufacturer. The quest for the right fabric turned into a humorous journey, with many gobelins featuring unappealing cat face illusions. Almost giving up, we lucked out, discovering a fabric from the 1970s that closely mirrored our initial design.”
Complementing the sofa, little tables were crafted from stone leftovers carefully sourced in the warehouse. A mirror, cut into the rock base in the welcoming area, creates an illusion of magic and special charm, reflecting parts of the space depending on the angle.
The reception desk, cast in concrete, aimed for rough edges to contrast with the soft surroundings. Blending with existing gray microcement on the floor, it extended into the desk and was crushed on top, achieving the desired look and feel.
