A new PAPAYA brand showroom has opened in the heart of Obukhiv, Ukraine, designed by Between The Walls architecture firm. The 170-square-meter retail space, completed in 2025, represents a thoughtful approach to interior design that views space as a living entity engaging in dialogue between past and present.
The design team, led by Victoria Karieva, began their work with deep respect for the building's historical significance. The space previously housed the former Koshchovni Rachi store, which retained authentic architectural elements including original shell rock walls and anodized aluminum display cases. Rather than erasing these historical features, Between The Walls chose to preserve, emphasize, and restore them as the foundation for the new interior concept.
The restoration process involved careful material selection that honored the space's heritage. Fragments of existing shell rock were discovered and supplemented with natural stone sourced from the Rivne region, materials that had been brought to the area during the Soviet era. This combination creates a sense of historical integrity and authentic natural presence throughout the space, establishing a connection between different periods of Ukrainian history.
The design philosophy centers on combining natural materials with clean geometric forms. Polished concrete flooring provides a sense of monolithic stability and serves as a unifying base throughout the showroom. The ceiling features integrated light panels that deliver uniform, soft diffused illumination, carefully designed to emphasize the texture of materials without creating unnecessary visual accents. The lighting design creates an atmosphere where light seems to dissolve into the walls and floor, enhancing feelings of calm and weightlessness.
Custom-made clothing rails form the backbone of the furniture solutions, crafted from matte metal that echoes the plasticity of the existing architectural arches. These functional elements serve dual purposes as both sculptural features and practical storage solutions. Their design organizes the retail space, directs customer movement, and functions as visual landmarks throughout the showroom. The flexible forms draw creative inspiration from Richard Serra's sculptural language, appearing both gravitational and massive while maintaining human scale.
The clothing rails' organic forms resemble natural formations such as waves, shorelines, or rock formations, creating a visual connection to the material's coastal origins. The microcement flooring composition, made from a mixture of sand and small shells, literally embodies this marine character. This material choice supports the overall design concept of naturalness, physicality, and material tranquility that underlies the entire interior scheme.
A dedicated fitting room area features rich green velvet curtains that create dramatic color contrast and visual intrigue. This design choice adds depth to the space while allowing customers to focus on their reflection in full-length mirrors. The intimate atmosphere created by these curtains provides necessary privacy for a fashion retail environment.
The fitting room entrance area includes a sofa upholstered in Dedar fabric, chosen for its harmonious relationship with the deep green velvet tones. This seating area creates a sense of harmony and tranquility for waiting customers. Adjacent to the sofa stands a Vitra floor lamp designed by Isamu Noguchi, which continues the interior's overall design concept through its soft wave-like forms and warm sandy colors that reference the natural motifs embedded throughout the space.
The showroom's centerpiece is a striking sculpture created by artist Tamara Turlyun. Constructed from paper and metal wire, the artwork has been seamlessly integrated into the space as an object that not only exists but actively influences movement patterns, mood, and attention. Turlyun's work explores the concept of care through personal history, drawing inspiration from observing the women in her family and their expressions of strength and love.
Regarding her creation, Tamara Turlyun explains: "For me, this sculpture became a reflection on the place of care and love. The fact that the work can be 'read', for example, as a structure from the world of insects, is not a bad thing; it is just another arrangement in which there is home, love, and care, perhaps in a form different from our ideas." The sculpture was created specifically for this space, taking into account its color palette, architectural forms, scale, and customer movement scenarios.
The artwork transforms the interior's perception from purely decorative to deeply emotional, adding layers of meaning that extend beyond commercial function. This integration of fine art into retail space demonstrates how contemporary Ukrainian designers are creating environments that serve both commercial and cultural purposes.
The new PAPAYA showroom stands as an exemplary model of how interior design can demonstrate sensitivity to historical context while remaining thoroughly contemporary and relevant. The project prioritizes emotional experience over spectacle, emphasizing qualities of silence, respect, and thoughtfulness. The result is a retail environment where architecture becomes a narrative—one that is gentle, honest, and deeply tactile, offering customers an immersive experience that connects them to both the products and the cultural heritage of the space.
