A dramatic, sculptural arch dominates the foreground, framing the central retail area beyond. The quilted curve of the yurt-like partition contrasts with the orthogonal ceiling lattice overhead, encapsulating UP2DATE’s synthesis of nomadic abstraction and constructivist clarity within a serene, materially grounded interior.

Messa House: Reframing Retail Through Geometric Abstraction and Cultural Memory in Kazakhstan

Words by Yatzer

Almaty, Kazakhstan

In an era when retail interiors compete through spectacle and technology, Messa House in Almaty, Kazakhstan, proposes a quieter alternative. Designed by UP2DATE architects for the Kazakh womenswear brand MESSA, the 350-square-metre store is conceived as a place to slow down, where architecture, not branding, define the atmosphere. Minimal in palette, the interior combines a fluid layout with a sculptural design language that distils Soviet constructivism and nomadic traditions into geometric abstraction. Rooted in cultural memory as much as contemporary minimalism, the result is an immersive, almost meditative environment that demonstrates how retail can operate through restraint rather than amplification.

The cylindrical limestone volume, pierced by an arched niche, stands beside the sweeping crescent wall that defines the showroom. Beneath the disciplined coffered ceiling, garments and display elements are framed by geometric clarity, illustrating the project’s synthesis of nomadic heritage and modernist rigor.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

A side perspective frames the padded crescent wall as a soft, tactile volume beneath the disciplined ceiling lattice. Limestone plinths and circular column shelving articulate the open plan, while daylight filtering through tall windows tempers the constructivist clarity with a subdued, contemplative glow.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

A wide view captures the padded crescent partition and the cylindrical core aligned beneath the gridded ceiling, emphasizing spatial layering within the open plan. Limestone tables punctuate the floor, while daylight filters through tall glazing, softening the neo-vernacular minimalism with a restrained, almost meditative atmosphere.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

Vertical white columns rhythmically divide the interior, guiding the eye toward tiled surfaces and curved partitions beyond. A limestone-clad sofa anchors the foreground, while the coffered ceiling grid above underscores the calibrated tension between fluid forms and structural precision characteristic of UP2DATE’s design approach.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

The interior unfolds as a calm, monochromatic mise-en-scène, underpinned by a sandy palette applied consistently across floors, walls, ceilings and furnishings to create a unified visual field. Shell limestone from the Mangystau region is used extensively, from cladding columns, to shaping counters, display tables and seating, bringing tactility and a sense of permanence to the space. This chromatic and material cohesion also serves to heighten immersion, establishing a contemplative ambience that encourages visitors to linger.

At the heart of the store, a free-standing, crescent-shaped wall carves out the central retail area as an abstract reimagining of the traditional Kazakh yurt, a portable dwelling of nomadic origin with deep cultural significance. Rather than replicating the vernacular structure, the curvilinear volume distils its spatial logic, evoking a sense of enclosure and intimacy while remaining visually open. Secondary functions, including fitting rooms, a packaging area, a café and a small vestibule conceived as a place for pause, unfold fluidly around the main retail area, as a sequence of interconnected zones.

A dramatic, sculptural arch dominates the foreground, framing the central retail area beyond. The quilted curve of the yurt-like partition contrasts with the orthogonal ceiling lattice overhead, encapsulating UP2DATE’s synthesis of nomadic abstraction and constructivist clarity within a serene, materially grounded interior.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • Seen through a broad arched threshold, the crescent enclosure and cylindrical core align beneath the disciplined coffered ceiling. A single white dress hangs in the distance, emphasizing scale and serenity, while the sandy palette and measured lighting cultivate an atmosphere of contemplative minimalism.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • Curved partitions sweep across the frame, their smooth white surfaces intersecting with limestone columns and tiled floors. Minimal clothing rails trace the arc of the wall, allowing garments to hover lightly against the monochrome backdrop, where geometry and restraint guide the visitor’s movement.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • A crescent-shaped wall curves overhead, its smooth, sandy surface framing a single white garment suspended along a minimalist rail. Shell limestone floors and tiled cylindrical columns reinforce the muted monochrome palette, while soft, diffused light accentuates the sculptural sweep of the yurt-inspired form and the continuity of movement across the space.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

A circular shelf encircling a limestone-clad column becomes a sculptural display element, presenting neatly stacked product cubes in muted hues. The sandy floor and monochrome backdrop heighten the clarity of form, while the column’s vertical rhythm counters the horizontal band, reinforcing the store’s geometric precision.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

The glossy arc of the central volume reveals a white dress against its curved surface, contrasting with the gridded coffered ceiling above. In the background, limestone shelving and a low stone sofa create a composed lounge setting, highlighting UP2DATE’s interplay between fluid geometry and disciplined structural order.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • A cylindrical limestone core and the sweeping curve of the central partition establish a dialogue of volumes beneath the ceiling lattice. The restrained monochrome palette and textured stone surfaces heighten the sculptural quality of the space, echoing the abstracted yurt form central to UP2DATE’s design narrative.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • An axial view highlights the interplay between a slender mannequin in white, arched openings, and the sweeping curve of the central wall. The orthogonal ceiling grid anchors the composition overhead, sharpening the fluid forms below and encapsulating UP2DATE’s restrained synthesis of nomadic references and modernist rigor.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • Partially framed by a limestone-clad column, the composition emphasizes depth and layering: monolithic stone tables align with the curved enclosure beyond. The sandy floor tiles and muted surfaces dissolve into one another, reinforcing UP2DATE’s commitment to material continuity and spatial coherence.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • A layered composition foregrounds a limestone display table while the quilted crescent enclosure curves softly to the left, its tactile surface contrasting the smooth stone plinths. Beyond, the cylindrical yurt-inspired core rises beneath the strict coffered ceiling grid, illustrating UP2DATE’s calibrated dialogue between fluid geometry and constructivist order.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

A monolithic limestone display table sits before a cylindrical core punctuated by an arched opening, while garments hang against a glossy curved partition. The interplay of stone mass, reflective surfaces and measured lighting articulates the balance between enclosure and openness that shapes the retail experience.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

The yurt-like volume is only the beginning of a recurring language of rounded forms: arched windows and openings, curved display tables and a cylindrical core housing the WC extend this curvilinear logic, reinforcing the continuity of movement across the space. Counterbalancing these elements is a subtle yet pervasive grid which takes shape through a coffered ceiling that unfolds in a rhythmic lattice, echoed in the patterned floor paving and the tiled cladding of both the columns and built-in counters. This interplay between curved geometries and the orthogonal framework creates a rigorous sculptural character within the space, reminiscent of Soviet Constructivist clarity, resulting in a calibrated tension that sharpens spatial perception.

Grounded in soulful materiality, cultural continuity and the measured choreography of movement, Messa House resists spectacle in favour of coherence. Rather than competing with the garments being showcased, the project proposes a model of contemporary retail defined less by display and more by ambience and spatial intelligence, an approach that feels all the more pertinent in an age of overstimulation.

Limestone shelving, built seamlessly into tiled columns, displays folded textiles and sculptural paper elements in a restrained palette. The low stone sofa and cylindrical bolster cushions extend the geometric rigor, while the grid ceiling overhead reinforces the constructivist clarity underlying the space’s fluid circulation.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

A panoramic view captures the dialogue between curved partitions and the orthogonal ceiling lattice. Cylindrical limestone columns and arched openings frame a serene seating area, where pale upholstered furniture and sculptural side tables echo the project’s minimalist, neo-vernacular sensibility grounded in material continuity.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

Arched glazing frames verdant views, softening the rigorous grid of the coffered ceiling above. Limestone shelving and sculptural lighting fixtures stand against the pale envelope, while the stone-clad sofa extends toward the windows, reinforcing the interior’s fluid circulation and contemplative atmosphere.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

A view toward tall arched windows reveals natural light filtering across tiled columns and sandy stone floors. The café counter appears in the midground, its monolithic limestone mass contrasted by a translucent backdrop. The composition highlights the project’s neo-vernacular sensibility grounded in material continuity and spatial alignment.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • A limestone-clad sofa with cream-upholstery and cylindrical bolsters anchors the foreground, paired with glossy, tulip-like side tables in a pale finish. Beyond, vertical apertures frame the café counter, while the coffered ceiling grid imposes structural rhythm. The composition underscores the dialogue between softness and order that defines UP2DATE’s spatial approach.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • A café counter clad in Mangystau shell limestone sits beneath a grid of recessed lights, its pale massing contrasted by a translucent glass backdrop. The orthogonal framing of columns and ceiling sharpens the minimalist composition, emphasizing the disciplined material logic that defines the store’s spatial hierarchy.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

  • A lounge vignette reveals the coffered ceiling’s rhythmic lattice above pale limestone columns and arched apertures. The soft, sandy flooring reflects natural light, while rounded furniture forms—cylindrical cushions and tulip-like side tables—enhance the interior’s sculptural cohesion and measured spatial flow.

    Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

An arched opening frames a sculptural stair with a softly curving balustrade, revealing a mezzanine level beyond. The interplay of vault-like apertures and the strict ceiling grid above creates a dialogue between fluid form and structural order, extending the yurt-inspired geometry vertically through the space.

Photography © Varvara Toplennikova.

Messa House: Reframing Retail Through Geometric Abstraction and Cultural Memory in Kazakhstan