DA BUREAU's Smash Burger Restaurant Design in Armenia
Modular design inspired by 1980s American street culture
1Yerevan's first smash burger restaurant
Designed by DA BUREAU, IYKYK is the first smash burger restaurant in Yerevan, Armenia. The 100-square-meter space aims to create a scalable architectural and visual identity for future branches rather than being just a single location. The design combines interior architecture, brand identity, and custom elements to create a consistent spatial language for a growing restaurant chain.
2Influence of 1980s American street culture
The project draws references from 1980s American street culture. Modular forms, retro fast-food imagery, and the brand's signature orange color are fundamental elements of the design. Classic burger restaurants and food trucks inspired both the architectural language and custom furnishings. These references create visual continuity between interior and exterior spaces.
3Modular service counter
At the heart of the space is a modular service counter that reinterprets the form of metallic food trucks associated with Los Angeles street culture. Composed of inflated, rounded volumes, this counter extends the same volumetric language to the main facade. The orange sculptural elements create a visual connection between interior and exterior while defining the restaurant's street presence.
4Integrated brand elements
Branded elements like the LED menu display, merchandise cabinet, illuminated terrace sign, and restroom designed as a recognizable interior destination strengthen the spatial identity. These elements form part of a repeatable design system for future locations rather than being merely decorative additions. Every detail references the visual culture of 1980s American fast-food environments.
5Custom materials and construction techniques
The project employs several construction systems developed specifically for the restaurant. The modular counter is assembled around a structural frame with a high-density expanded polystyrene core. Reinforced with a fiberglass shell and finished in orange paint, this system creates continuous rounded geometry. Above, mechanical services integrate with the transparent Perspex ceiling structure in brand colors.
6Lighting and atmosphere design
Custom arched supports and a cable-mounted LED tube lighting system provide even illumination while allowing atmospheric transitions between daytime dining and evening service. The lighting stands out as a critical design element that enables the restaurant to offer different experiences at various times of day.
7Scalable architectural language
Completed in 2024, IYKYK establishes a modular architectural language that unites branding, furnishings, lighting, and interior elements into a repeatable framework. The project proposes a consistent spatial identity that can be adapted to future restaurant locations while maintaining the same material palette, construction principles, and visual character.
8Convergence of gastronomy and design
DA BUREAU's project successfully reflects the synergy between food culture and space design. The approach that combines fast-food experience with high design values creates a solid foundation for the brand's future expansion. This concept serves as an inspiring example of how global restaurant chains can maintain brand integrity while adapting to local contexts.