Tasked with reimagining the restaurant’s interior from the ground up, LH47 ARCH crafted a bold reconcept — transforming a conventional space into a coastal retreat that whisks guests from Chișinău’s urban bustle to the serene charm of a lakeside market. Designed and built in just two weeks, the project was as much a logistical challenge as a creative endeavor, with the team overseeing both the new vision and its hands-on execution.
Project Name: Chernomorka Restaurant Lakeside Oasis in the Heart of the City
Studio Name: LH47 ARCH
Location: Chișinău, Moldova
Year: 2024
Area: 400 sq m
Team: Serghei Mirza, Ornella Mirza, Mark Kristalov, Oleg Harchenko, and Daniela Prisacari
Photo: George Omen
Drawing inspiration from traditional seaside fish markets — where freshness and interaction take center stage — the restaurant immerses guests in a multisensory experience. An oyster pool at the entrance evokes the lively spirit of a harbor, while a curated seafood display invites diners to choose their catch and discover its origins, blending education with culinary delight.
The transformation hinges on a layered, naturalistic approach, blurring the line between city interior and coastal landscape. The second floor, envisioned as a serene lakeside getaway, avoids literal imitation in favor of evocative storytelling. Rather than replicating the shore, it conjures its essence through texture, sound, and artful imperfections.
Hand-gathered reeds, their organic irregularities intact, were woven into partitions and ceiling installations, adding rhythm while softening the architecture. Underfoot, wide-plank timber flooring echoes the worn planks of a pier, its intentional unevenness contrasting with the gentle crunch of a 10 cm pebble base, a detail requiring precise engineering to balance stability with the organic feel of a shoreline. Above, bundles of foraged branches, stripped and painted in muted hues, stretch across the ceiling like tidal driftwood, their shifting shadows enriching the dining space.
Authenticity was paramount. The team sourced raw, unfinished materials: unvarnished wood, untreated reeds, and river-smoothed stones — knowing their natural flaws would enhance the space’s warmth. Even the nautical accents, from fishing rods resting against walls to sun-bleached loungers, were arranged to feel serendipitous, as if carried in by the tide.
Yet beneath this effortless aesthetic lay rigorous engineering. The pebble floor required a reinforced substructure to prevent shifting, while hidden moisture barriers protected the oyster pool’s surrounding wood from warping. Ventilation was carefully calibrated to balance the needs of fresh seafood displays with guest comfort. Most crucially, the handcrafted reed and branch installations—each unique—had to meet fire safety standards without betraying their raw appeal, achieved through discreet fire-retardant treatments.
The result is a space where artistry and precision merge seamlessly. What seems spontaneous — the dappled light through reeds, the subtle shift of pebbles underfoot—is the product of relentless refinement, proving that the most convincing natural illusions demand the greatest care.
