HEYDAY INTERIOR DESIGN: A SPACE THAT REFLECTS RHYTHM

The interior of HEYDAY was created by Ukrainian architect Volodymyr Ponomarenko — a space where rhythm, light, and motion shape the experience of every guest.

When Volodymyr first stepped into the location — a former Intelligentsia café on the corner of Division and Ashland — the goal wasn’t just to redesign it. It was to rethink how the space could live. The original layout didn’t work for a fast, intuitive daily flow: too much was given to the technical zone, and seating felt secondary. The task was to create a new structure of movement — a space that keeps pace with the city, yet feels calm inside.

From the very beginning, the team built a 3D model of the café and tested every scenario in virtual reality — walking through routes, checking furniture heights, and simulating guest flow. This process allowed them to refine every decision before construction began.

The name HEYDAY became the architectural starting point. It speaks about energy, daylight, and the moment of bloom — ideas that naturally shaped the logic of the interior. The space was designed to follow the rhythm of a day: from the first morning rush to the slower afternoon moments. The trajectory moves in a smooth curve — from the entrance to the counter, pickup, and seating — creating a natural flow without collisions.

Closer to the entrance, the energy is higher: quick seats and short stops. Deeper inside, it slows down — softer light, quieter zones, longer stays. Each guest intuitively finds their rhythm.

Simplicity and motion guided every choice. The plan remains open, with no partitions or fixed boundaries. The technical area runs along the back wall, leaving the rest free for people — a communal table in the center, bar seats by the windows, a long oak bench in the back.

Many of the materials carry their own story. The oak wood from the previous interior was disassembled, cleaned, and transformed into new furniture — a gesture of respect for what was already part of the place. It’s not sustainability as a statement, but as a quiet continuity.

The color concept grew from the name itself. HEYDAY is about light, energy, and renewal — and the sunflower became its natural metaphor. The yellow-painted floor brings warmth and optimism, while polished steel objects above reflect and shift with daylight, like petals catching the sun. At their center — black rotating HEY REVOLVER chairs, minimal and dynamic, echoing the idea of movement and growth.

The process of realization was alive and collaborative — shaped day by day with craftsmen, designers, and the HEYDAY team. Many solutions evolved on-site, guided by the same principle: nothing extra, only what supports flow and feeling.

Today, HEYDAY lives as a space that moves with the rhythm of the neighborhood — light, fast, and full of life. It’s more than just a café interior; it’s an environment designed to reflect how the city wakes up, moves, and slows down again.