Steel, concrete, LED panels and neon green compose the unexpected palette for New York- and Moscow-based artist and architect Harry Nuriev’s latest project. Named after Wong Kar-Wai’s 2004 sci-fi film, 2046, the space is a “combination of reality and virtual reality,” and offers coffee and baked goods in an enticing, yet dystopian setting.

Nuriev, who is known for his boundary-pushing design ethos, has been named a global authority in minimalism and lauded for his ability to create eye-catching spaces for the Instagram era —including Dover Street Market’s Crosby Café, among other projects. The designer often utilizes bold colours in his monochromatic works — but neon green, “a colour rarely seen in interiors,” offered a unique challenge. His surprising palettes have become his signature — and something he plans to explore in further works as he aims to “push the visual experience” in a variety of venues.

Located in Khamovniki, a district on the Moskva River, a demure façade welcomes visitors into the café’s reflective space, featuring a “room within a room” layout. Built-in seating, a neon bathroom, as well as digital art from artist Roma Bantik, who has created a piece especially for the space, adorn the café’s interior. Beyond its design ethos, 2046 is also dedicated to sustainability — the café uses takeaway containers made from recycled sugar cane and serves drinks in recycled wine bottles. This eco-friendly mission is well in line with Nuriev’s vision for the café of the future.

“I think any innovation comes out of discomfort and dissatisfaction about what is going on,” says the designer. He hopes visitors to the café will feel at “home amid a chaotic world — calm and inspired.”