Always New Heights: the Sundukovy Sisters on Signature Spaces, Bringing Happiness, and Finding New Ways to Grow

By Julia Gamolina

Twins Irina and Olga Sundukovy founded eponymous design & architecture studio Sundukovy Sisters, or simply S+S, in 2004. Today, S+S is a team of seventy talented and passionate people creating award-winning interiors for public places around the world. Irina and Olga Sundukovy are visiting lecturers at the British Higher School of Design in Moscow and often speak at hospitality and design events worldwide, such as Dezeen’s talk on smart design and wellbeing, Sleep+Eat and BDNY. They are often invited as judges in the international design and architecture awards such as Dezeen Awards 2019 and The Architecture MasterPrize 2018. They are experts in the Council of Experts of Interior Design and Architecture Environment.

In their interview, Irina and Olga talk about how their practice has evolved, their love for environments that bring people happiness and joy, and advise those just starting their careers to stay true to their own path.

JG: How did your interest in architecture first develop?

SS: When we were fifteen, the apartment we lived in was being renovated. Our mom had told us then, that all the outdated furniture that we had would stay and be inherited by our children. We realized that this needs to be changed. From that point on, we constantly changed something in our room, bringing more beauty to it. At some point, naturally, our passion to fill the space with beauty went beyond the borders of our childhood room.

What did you learn about yourself in studying architecture?

We got to know ourselves. Before, we had no idea who we were and what to do with our lives. We were really curious as children, trying everything out once or twice but dropping it quickly to move on to the next thing. But when we entered the world of interior architecture and design, we realized that is what we’re meant to do. It became an integral part of our life.

We also came to realize, based on our own experience, that the more you work, the more ideas you have - not vice versa, as it is commonly thought. Our work is our daily source of inspiration.

How did you get your start in the field?

We began working in the field during our second year in university. Gradually, we eventually got to work with clients on the Forbes 100 list and that’s when we realized that wasn’t the path we wished to go down. We never wanted to create the most expensive projects, but rather the most striking and most interesting. We also didn’t want to create environments that would only be enjoyed by a few; we wanted to create signature spaces for all, including ourselves; spaces, where we could also enjoy our time in. That’s how we started working with people whom we admire and are enriched by.

“...the more you work, the more ideas you have - not vice versa...”

Walk me through your career steps chronologically, focusing on significant moments and key milestones.

We entered university when we were 17, and designed our first project, a café, for a friend in our second year. In 2004, we graduated from university and hired our first employees. By 2005, we had our first offshore project in Hong Kong, and a few years later, we decided that we wanted to focus on public spaces, rather than residences. We were ready to start designing restaurants, but the 2008 financial crisis hit Russia, so we had to return to the world of luxury private residences for a couple more years.

In 2012, we faced our second crisis, but we were able to keep working because we were the only Russian designers that a European hotel chain worked with. The rouble fell and investors started to seek out Russian designers with contracts and roubles. Plus, we were focused on hotels, so our portfolio quickly filled up with different hotel brands. There were twenty of us in the studio at this point, and in 2016 we grew to be fifty people working around the world. The same year we won two design competitions to renovate the Pullman Hotels in Versailles and Berlin. By 2019 we started thirteen new projects, twelve of which were abroad. The same year we were also chosen as one of the four design studios to create a global concept for all new Novotel hotels and renovations worldwide. At this point, we are continuing with our hotel and restaurant projects, creating signature interiors like we can and love to, and as always, we strive to create spaces where we like to spend our own time, too.

Where are you in your career today?

We have the jitters and can’t sit still, always aiming for new heights. Self-development is endless and we always feel that there is way too much ahead of us to stop. We are our only competitors and our each next project has to be better than the previous.

Remy Kitchen Bakery by and courtesy of S+S.

Community Multispace by and courtesy of S+S

How do you define success in your current role?

Success is when you wake up every morning absolutely happy and your work brings you joy. And you don’t have to fly anywhere [laughs] - this is still a point for improvement for us.

Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges?

In one Soviet movie, a factory director tells her friend about her 3000 employees. Her friend asks, “How do you manage?” She replies, “It was hard with three employees. With 3000 it’s easier.” The hardest thing is being designers, art-directors, and business owners all at once. We are constantly learning how to juggle this and although it is also creative work, we would love to be able to only focus on design sometimes.

There is a funny story. When I (Irina) already had my second child, and he was already traveling the world with me while only a few months old, Olga was on bed rest in the hospital. I came to the hospital for a Skype call with a client and we were asked to step out of the ward as to not distract other patients. So, we took the call to the staircase. The client asked us then, “Are you aware of and ready for the responsibility after winning two international design competitions for renovating Pullman hotels in Berlin and Versailles?” We answered, “Of course we are.” Then we looked at each other and burst out laughing. There we were, two girls on a staircase, Olya with a dripping tube, trying to make it all work. Yet, we managed. We opened both hotels in time. At the opening we told this story to the owners and had a laugh about it.

“We strive to create spaces where we like to spend our own time, too.”

Who are you admiring right now and why?

We admire those who don’t get tired of their creativity, always finding new ways to grow, and always changing and searching for themselves. Those, whose eyes sparkle when they talk about their work, yet know how to truly relax in the company of their loved ones. There are only a few of them but we appreciate and love them dearly, learning from their wisdom and hoping to be like them when we are older.

What is the impact you’d like to have in the world? What is your core mission?

Our core mission is to bring as much happiness as we can to our loved ones and to guests of our interiors. To create interiors with a sense of humor and yet ones that are moderately cozy, intelligent, and memorable. To bring more unbounded intellect, humor, and self-irony into a world too serious as it is and to remind people that each one of us has a unique inner light.

Finally, what do you wish you knew when starting out that you know now? What advice do you have for those starting their career?

When you can, choose who you work with wisely. You have to be on one wavelength with your clients. If you can’t trust each other, don’t work together. Also, don’t be afraid to part ways - neither of you will be happy if you have to force to make things work. Finally, do not try to save everybody. Choose your own path and stay true to it.