The café, opened in 1970, was built according to the design of architect Vili Islamovich Muratov, engineer Ye. Platsman, and artist A. Kedrin. Immediately after opening, it became extremely popular — every Tashkent resident knew about it, even those who had never been inside.

The café is located on a boulevard that locals, in honour of the café, simply call “Blue Domes”.

Architecture historian Boris Chukhovich writes in The Black and Red Book of 20th-Century Architecture of Uzbekistan: “The emblematic building of Tashkent, the ‘Blue Domes’ café marked a turning point in the development of modernism in Uzbekistan, shifting to direct quotations from historical architecture. Although it received mixed reactions from the professional community after construction, the building nevertheless quickly became part of the city’s visual identity.”

The Tashkent Encyclopaedia describes the café as follows: “The core of the composition is the winter hall, to which vestibules and auxiliary premises are attached. The summer hall-terrace completes the composition. The domes resting on slender columns that taper upwards on a flat roof create a distinctive volumetric-spatial structure. Traditional decorative techniques of folk architecture were used in the finishing. The trading hall area is 225 m².”

During the years of independence, the café was reconstructed while preserving its recognisable appearance.

Over half a century, the blue domes have become a familiar and iconic symbol of Tashkent — they appear in every photo album and postcard set about the city. At one time, cigarettes called “Blue Domes” were even produced.