Rather, a Tablecloth and a Glass!

After many years, the long-abandoned Horse Guards Department building in St. Petersburg has finally received the attention it deserves: according to a design by Studio 44, the first restoration and adaptation works are scheduled to begin this year. Both the intended function and the general scope of works imply minimal alteration to the complex, which has preserved traces of its three-century history. All solutions are reversible and aimed, above all, at opening the monument to the city and immersing it in a lively social scene – hence the choice of a cultural center scenario with a strong gastronomic component.

Written by:
Alyona Kuznetsova
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

12 August 2025

Object

The Horse Guards Department is at once a characteristic and yet still astonishing phenomenon of ceremonial St. Petersburg. This monument of the Petrine Baroque era, comparable in footprint to Palace Square, is located roughly in the center of the so-called “Golden Triangle” – the very heart of the city, where the main landmarks of Russia’s northern capital are concentrated. The building, resembling a fort or a stronghold in plan, almost touches the Field of Mars, the Mikhailovsky Garden, and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The Hermitage and the Russian Museum are both just a three-minute walk away. Within the complex, stands the church where Alexander Pushkin’s funeral service was held nearly two centuries ago.

zooming — The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building. Location plan

Copyright: © Studio 44

And yet, for many years the building has stood abandoned. The best thing to happen to it in the last half-century was emergency stabilization work, organized in 2017 by the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg under operational management rights – although even the quality of that work is questionable – and, in addition, hosting a fan zone during the memorable 2018 FIFA World Cup. The rest of the time, for many decades, the walls have either been covered with banners or have served as a memento mori. For residents and tourists alike, this place has been a “blind spot”, with not even sidewalks to approach it.

That said, there have been plenty of attempts to set the monument in order.

In 2001, the ensemble was granted the status of a cultural heritage site of federal significance. In 2015 and 2017, the Council for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage reviewed concepts for its restoration and adaptation for modern use. Then, in 2019, upon the initiative of the Investment Committee, adaptation concepts were prepared by five organizations – a rather unusual selection, which somehow even included MVRDV.

In 2022, under the “One Ruble per Square Meter” program, the monument was transferred to the company “Vedomstvo”. Another two years were spent confirming the lease rights, which were contested by other claimants. Finally, Studio 44 carried out research and surveying work, and in April 2025, the Council for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage approved the adaptation concept.

Bread and wine!

Over the years, functions considered for the Horse Guards Department have included a hotel, a museum of architecture or contemporary art, a car showroom, offices, a market, and a “mixed bag” public space combining coworking areas, a theater studio, and showrooms for local brands. Nikita Yavein believes that if it were possible to adapt the building for actual stables, that would have been the best of possible solutions: it is extremely difficult to combine the fragmented historic layout and the untouched fabric, protected, as we remember, by heritage status, with modern technology, regulations, notions of comfort, and an economic model. Moreover, a hotel or office would leave the building closed to the public, thus reducing the transparency of the site.

The program proposed by Studio 44 can most simply be described as a “gastronomic city”, although it is by no means limited to food – it is more of a public center with a wide range of places to satisfy one’s appetite. A food court and restaurants form the core commercial element, but they are balanced by other spaces: exhibition halls, concert venues, a bookstore, and children’s and family recreation centers.

Nikita Yavein, «Company:»

The two chosen functions are complementary: the variety of public spaces draws in a wave of people who will sooner or later get hungry or want to rest over a cup of coffee. The reverse also works: once you’ve rested and eaten, you’ll be ready to stop by a bookstore or a temporary exhibition. The “bread-to-circuses” ratio is 40 to 60%, meaning that of the total 11,000 m², dining will take up only 4,300 m². In my opinion, such a collective hub in a historic center is destined for success: anyone who has been to the Russian Museum or the Hermitage knows how equally difficult and desirable it is to find a spot to recharge and reflect on the experience.

For food preparation areas and other necessary technical facilities, modular structures are proposed, which can be dismantled if necessary without affecting the building. Some of the designed storage rooms will be located in the basements. The most challenging issue is logistics: creating an underground floor here would be prohibitively expensive, so for now the plan is to use simpler means – a truck pulls up to Konyushennaya Square, the cargo is transferred to a handsome cart, which then proceeds to the destination or the elevator. Choosing a “technical” zone is complicated by the fact that all the building’s façades are ceremonial; there are no “secondary” ones.

Another delicate aspect of the chosen model is the proximity of the entertainment-related function to the church. The architects address this by concentrating exhibition and cultural public spaces around the church.

Gerbel, Stasov, or Gross?

To understand the adaptation project, it is necessary to delve into the history of the Horse Guards Department. Over three centuries, it was rebuilt many times, but during the survey work, the architects gradually reconstructed the “provenance” of all elements of the complex – from the basements to the decorative details. To anticipate the conclusion: most of the building dates back to the reconstruction carried out by Vasily Stasov.

The Horse Guards Department was built in the 1720s by order of Peter I, who had seen a similar facility during his travels in France. Construction was entrusted to Nikolai Gerbel. Since a large supply of running water was needed, the site chosen was on the left bank of the Moyka River, where the stable buildings formed a hexagon. The lower floors housed horses, carriage sheds, and workshops; the upper floors stored saddles and harnesses. Construction was completed with the involvement of architect Mikhail Zemtsov.

Between 1817 and 1823, Vasily Stasov carried out a large-scale reconstruction. According to his design, the Church of the Holy Mandylion was rebuilt. The main volume and walls were preserved, but a semicircular Doric colonnade was added to the west wing. Two service wings appeared in the courtyard, dividing the complex’s inner territory into three parts. At the same time, wooden floors were replaced with brick vaults supported by cast-iron columns. In the watering halls, granite basins were installed, made by Samson Sukhanov – his famous team of stonemasons built the colonnades of both Kazan Cathedral and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Later in the 19th century, modernization was undertaken by Georg Gross, as well as Pyotr Sadovnikov and other architects. From 1898 to 1903, Baron Carl Gustav Mannerheim was stationed in the building, overseeing the outfitting of the imperial stables. Étienne Falconet, and later Peter Klodt, came here to select horses for their models.

In the 20th century, the building housed the 4th Company of the Pavlovsky Regiment, then a Mounted Police detachment. In 1946, it became a garage for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. From 1948 to 1951, under the supervision of Nikolai Nikitin, restoration work was carried out, aiming to restore the appearance of the Stasov period. Emergency repairs in the 2010s left their mark in the form of concrete-reinforced vaults.

Preserving everything possible

Specialists from the restoration department of Studio 44 note that just a few more years without an owner would have led to the building’s complete collapse and its gradual slide into the Moyka River. However, it is entirely possible to strengthen and preserve it.

The restoration work will aim to put in order all the historical layers – from small fragments from the time of Nikolai Gerbel, preserved in the southern wall and the basements, to the façade additions by Georg Gross.

Grigory Ivanov, head of the restoration division at Studio 44

The entire layout of the building will be fully preserved: the interiors of the wings will not be blocked off or subdivided, with zoning achieved solely through temporary partitions that can be dismantled at any time. The Church of the Holy Mandylion lies outside the project boundaries; however, the investor plans to coordinate the restoration of its facades and roof with the main works on the Horse Guards Department.

1 / 5

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building. The restoration solutions of the facades

Copyright: © Studio 44
2 / 5

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building. The heritage site layout. Architectural solutions for the facades and interiors

Copyright: © Studio 44
3 / 5

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building. The restoration solutions

Copyright: © Studio 44
4 / 5

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building. The restoration solutions

Copyright: © Studio 44
5 / 5

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building. The scheme of soil contamination with petroleum products

Copyright: © Studio 44

Julia Bogdanova, Chief Architect of Studio 44

The scope of work is extensive: the foundations must be reinforced and the walls – now significantly out of plumb – stabilized; the cast-iron columns restored to their historic locations; the wooden trusses and rafters preserved; the infilled window and door openings uncovered; the lost decorative elements, authentic color scheme, and the horse sculpture atop the spire – visible in Nikolai Gerbel’s historic drawings – brought back. In addition, the courtyard’s soil, contaminated with petroleum products, must be replaced: during the site’s time as a motor depot, diesel fuel tanks were buried there.

Courtyards and buildings

The biggest changes involve covering the courtyards. Two service wings will be rebuilt to their historical levels and dimensions, and will house cafés and administrative spaces. As a result, the courtyard will be divided into three parts. The architects propose to cover the two outer ones with a removable metal shell on self-supporting columns. This solution is reversible and does not affect the historic structure, while turning the courtyards into all-season, all-weather spaces. The covering will not be visible from the street level – only from certain high vantage points.

1 / 3

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building

Copyright: © Studio 44
2 / 3

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building

Copyright: © Studio 44
3 / 3

The project of restoring the Horse Guards Department building.

Copyright: © Studio 44

The eastern wing will be designated for family recreation, concerts, and ceremonial events. The western wing, with its semicircular colonnade, will contain an all-season “gastronomic street” – a double-height space lined with café and restaurant corners. In the southern building, which faces the square and includes the church, several cafés are planned, along with the adaptation of Carl Gustav Mannerheim’s former apartment into an exhibition space and literary club. In the northern buildings, food service establishments will be located according to the historic placement of Georg Gross’s columns.

The central open courtyard will serve as a venue for city events – cultural forums, film screenings, concerts, fairs, and gastronomic festivals. Canopies in the former forage sheds will shelter tables from the weather. The winter program envisions an ice rink with a Christmas market.

Once opened, the Horse Guards Department will inevitably begin to attract and channel flows of tourists and locals moving through the central part of St. Petersburg. Seven entrances will finally connect a substantial stretch of the Moyka embankment with Konyushennaya Square, while the Teatralny and Malo-Konyushenny bridges will receive worthy framing – adding another postcard view of St. Petersburg to every camera roll.

12 August 2025

Headlines now

Object

Wave and Vertical

The premium residential complex designed by GAFA for a site in the Khoroshevsky District responds to multiple constraints – the arc of a planned roadway, the water protection zone of the Khodynka River, and insolation requirements – through inventive massing. The composition is built on the interplay of two spatial layers: an elongated perimeter block and three towers concealed behind it generate the silhouette and key viewpoints, while also adding semantic depth reinforced by the façade solutions. Another defining feature is a large private courtyard, complemented by a citywide linear park.

Object

Office on Trubnaya

We continue publishing projects by Valery Kanyashin. A building once described, a quarter century ago, as an example of “quiet modernism” has remained just that in some people’s memory. According to Anatoly Belov, its main quality is its unobtrusiveness. The architects from Ostozhenka say the leading role here is played by context and landscape – the change in elevation. Yet is it really so inconspicuous?

Object

The First International

With this publication, we begin a series of texts dedicated to works by the late Valery Kanyashin, one of the founders of Ostozhenka Architects. As it happens, the projects he was involved in largely illustrate our understanding of the firm and its history. The first project in this series is the International Moscow Bank on Prechistenskaya Embankment.

in memoriam

In Memory of Valery Kanyashin

On Friday, February 27, architect Valery Kanyashin passed away – co-founder of Ostozhenka Architects and the author of many significant buildings in Moscow. We publish a text by Anatoly Belov in memory of Valery Kanyashin.

Report

Hypertext in Space

As part of the exhibition “What We Have We (Do Not) Keep”, Sergey Tchoban, the Museum of Architecture, and the CHART studio experiment with an eco-conscious approach to exhibition design, with thematic cross-references and even with publicistic reflections on the necessity of preserving modernism, the roots of contemporary architecture, and the birth of ideas. All of this makes the exhibition, with its light and transparent design, look quite innovative. The elements – both “material” and conceptual – are familiar, yet their combination is far from conventional.

Object

The Outline of “Foundation”

In their competition proposal for the Fili transport hub, the consortium led by Alexey Ilyin proposed an “inhabited arch” – a form that is simple yet complex. The architects emphasize that even at the competition stage, the project’s feasibility was fully calculated, taking into account the minimal nighttime closures of Bagration Avenue. How was this achieved? With what functions? Let us take a closer look. In our view, the building would have suited the heroes of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels perfectly.

Object

The Flying Horizontal

“A house in the spirit of Wright”, as architect Roman Leonidov describes it, pointing to his source of inspiration, was built on a challenging wedge-shaped site. To achieve a sense of intimacy and secure good views from the windows, the entire volume had to be shifted toward the far boundary, turning the house “back” to the neighboring mansions. The main façade demonstrates time-tested techniques often employed by the company: articulated horizontals, a weightless roofline, and a triad of materials – light plaster, dark slate, and warm wood.

Object

Needles of Horizon Contemplation

The “House of Horizons”, designed by Kleinewelt Architekten in Krylatskoye, is carefully thought out at the stereometric level – from the logic of how the volumes interlock (and, conversely, how gaps are articulated between them) to the triangular balconies that give the building its striking, slightly bristling silhouette.

News

The Red Thread

A linear park project prepared by Alexey Ilyin studio for the improvement of a riverbank in one of the residential districts seeks to reconnect people with nature. Two levels of the embankment invite visitors to contemplate the landscape while at the same time protecting the riverbank from excessive human impact. The “aerial street” links functional zones and the opposite banks, creating new points of attraction along the way: balconies, bridges, and even a “grotto”.

Object

Spindle and Thread

The concept of the Waver residential complex in Yekaterinburg draws inspiration from the past of the Parkovy district. In order to preserve the memory of the late-19th-century flax spinning mill once located here, the architectural company KPLN turns to the theme of textiles and weaving. The project’s main expressive device is a system of ribbons made of perforated weathering steel – a material that, in such volumes, has arguably not yet been used in Russian residential projects.

Object

Woven Into Sokolniki

Over the past few years, high-rise residential construction in former industrial zones has become the main theme of Moscow architecture. Towers are springing up here and there – but the question is what kind of towers they are. The residential complex CODE Sokolniki, designed by Ostozhenka Architects, is a project where every detail has been taken care of. The authors are attentive to the history of the site, the continuity of the urban fabric, the skyline, and visual corridors. They also proposed a motif with the lyrical name “scarf”. We take a closer look at the volumetric composition and the large-scale décor “woven”, in this case, out of terraces and balconies.

Interview

Stepan Liphart and Yuri Gerth: “Our Program Is Aesthetic”

The studio of Stepan Liphart, an architect known for his distinctive signature style and one-off projects, now has a partner. Yuri Khitrov, a specialist with a broad range of competencies, will take on the part of the work that distracts one from creativity but drives the business forward. One of the aims of this partnership is to improve the urban environment through dialogue with clients and officials. We spoke with both sides about their ambitions, the firm’s development strategy, shared values, and the need for pragmatism. And why the studio is called “Liphart & Gerth” only became clear at the very end of the interview.

Object

The Copper Mirror

The varied-toned sheen of “unsealed” copper, painterly streaks and fingerprints, exposed concrete, and the unusual proportions – when you study the ZILART Museum building by Sergei Tchoban and SPEECH architects, there is plenty to talk about. However, it seems to us that the most interesting thing is how the museum’s composition responds to the realities of the district itself. The residential district has been realized as an open-air exhibition of façade statements by contemporary architects – but without public access to the inner courtyards of the blocks. This building – that is, the museum – is exactly the opposite: on the outside, it is deliberately restrained, while inside it shines spectacularly, creating its own sunbeams in any weather.

View

“Strangers” in the City

We asked Alexander Skokan for a comment on the results of 2025 – and he sent us a whole article, moreover one devoted to the discussion we recently began on the “appropriateness of high-rises” – or, more broadly speaking, “contrasting insertions into the urban fabric”. The result is a text that is essentially a question: why here? Why like this?

Interview

Dmitry Ostroumov: “To use the language of alchemy, we are involved in the process of “transmutation...

What we ended up having was an extremely unusual conversation with Dmitry Ostroumov. Why? At the very least, because he is not just an architect specializing in the construction of Orthodox churches. And not just – which is an extreme rarity – a proponent of developing contemporary stylistics within this still highly conservative field. Dmitry Ostroumov is a Master of Theology. So in addition to the history and specifics of the company, we speak about the very concept of the temple, about canon and tradition, about the living and the eternal, and even about the Russian Logos.

Interview

MB-PROJECT: “Every new project is a challenge”

In this issue, we speak with Dmitry and Oleg Shurygin, founders of the company MV-PROJECT, which has extensive experience in designing theater and entertainment buildings as well as working with cultural heritage sites.

Object

A Glazed Figurine

In searching for an image for a residential building near the Novodevichy Convent, GAFA architects turned to their own perception of the place: it evoked associations with antiquity, plein-air painting, and vintage artifacts. The two towers will be entirely clad in volumetric glazed ceramic – at present, there are no other buildings like this in Russia. The complex will also stand out thanks to its metabolic bay-window cells, streamlined surfaces, a ceremonial “hotel-style” driveway, and a lobby overlooking a lush garden.

Report

A Knight’s Move via the Cour d’Honneur

Intercolumnium Architects presented to the City Planning Council a residential complex project that is set to replace the Aquatoria business center on Vyborgskaya Embankment. Experts praised the overall quality of the work, but expressed reservations about the three cour d’honneurs and suggested softening the contrast between the facades facing the embankment and the Kantemirovsky Bridge.

Object

A Small Country

Mezonproekt is developing a long-term master plan for the MEPhI campus in Obninsk. Over the next ten years, an enclave territory of about 100 hectares, located in a forest on the northern edge of the city, is set to transform into a modern center for the development of the nuclear energy sector. The plan envisions attracting international students and specialists, as well as comprehensive territorial development: both through the contemporary realization of “frozen” plans from the 1980s and through the introduction of new trends – public spaces, an aquapark, a food court, a school, and even a nuclear medicine center. Public and sports facilities are intended to be accessible to city residents as well, and the campus is to be physically and functionally connected to Obninsk.

Object

Pearl Divers

GAFA has designed an apartment complex for Derbent intended to switch people from a work mode to a resort mindset – and to give the surrounding area a much-needed jolt. The building offers two distinct faces: restrained and laconic on the city side, and a lushly ornate façade facing the sea. At the heart of the complex, a hidden pearl lies – an open-air pool with an arch, offering views of a starry sky, and providing direct access to the beach.

Object

A Satellite Island

The Genplan Institute of Moscow has prepared a master plan for the development of the Sarpinsky and Golodny island system, located within the administrative boundaries of Volgograd and considered among the largest river islands in Russia. By 2045, the plan envisions the implementation of 15 large-scale investment projects, including sports and educational clusters, a congress center with a “Volgonarium”, a film production cluster, and twenty-one theme parks. We explain which engineering, environmental, and transportation challenges must be addressed to turn this vision into reality. The master plan solutions have already been approved and incorporated into the city’s general development plan.

Object

The Amber Gate

The Amber City residential complex is one of the redevelopment projects in the former industrial area located beyond Moscow’s Third Ring Road near Begovaya metro station. Alexey Ilyin’s studio proposed an original master plan that transformed two clusters of towers into ceremonial propylaea, gave the complex a recognizable silhouette, and established visual connections with new high-rise developments on both right and left – thus integrating it into the scale of the growing metropolis. It is also marked by its own futuristic stylistic language, based on a reinterpreted streamline aesthetic.

Object

A Theater Triangle

The architectural company “Chetvertoe Izmerenie” (“Fourth Dimension”) has developed the design for a new stage of the Magnitogorsk Musical Theater, rethinking not only theater architecture but also the role of the theater in the contemporary city.

Interview

Aleksei Ilyin: “I approach every task with genuine interest”

Aleksei Ilyin has been working on major urban projects for more than 30 years. He has all the necessary skills for high-rise construction in Moscow – yet he believes it’s essential to maintain variety in the typologies and scales represented in his portfolio. He is passionate about drawing – but only from life, and also in the process of working on a project. We talk about the structure and optimal size of an office, about his past and current projects, large and small tasks, and about creative priorities.

Interview

Sergey Tchoban: “My ideal model for shaping a museum space is the Uffizi Gallery. In the...

Yesterday, the ZILART Museum opened on the ZILART grounds with three exhibitions curated by well-known curators. We speak with Sergey Tchoban about the concept and its realization.

Object

A Golden Sunbeam

A compact brick-and-metal building in the growing Shukhov Park in Vyksa seems to absorb sunlight, transform it into yellow accents inside, and in the evening “give it back” as a warm golden glow streaming from its windows. It is, frankly, a very attractive building: both material and lightweight at the same time, with lightness inside and materiality outside. Its form is shaped by function – laconic, yet far from simple. Let’s take a closer look.

Architecton Awards

In 2025, the jury of the Architecton festival reviewed the finalist projects through live, open presentations held right in the exhibition hall – a rather engaging performance, and something rarely seen among Russian awards. It would be great if “Zodchestvo” adopted this format. Below, we present all the winning projects, including four special nominations.

send.project

Garden of Knowledge

UNK architects and UNK design created the interiors of the Letovo Junior campus, working together with NF Studio, which was responsible for developing the educational technology that takes into account the needs and perception of younger and middle school children.

The Silver Skates

The STONE Kaluzhskaya office quarter is accompanied by two residential towers, making the complex – for it is indeed a single ensemble – well balanced in functional terms. The architects at Kleinewelt gave the residential buildings a silvery finish to match the office blocks. How they are similar, how they differ, and what “Silver Skates” has to do with it – we explore in this article.

Overview

On the Dynastic Trail

The houses and townhouses of the “Tsarskaya Tropа” (“Czar’s Trail”) complex are being built in the village of Gaspra in Crimea – to the west and east of the palaces of the former grand-ducal residence “Ai-Todor”. One of the main challenges for the architects at KPLN, who developed the project, was to respond appropriately to this significant neighboring heritage. How this influenced the massing, the façades, and the way the authors work with the terrain is explored in our article.