По-русски

Merchant Zaryvny's Windmill Loft

In the city of Orenburg, T+T Architects completed the reconstruction of an office building that became the first case of an "loft office" in this city considerably remote from either of the two nation's capitals.

02 September 2014
Object
mainImg

Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design

Transforming a derelict building into an up-to-date office center is a task that is quite difficult but at the same time quite common nowadays. The only thing that is uncommon in this particular case is the very subject of reconstruction - it is the mill house of Merchant Zaryvny, built back in 1894, Orenburg's fine specimen of Russian provincial red-brick style. And it was not just "transformed". This is the city's first experiment of reconstructing a building in the "loft" style so popular nowadays. And the experiment turned out to be a success: the work of Т+Т Architects in cooperation with Mealhouse Concept Design immediately became a nominee of International (Europe & Africa) Commercial Property Awards 2010 (London), winning in the category "best architectural project (office building). 

Back in the day, during the 1940's, the process of turning derelict industrial objects into residential buildings was launched in the United States. It was also the American architects of those days that developed the "inner-process" fashion and style. Originating from Manhattan, this fashion of remodeling the empty lofts of industrial premises into "studio" apartments grew into a fashion for full-scale reconstruction of industrial buildings into residential houses. However, the architectural and constructional specifics dictated their own conditions, and the idea of remodeling the factory buildings into housing projects with time transformed into the idea of reconstructing them into office premises. The next logic step was reconstructing the outdated factory buildings into business centers. 

The fashion changed but the style based on the inevitable idea of implementing the authentic parts of the building into the context of the new architectural solution - remained effectively the same. The factory chimneys, stairways, and even some production units were turned into indispensable elements of the new and reformed building. 

Exactly in this way, in full accordance with the rules of the genre, acted the authors of the transformation of mill house, or, to be more exact, of the red-brick building of the flour mill, once belonging to Merchant Zaryvny, built in 1894, to be rebuilt into an office center of "B" Class for "Russol" company, creating in the provincial Orenburg the canonic example of the style (the work started in 2010 and ended in 2014). On the one side - a monument of architecture, an example of reconstruction that is conservatively careful, one that inspires admiration for the keen attention to detail, almost restoration and preservation of everything that could be possibly saved: from the size and the rhythm of the basement floor windows to the brickwork of the arches on the gables of the main facade. On the other side - organizing the open space behind the gigantic glass over the annex of the former boiler house, expo area on the attic story, the inevitable meeting points for informal communication at each level and the reception desk, drawn with the "big city flash", curiously looking very much like a salt evaporation vessel. Oh, we forgot to mention that the customer is Russia's largest manufacturer of salt. The authors also came up with an unusual project of the the interior design of the offices: calm light shades, bright accents, and a color code for the floors. 


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design

The edifice is open for the guests visiting the showroom not on the first but on the top floor, or, rather, even above it, just as the idea to place the cafe in the basement floor is quite the traditional "loft-style" solution: the visitors simply must see all the possibilities of the remodeled space - from the opened-up basements to the ceiling supporting trusses. 

A special mention should be given to the metallic parts of the facade. The presence of metallic parts - the already-mentioned staircases, hoist blocks, and other structural parts, is one of the "ground rules" of any loft. However, the traditional red-brick architecture is more often than not devoid of any metallic columns or horizontal beams or housing equipment or any other metallic arsenal that could be used to the style's benefit. And, without trying to imitate anything in the interiors with the only exception being the metallic staircase leading to the attic floor level, the architects came up with an interesting inversion, running the vertical metallic supports into the transparent side facade of the annex. They support the four-story glass wall, the only function of which is to be the "billboard" that displays the company's logo. This principle is usually employed in building the theater setups. 


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design

However, while the girders of the side facade are quite obviously but a decorative element, the metal of the main facade presents serious restoration work based on almost exact replicating of the historical analogues. In this case, the metallic theme is continued by an array of wall-mounted lights and the above-window elements, behind which hide the Venetian blinds of the windows of the first floor, the staircase railings, and the marquees. The last point of this "metallic" environment is the fire staircase of the back wall - the exact copy of its New York ancestors that once formed this red-brick style. 

One's attention is also attracted by the fact that, in spite of the total self-sufficiency of the building, its authors never treated it as a separate building surrounded by the dilapidated environment of the bread-making factory. Judging by the master plan, drawn in the vein of Liebenskind, the reformed mill house must become the starting point for creating here a multi-function residential complex with its own fitness center, children's education center and a system of territories united by the pedestrian structure ruining through the entire complex. This, however, is still on paper. Today, this rare-to-be-seen-in-these parts picture of "loft works" is only completed by the restored chimney of the boiler house that is meant, according to the authors, to "support the spirit of loft", and by the surviving building of the grain storage that will be with time turned into a hotel and entertainment complex, creating yet another example to be followed by his kin.


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Plan of the 1st floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Plan of the 2nd floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Plan of the 2nd floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Plan of the 3rd floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Plan of the 4th floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Plan of the 1st floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
zooming
Plan of the 2nd floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
zooming
Plan of the 3rd floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
zooming
Plan of the 4th floor. Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design
Reconstruction of the milling factory of Merchant Zaryvny into an office center © Т+Т Architects, Mealhouse Concept Design


02 September 2014

Headlines now
A Roadside Picnic of Urban Planning Theorists
Marina Egorova, head of Empate Architectural Bureau, brought together urban planning theorists – the successors of Alexey Gutnov and Vyacheslav Glazychev – to revive the substance and depth of professional discourse. At the first meeting, much ground was covered: the participants revisited the theoretical foundations, aligned their values, examined a cutting-edge case of the Kazan agglomeration, and concluded with the unfathomable intricacies of Russian land demarcation. Below, we present key takeaways from all the presentations.
Perspective View
CNTR Architects has designed a business center for a new district in Yekaterinburg, aiming to reduce the need for commuting and make the residential environment more diverse. The architectural solutions are equally focused on creating spatial flexibility, comfortable working conditions, and a memorable image that could allow the building to become a spatial landmark of the district.
Malevich and Bathhouses, Nature and High-Tech
The Malevich Bathhouse complex is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 on the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye Highway. The project, designed by DBA-GROUP under the leadership of Vladislav Andreev, is an example of an unconventional approach to the image of a spa in general and of a bathhouse in particular. Deliberately avoiding any kind of allusion, the architects opted for streamlined forms with characteristic rounded corners, a combination of wood with bent glass, and restrained contemporary shapes – both inside and out. Let’s take a closer look at the project.
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.
​Materialization of Airflows
The Nikolai Kamov International Airport in Tomsk opened at the end of August last year. We have already written about the project – now we are taking a look at the completed building. Its functionality is reinforced by symbolic undertones: the architects at ASADOV sought to reflect local identity in the architecture as fully as possible.
The City as a Narrative
Sergey Skuratov’s approach to large urban plots could best be described as a “total design code”. The architect pays equal attention to the overall composition and the smallest of details, striving to ensure that every aspect is thoroughly thought out and subordinated to the original vision. It’s a Renaissance-like approach, really – a titanic effort demanding remarkable willpower and perseverance. The results are likewise grand – architecture that makes a statement. This article looks at the revived concept for the central section of the Seventh Heaven residential district in Kazan, a composition so thoroughly considered that even the “gradient of visual emphasis” (sic!) across the facades has been carefully worked out. It also touches on the narrative idea behind the project – and even the architect’s own doubts about it.
A Laconic Image of Time
The Time Square residential complex, built on the northern edge of St. Petersburg, appears more concise and efficient than its neighbor and predecessor, the New Time complex. Nevertheless, the architect’s hand is clearly felt: themes of “black and white”, “inside and outside”, and most notably, the “lamellar” quality of the facades that seems to visibly “eat away” at the buildings’ mass – everything is played out like a well-written score. One is reminded of both classical modernism and the so-called “post-constructivism”.
The Flower of the Lake
The prototype for the building of the Kamal Theater in Kazan is an ice flower: a rare and fragile natural phenomenon of Lake Kaban “froze” in the large, soaring outlines of the glass screens enclosing the main volume, shaping its silhouette and shielding the stained-glass windows from the sun. The project, led by the Wowhaus consortium and including global architecture “star” Kengo Kuma, won the 2021/2022 competition and was realized close to the original concept in a short – very short – period of time. The theater opened in early 2025. It was Kengo Kuma who proposed the image of an ice flower and the contraposition of cold on the outside and warmth on the inside. Between 2022 and 2024, Wowhaus did everything possible to bring this vision to life, practically living on-site. Now we are taking a closer look at this landmark building and its captivating story.
Peaceful Integration on Mira Avenue
The MIRA residential complex (the word mir means “peace” in Russian), perched above the steep banks of the Yauza River and Mira Avenue, lives up to its name not only technically, but also visually and conceptually. Sleek, high-rise, and glass-clad, it responds both to Zholtovsky’s classicism and to the modernism of the nearby “House on Stilts”. Drawing on features from its neighbors, it reconciles them within a shared architectural language rooted in contemporary façade design. Let’s take a closer look at how this is done.
An Interior for a New Format of Education
The design of the new building for Tyumen State University (TyumSU) was initially developed before the pandemic but later revised to meet new educational requirements. The university has adopted a “2+2+2” system, which eliminates traditional divisions into groups and academic streams in favor of individualized study programs. These changes were implemented swiftly – right at the start of construction. Now that the building is complete, we are taking a closer look.
Penthouses and Kokoshniks
A new residential complex designed by ASADOV Architects for the Krasnaya Roza business district responds to its proximity to 17th-century landmarks – the chambers of the Hamovny Dvor and St. Nicholas Church – as well as to the need to preserve valuable façades of a historic rental house built in the Russian Revival style. The architects proposed a set of buildings of varying heights, whose façades reference ecclesiastical architecture. But we were also able to detect other associations.
Centipede Town
The new school campus designed by ATRIUM Architects, located on the shores of a protected lake in the Imeretian Lowland Ornithological Reserve, represents an important and ambitious undertaking for the team: this is not just a school, but a Presidential Lyceum for the comprehensive development of gifted children – 2,500 students from age 3 through high school. At the same time, it is also envisioned as a new civic hub for the entire Sirius territory. In this article, we unpack the structure and architecture of this “lyceum town”.
Warm Black and White
The second phase of “Quarter 31”, designed by KPLN and built in the Moscow suburb town of Pushkino, reveals a multifaceted character. At first glance, the complex appears to be defined by geometry and a monochrome palette. But a closer look reveals a number of “irregular” details: a gradient of glazing and flared window frames, a hierarchy of façades, volumetric brickwork, and even architectural references to natural phenomena. We explore all the rules – and exceptions – that we were able to discover here.
​Skylights and Staircase
Photos from March show the nearly completed headquarters of FSK Group on Shenogina Street. The building’s exterior is calm and minimalist; the interior is engaging and multi-layered. The conical skylights of the executive office, cast in raw concrete, and the sweeping spiral staircase leading to it, are particularly striking. In fact, there’s more than one spiral staircase here, and the first two floors effectively form a small shopping center. More below.
The Whale of Future Identity
Or is it a veil? Or a snow-covered plain? Vera Butko, Anton Nadtochy, and the architects of ATRIUM faced a complex and momentous task: to propose a design for the “Russia” National Center. It had to be contemporary, yet firmly rooted in cultural codes. Unique, and yet subtly reminiscent of many things at once. It must be said – the task found the right authors. Let’s explore in detail the image they envisioned.
Greater Altai: A Systemic Development Plan
The master plan for tourism development in Greater Altai encompasses three regions: Kuzbass, the Altai Republic, and Altai Krai. It is one of twelve projects developed as part of the large-scale state program bearing the simple name of “Tourism Development”. The project’s slogan reads: “Greater Altai – a place of strength, health, and spirit in the very heart of Siberia”. What are the proposed growth points, and how will the plan help increase the flow of both domestic and international tourists? Read on to find out.
The Colorful City
While working on a large-scale project in Moscow’s Kuntsevo district – one that has yet to be given a name – Kleinewelt Architekten proposed not only a diverse array of tower silhouettes in “Empire-style” hues and a thoughtful mix of building heights, creating a six-story “neo-urbanist” city with a block-based layout at ground level, but also rooted their design in historical and contextual reasoning. The project includes the reconstruction of several Stalin-era residential buildings that remain from the postwar town of Kuntsevo, as well as the reconstruction of a 1953 railway station that was demolished in 2017.
In Orbit of Moscow City
The Orbital business center is both simple and complex. Simple in its minimalist form and optimal office layout solution: a central core, a light-filled façade, plenty of glass; and from the unusual side – a technical floor cleverly placed at the building’s side ends. Complex – well, if only because it resembles a celestial body hovering on metallic legs near Magistralnaya Street. Why this specific shape, what it consists of, and what makes this “boutique” office building (purchased immediately after its completion) so unique – all of this and more is covered in our story.
The Altai Ornament
The architectural company Empate has developed the concept for an eco-settlement located on a remote site in Altai. The master plan, which resembles a traditional ornament or even a utopian city, forms a clear system of public and private spaces. The architects also designed six types of houses for the settlement, drawing inspiration from the region’s culture, folklore, and vernacular building practices.
Pro Forma
Photos have emerged of the newly completed whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk, designed by TOTEMENT / PAPER – a continuation of their earlier work on the nearby Cognac Museum. From what is, in essence, a merely technical and utilitarian volume and space, the architects have created a fully-fledged theatre of impressions. Let’s take a closer look. We highly recommend a visit to what may look like a factory, but is in fact an experiment in theatricalizing the process of strong spirit production – and not only that, but also of “pure art”, capable of evolving anywhere.
The Arch and the Triangle
The new Stone Mnevniki business center by Kleinewelt Architekten – designed for the same client as their projects in Khodynka – bears certain similarities to those earlier developments, but not entirely. In Mnevniki, there are more angular elements, and the architects themselves describe the project as being built on contrast. Indeed, while the first phase contains subtle references to classical architecture – light touches like arches, both upright and inverted, evoking the spirit of the 1980s – the second phase draws more distantly on the modernism of the 1970s. What unites them is a boldly expressive public space design, a kaleidoscope of rays and triangles.
Health Factory
While working on a wellness and tourist complex on the banks of the Yenisei River, the architects at Vissarionov Studio set out to create healing spaces that would amplify the benefits of nature and medical treatments for both body and soul. The spatial solutions are designed to encourage interaction between the guests and the landscape, as well as each other.
The Blooming Mechanics of a Glass Forest
The Savvinskaya 27 apartment complex built by Level Group, currently nearing completion on an elongated riverfront site next to the Novodevichy Convent, boasts a form that’s daring even by modern Moscow standards. Visually, it resembles the collaborative creation of a glassblower and a sculptor: a kind of glass-and-concrete jungle, rhythmically structured yet growing energetically and vividly. Bringing such an idea to life was by no means an easy task. In this article, we discuss the concept by ODA and the methods used by APEX architects to implement it, along with a look at the building’s main units and detailing.
Grace and Unity
Villa “Grace”, designed by Roman Leonidov’s studio and built in the Moscow suburbs, strikes a balance between elegant minimalism and the expansive gestures of the Russian soul. The main house is conceived as a sequence of four self-contained volumes – each could exist independently, yet it chooses to be part of a whole. Unity is achieved through color and a system of shared spaces, while the rich plasticity of the forms – refined throughout the construction process – compensates for the near-total absence of decorative elements.
Daring Brilliance
In this article, we are exploring “New Vision”, the first school built in the past 25 years in Moscow’s Khamovniki. The building has three main features: it is designed in accordance with the universal principles of modern education, fostering learning through interaction and more; second, the façades combine structural molded glass and metallic glazed ceramics – expensive and technologically advanced materials. Third, this is the school of Garden Quarters, the latest addition to Moscow’s iconic Khamovniki district. Both a costly and, in its way, audacious acquisition, it carries a youthful boldness in its statement. Let’s explore how the school is designed and where the contrasts lie.
A Twist of the Core
A clever and concise sculptural solution – rotating each floor by N degrees – has created an ensemble of “dancing” towers: similar yet different, simple yet complex. The designers meticulously refined a single structural node and spent considerable effort on the column construction – after that, “everything else was easy”. The architects also rotated the core walls on each floor to maximize the efficiency of the office spaces.
The Sculpting of Spring Forest Matter
We’ve been observing this building for a couple of years now: seemingly simple, perhaps even unassuming, it fits in remarkably well with the micro-district context shaped by the Moscow MCD road junctions. This building sticks in the memory of everyone who drives along the highway, even occasionally. In our opinion, Sergey Nikeshkin, by blending popular architectural techniques and approaches of the 2010s, managed to turn a seemingly simple structure into a statement “on the theme of a house as such”. Let’s figure out how this happened.
Water and Wind Whet the Stone
The Arisha Terraces residential complex, designed by Asadov Architects, will be built in a district of Dubai dedicated to film and television production. To create shaded spaces and an intriguing silhouette, the architects opted for a funnel-shaped composition and nature-inspired forms of erosion and weathering. The roofs, podium, and underground spaces extend leisure opportunities within the boundaries of a man-made “oasis”.
Elevation 5642
The Genplan Institute of Moscow has developed a comprehensive development project for three ski resorts in the Caucasus, which have been designated as special economic zones of the tourism and recreation type. The first of these zones is Elbrus. The project includes the construction of new ski runs, cable cars, and hotels, as well as the modernization of stations and improvements to the Azau tourist meadow. To expand the audience and enhance year-round appeal, a network of eco-trails is also being developed. In this article, we provide a detailed breakdown of each stage.