An Ornament without Prejudices

Unlike most houses belonging to the so-called elite market sector and designed in pseudo-classical style, “Residence in Vsevolozhsky” has been planned in the spirit of art deco.

Written by:
Marya Snejinskaya
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

16 March 2016

Object

Architect:

Firm:

Mezonproekt http://www.mezon.pro

Since the times of the construction boom, new projects in the district of Ostozhenka – under the code-name “Golden Mile” – are fairly rare. There are almost no spare land sites left, and demolishing one of the historic monuments of 18-19 centuries set here with an incredible density has long become not as easy as it had been at the time of the Council of Ministers: then whole blocks of “slum dwelling” were replaced with new brick and even modular prefab houses.

However, as it turned out, there are still some hidden reserves: in the first lane from the center, between Ostozhenka and Prechistenka, on the territory, which two centuries ago was occupied by the mansion house of Vsevolozhskiy family, they found a building of 1980's constructed for an electric substation of an automatic telephone station, and which has been deserted in the recent years. It fell into the hands of “Leader-Invest” company which specializes in residential real estate of upper-middle class. Besides, in this case, the format was imposed by the location itself: a compact land-lot with a view on Kremlin and the surrounding architectural monuments from the 18th up to the 21st centuries. It was decided to build a clubhouse in Vsevolzhsky lane 5.

Generally speaking, the epoch when clubhouses were popular in Moscow downtown area, is already in the past. The demand for madly expensive living area in houses with no more than 30 apartments after two last crises has notably decreased. So the task of the architects of Mezonproject bureau was larger than just a design of a six-storey house with 21 apartments on a patch of land of a bit more than 0.1 hectares. On the one hand, the house had to comply with all the generally accepted standards of “elite dwelling”, and on the other – stand out from the similar buildings and possess competitive advantages.

zooming — “Residence in Vsevolozhsky”. Main facade © Mezonproject

First of all, the architects provided for spaces between the new object and the firewalls of the neighboring houses. In the early 20th century, when the both neighbor-houses were built, it was decided to adjoin the houses to each other for space saving purposes, and the Soviet automatic telephone station was constructed in the same manner. In this case, it had been done differently and the architects consider that this solution will do good: “We have let the sunlight in a dark lane on the north of the building – tells Ilya Mashkov. – Now the sun will get inside through the gaps, and the building itself will make a better impression, because this way, we’ve got the end facades and used the corners to their better effect”.

The second step of Mezonproject was to choose the stylistics of the future house: as it is known, developers of elite dwelling prefer more or less averaged historicism, but in this case, having dwelled upon the original variants of interpretations of more plastic modern, the architects suggested to the client ornamented art-deco. Chief architect of Moscow, Sergey Kuznetsov, supported them in this matter and noted during the consideration of the project, that richly decorated architecture is very much in the spirit of the capital. The main thing is to conform with all the stylistic canons and properly elaborate all the details.

So, the architects focused on the details. The outer walls of the building are variegated with geometric ornaments: in some places, they will be cut into surfaces of natural travertine, in others, engraved on copper sheets, and in some places, they will be encrusted in oak panels. Alongside with the unparalleled depth of the stone processing which is available thanks to modern technologies, ornamental panels of copper alloys play a great role in creating the decorative image. The architects emphasize their noble color, closer to bronze, without the reddishness. In time, they are supposed to age beautifully, turning dark and covering with patina. Decorating the framings of the windows and French balconies, these copper panels will take up 15% of the whole wall surface.

Another dominating feature of the facades along the lane will be the entrance lobbies. The main entrance with the special emblem of the house hanging above the door is made slightly pushed inside, whereas the stone carved framing is, on the contrary, projected forward. On top of it, almost by the upper cornice, is another indispensable attribute of a clubhouse, besides the emblem: a copper plate with the construction year written in Roman numbers. There will also be an entrance into the underground parking garage from the side of the front façade.

It should be mentioned here that there is almost no historical art deco architecture in Moscow. Researchers compare this style with the architecture of the early Stalin period of the 1930s. Hints of art deco are found in the works of Aleksey Dushkin, in the interiors of Kropotkinskaya and Mayakovskaya metro stations, but the Moscow variant of the style is more austere, and historically quickly transfers into renaissance decoration a la Zholtovsky. The rich art deco with the use of ornaments as such (almost of any origin, for example, Egyptian or styled geometrical) gradually appeared in Moscow in 2000-s, even though not very often, due to the same orders for clubhouses.

At the same time, the authors managed to fit into the context: both the closest geographical and historical ones. Looking from Prechistenka, the rows of metal-framed three-edged bay-windows present a paraphrase of the corner protrusion of Kostyakova’s house, famous for the fact that professor Preobrazhensky bought some Krakow sausage here. The bay-windows build up a shadow of the 1910s building multiplied by six. Their purpose is to include the house into the rhythm of this small but very complete part of the city.

Its predecessor, the automatic telephone station, looked completely different. And yet, its façade that appeared in the period of 80s modernism mixed with classic, in its own way reflected the wish of its authors to fit in context of the street. The rhythm of its white-stone facades was strictly vertical, and by the way, not foreign to ideas of art deco. The image was completed with a line of golden inserts in the upper part, turning the pragmatic industrial building into a jewelry box. Sure, in the 80s no one could have the opportunity to get the jewelry box idea into shape, but now, comparing the two tasks, it may seem that the clubhouse has “grown through” its predecessor, moving the dense verticals apart with its bay-windows, enriching it with metal and carving, preserving the familiarity of elevation marks and partly the color, rhythm, and the contours of the facade structure where the entrance used to be marked with a canopy, and now, has turned into a portal. This is what forms historical continuity: the residents of the house might know nothing about it, but it may be very important for the city.

The yard façade is more modest. The tall windows of two staircase risalits “open up” the steps and remind of constructivist methods; however the cutting on the framings brings us back to the ornamented style. The architects plan to arrange a winter garden in the part of the lobby adjoining the yard. This will unite the house with its little garden and partly compensate for the small size of it (600 m2): it could not be otherwise with the automatic telephone station which was classified as an industrial building. Nevertheless, according to the project, the yard will place a comfortable closed green zone that will not only offer place for the residents to walk and play with children among lawns, flowerbeds and bushes. Full-fledged play- and sports-grounds for which the given area does not suffice, will be replaced by cozy areas equipped for active recreation.

In the cold season, you will not even have to go outside: the architects preliminarily schedule a club library and a wine bar on both sides of the double-high entrance vestibule. At one point, the developer was inclined to succumb to a fashionable trend and invite a western “star” to decorate them. But eventually, it was considered that the project turns out to be quite outstanding as it is. So, the interiors of all the public areas, including the parking lot, a lounge for drivers and an animal care room, is being developed by the architects of Mezonproject – and once again, with elements of art deco. The floors in front rooms will be made of natural stone, the coffered ceiling – covered with stuccowork and the walls – with decorative plaster and stained glass a la Lalique.

3d up to 6th floor apartments will be sold undecorated: the Russian experience of working with clubhouses shows that “imposed” interiors are not very popular among potential buyers. Apartment areas vary from 100 plus to almost 250 m2. The layouts allow to buy and unite several apartments on one floor. Windows in every apartment face two or three sides, and the most impressive views can be seen from the penthouses on the top floor: here, the Conception Convent, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and even the towers of Kremlin spread out before you.

Rare panoramas and location, flexible apartment layout, advanced vital service systems and developed infrastructure – all these features are typical for a clubhouse format. “Residence in Vsevolzhsky” can be distinguished by the effort to fit the urban environment – which has a rare integrity for Moscow – and simultaneously draw attention with its ornamental uniqueness that is meant to make the “carved jewelry box” both rich and special. This is significant for a house of this class, especially in the time of the economic recession.

Architect:

Firm:

Mezonproekt http://www.mezon.pro

16 March 2016

Written by:

Marya Snejinskaya
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

Headlines now

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.

Object

A New Path

The main feature of the Yar Park project, designed by Sergey Skuratov for Kazan, is that it is organized along the “spine” of a multifunctional mall with an impressive multi-height atrium space in its middle. The entire site, both on the city side and the Kazanka River embankment, is open to the public. The complex is intended not to become “yet another fenced enclave” but, as urban planners say, a “polycenter” – a new point of attraction for the whole of Kazan, especially its northern part, made up of residential districts that until now have lacked such a vibrant public space. It represents a new urban planning approach to a high-density mixed-use development situated in the city center – in a sense, an “anti-quarter”. Even Moscow, one might say, doesn’t yet have anything quite like it. Well, lucky Kazan!

Object

Beneath the Azure Sky

A depository designed by Studio 44 will soon be built in Kenozersky National Park to preserve and display the so-called “heavens” – ceiling structures characteristic of wooden churches in the Russian North, painted with biblical scenes. For each of these “heavens”, the architects created a volume corresponding in scale and dimensions to the original church interior. The result is a honeycomb-like composition, with modules derived directly from the historic monuments themselves, allowing visitors to view the icons from the historically accurate angle – from below, looking upward. How exactly this works is the subject of our story.

Object

The Power of Lines

The building at the very beginning of New Arbat is the result of long deliberations over how to replace the former House of Communication. Contemporary, dynamic, and even somewhat zoomorphic in character, it is structured around a large diagonal grid. The building has become a striking accent both in the perspective of the former Kalinin Avenue and in the panorama of Arbat Square. Yet, unfortunately, the original concept was not fully realized. In 2020, the Moscow ArchCouncil approved a design featuring an exoskeleton – an external load-bearing structure, which eventually turned into a purely decorative element. Still, the power of the supergraphic “holds” the building, giving it the qualities of a new urban landmark with iconic potential. How this concept took shape, what unexpected associations might underlie the grid’s form, and why the exoskeleton was never built – all this is explored in our article.

News

Resort on the Kama River

Wowhaus has developed a project for the reconstruction of Korabelnaya Roshcha (“Mast Grove”), a wellness resort located on the banks of the Kama River.

Object

Nests in Primorye

The eco-park project “Nests”, designed by Aleksey Polishchuk and the company Power Technologies, received first prize at the Eco-Coast 2025 festival, organized by the Union of Architects of Russia. For a glamping site in Filinskaya Bay, the authors proposed bird-shaped houses, treehouses, and a nest-shaped observation platform, topping it all with an entrance pavilion executed in the shape of an owl.

Object

The Angle of String Tension

The House of Music, designed by Vladimir Plotkin and the architects of TPO Reserve, resembles a harp, and when seen from above, even a bass clef. But if only it were that simple! The architecture of the complex fuses two distinct expressive languages: the lattice-like, transparent, permeable vocabulary of “classical” modernism and the sculptural, ribbon-like volumes so beloved by today’s neo-modernism. How it all works – where the catharsis lies, which compositional axes underpin the design, where the project resembles Zaryadye Concert Hall and where it does not – read in the article below.

Object

How Historic Tobolsk Becomes a Portal to the Future

Over the past decade, the architectural company Wowhaus has developed urban strategies for several Russian cities – Vyksa, Tula, and Nizhnekamsk, to name but a few. Against this backdrop, the Tobolsk master plan stands out both for its scale – the territory under transformation covers more than 220 square kilometers – and for its complexity.

Object

St. Petersburg vs Rome

The center of St. Petersburg is, as we know, sacred – but few people can say with certainty where this “sacred place” actually begins and ends. It’s not about the formal boundaries, “from the Obvodny Canal to the Bolshaya Nevka”, but about the vibe that feels true to the city center. With the Nevskaya Ratusha complex – built to a design that won an international competition – Evgeny Gerasimov and Sergei Tchoban created an “image of the center” within its territory. And not so much the image of St. Petersburg itself, as that of a global metropolis. This is something new, something that hasn’t appeared in the city for a long time. In this article, we study the atmosphere, recall precedents, and even reflect on who and when first called St. Petersburg the “new Rome”. Clearly, the idea is alive for a reason.

Object

On the Wave

The project of transforming the river port and embankment in the city of Cheboksary, developed by the ATRIUM Architects, involves one of the city’s key areas. The Volga embankment is to be turned into a riverside boulevard – a multifunctional, comfortable, and expressive space for work and leisure activities. The authors propose creating a new link with the city’s main Krasnaya (“Red”) Square, as well as erecting several residential towers inspired by the shape of the traditional national women’s headdress – these towers are likely to become striking accents on the Volga panorama.

Interview

Valery Kanyashin: “We Were Given a Free Hand”

The Headliner residential complex, the main part of which was recently completed just across from Moscow City, is a kind of neighbor to the MIBC that doesn’t “play along” with it. On the contrary, the new complex is entirely built on contrast: like a city of differently scaled buildings that seems to have emerged naturally over the past 20 years – which is a hugely popular trend nowadays! And yet here – perhaps only here – such a project has been realized to its full potential. Yes, high-rises dominate, but all these slender, delicate profiles, all these exciting perspectives! And most importantly – how everything is mixed and composed together... We spoke with the project’s leader Valery Kanyashin.

Object

The Keystone

Until quite recently, premium residential and office complexes in Moscow were seen as the exclusive privilege of the city center. Today the situation is changing: high-quality architecture is moving beyond the confines of the Third Ring Road and appearing on the outskirts. The STONE Kaluzhskaya business center is one such example. Projects like this help decentralize the megalopolis, making life and work prestigious in any part of the city.

send.project

Perpetuum Mobile

The interior of the headquarters of Natsproektstroy, created by the IND studio team, vividly and effectively reflects the client’s field of activity – it is one of Russia’s largest infrastructure companies, responsible for logistics and transport communications of every kind you can possibly think of.

Object

Water and Light

Church art is full of symbolism, and part of it is truly canonical, while another part is shaped by tradition and is perceived by some as obligatory. Because of this kind of “false conservatism”, contemporary church architecture develops slowly compared to other genres, and rarely looks contemporary. Nevertheless, there are enthusiasts in this field out there: the cemetery church of Archangel Michael in Apatity, designed by Dmitry Ostroumov and Prokhram bureau, combines tradition and experiment. This is not an experiment for its own sake, however – rather, the considered work of a contemporary architect with the symbolism of space, volume, and, above all, light.

Object

Champions’ Cup

At first glance, the Bell skyscraper on 1st Yamskogo Polya Street, 12, appears strict and laconic – though by no means modest. Its economical stereometry is built on a form close to an oval, one of UNK architects’ favorite themes. The streamlined surface of the main volume, clad in metal louvers, is sliced twice with glass incisions that graphically reveal the essence of the original shape: both its simplicity and its complexity. At the same time, dozens of highly complex engineering puzzles have been solved here.

send.project

Semi-Digital Environment

In the town of Innopolis, a satellite of Kazan, the first 4-star hotel designed by MAD Architects has opened. The interiors of the hotel combine elegance with irony, and technology with comfort, evoking the atmosphere of a computer game or maybe a sci-fi movie about the near future.