Pro Forma

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Published on Archi.ru (https://archi.ru)
24.04.2025
Pro Forma
Julia Tarabarina
Architect:
Levon Ayrapetov
Valeria Preobrazhenskaya
Studio:
TOTEMENT/PAPER
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. We wrote about the Chernyakhovsk whisky distillery project by TOTEMENT / PAPER a few years ago – it’s a continuation of their work on the “Alliance 1892” territory, where they had previously built the Cognac Museum, a building that received much critical acclaim and several industry awards, and is well known in the professional community. Now the distillery building is complete and has been abundantly photographed – and I’ll note that it looks very close to the original renders. It’s a striking, cohesive, complex space with a hint of brutalism. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Along the way, the architects explored multiple interpretations of the space, even making a few videos – some fog-shrouded, some “distilled” in tone, just like the drink itself. As for the materialization, the completed realization of the distillery building – here’s what I want to say: both TOTEMENT projects in Chernyakhovsk share the architects’ fascination with form as such. These hangars – the barrel storage for cognac, the tasting hall, and especially the industrial space for whisky production – could have been built in the simplest of ways one could possibly think of. Luckily, our project is not the case. Levon Ayrapetov and Valeria Preobrazhenskaya turned both buildings into experiments in complex, nonlinear spatial composition. The Cognac Museum was more of a dialogue; the distillery feels like a solitude – a “third wheel” sort of figure. But that’s just my impression. Maybe that’s just me. What’s most fascinating is that the architects took a trivial, and quite uninspiring task located at the edge of the world – or rather, on the threshold between this world and the next – and made it into a study of form and space. And they were persistent – they saw it through. That’s what matters. Let’s be honest: few people will see this for what it is, even though there are tours of the facility. However, an enormous amount of soul and energy went into it. So yes, we recommend taking that tour. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER And TOTEMENT, I should say, aren’t stopping there – they’re continuing to work with “Alliance 1892”. In one of the photos, you can spot a corner of a new whisky storage facility. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER What’s more, the architects are planning another surprise nearby – just as creative as everything already built. They haven’t revealed details just yet – but it’s coming soon. The distillery building, essentially, is a simple parallelepiped, a building of technical intent. However, imagine the kind of passionate mindset it takes to give such an unassuming structure a unique character and meaning of its own. Not that it’s wildly complicated: the frame is metal, the same black corrugated cladding appears both outside and in. One volume – the entrance and presentation zone – is set at an angle, like on a hinge, and fitted with a stained-glass window. There’s your “head”. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER And yet, from this slight angular twist come countless viewpoints, reflections, and visual axes. The white cantilever base and its silhouette is reminiscent of a submarine only partially surfaced, or maybe an ancient warship with a sharply pointed ramming prow, meant not for water but, in this case, for earth. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER A crystal. A volume that seems to transform before your eyes – a continuation of the dialogue between the “male” and “female” volumes of the Cognac Museum, most of which, like here, is hidden underground. And then there’s a cross – not a full one – set against a plain black background. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER I assume that the first few minutes inside are meant to bring deliberate disorientation for the visitor. Black and white, the angled stained glass, sharp contrasts, intrigue. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER In the meeting and presentation areas, you get white and red under a skylight. A two-tiered, sharply articulated composition – very much a TOTEMENT hallmark, instantly recognizable, echoing many of their other works and installations. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Then come the copper vats, commanding full attention and carrying their own weight in atmosphere, engaging with the complex geometry of the space through their entirely different, technology-driven, almost steampunk contours – the pipes, cylinders, and that distinctive natural copper tint. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER And finally – another row of vats, silver-toned with functional recesses per the distilling process. On a red, almost enamel-like floor. Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER This interplay contains a wide emotional spectrum – some perhaps connected to the essence of the product, a strong drink with history and reputation, others more theatrical, abstract, adding to the immersive impression of the space. Back in the 18th century, there was a thing called a “theatre of pictures”: viewers seated in a hall would watch as sets were rotated on stage to music. Seemingly static, but if you’ve ever been to the Gonzago Theatre in Arkhangelskoe, you’ll agree – it does do a number on you. This is the same idea, but rendered in volume and space, with the viewer free to move within it. TOTEMENT / PAPER turned a routine task into a way to refine their approach to architectural form – a form that stands on its own, meaningful in and of itself, rising to the level of “pure art”. And really, what difference does it make where pure art takes place? It goes wherever it chooses to. They’d be the perfect team to design Moscow’s Emotech. Emotions here are overflowing. And why not? Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER Whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk Copyright: Photograph © Gleb Leonov / provided by TOTEMENT/PAPER текст: Юлия Тарабарина