A LOOK DIRECTED AT THE ORIGINS
The
"Pushkinsky" cinema is one of the largest cinemas in Europe, built in
1961 according to the design of architect Yu. Sheverdyayev. The cinema has a huge
glass facade with the roof directed upwards and forward hanging over it, and there
are a plenty of staircases, bridges and passages jointly creating the recognizable
appearance of the building and ranking high among the buildings making the history
of the Soviet architecture of 60-ies. In addition, the "Russia" cinema
(the former name of the "Pushkinsky" cinema) was the first large multi-hall
wide-screen cinema in the USSR. Consequently, the principal task set in the process
of the design of the building facade reconstruction project was taking into consideration
the historic and cultural importance of this object.
The project
of reconstruction of the appearance of the building is based on the idea of restoration
of the original architecture placing it under a new "cover" meeting the
modern aesthetic and technological requirements and made of new materials and structures.
The restored facade is an intermediate link between the proposed "cover"
and the lobby of the cinema becoming something like a "museum piece under glass".
A sort of covered gallery is created (for walking, waiting, placement of posters,
temporary scenery, the design of which may be changed each season), with a modern
structure filled with semitransparent glass and a view of the Pushkin’s Square on one side and the restored architecture of
the "Pushkinsky" cinema on the other side. The concept of design of the
new appearance of the building provides for solution of the following tasks:
- to include the building
into the environment (to create a laconic form not contradicting the established
classical architecture of the historic centre of Moscow);
- to combine in harmony
the new form with the existing facade;
- to fashion the cinema
into a renewed but at the same time recognizable face;
- to cover the run-around
gallery;
- to protect the existing
facade from the impact of atmosphericinfluence
The proposed attached
wall design provides for spatial structures and SentryGlas® DuPont™ glass which will shape a special appearance of the building and
enable to reduce the cross-section of the metallic beams as well as to increase
the efficiency of the structures in respect of resistance to the wind load.
In the
process of development of the concept of appearance of the building attention was
paid to the study of the history of the adjacent territory. As a result, a lot of
prerequisites were defined for development of the Pushkin’s
Squarereconstruction version as at the foot of the main
staircase of the cinema there are the foundations of the previously destructed altarof the dome of the Strastna monastery, an orthodox shrine and part of history and culture. Due to this a decision
was taken to develop the cinema facade reconstruction project in combination with
a design proposal for reconstruction of the square. Such a decision provides for
uniting the square into a whole architectural ensemble and reconstructing the destroyed
Cathedral of the
Passion Icon of the Holy Mother of God. The
integrated approach to creation of a new appearance (due to elevation of the level
of the square and arrangement of a sloping ramp from the Pushkin monument to the
level of the main cinema entrance) not only provides for combining the square and
the lobby of the "Pushkinsky" cinema, but also enables to get the height
required for restoration of the interior space of the Cathedral of the Passion Icon of the
Holy Mother of Godin its original proportions and size. Above the premises of the underground church at
the square there are glass domes providing for
ventilation and lighting of the church halls. A fountain with cascades located at
the level of the square encloses the place of location of the church and unites
the territory of the park at the Pushkin’s Squarewith the architecture of the
cinema into an integral ensemble. The cathedralentrances are separated from the visitors of the cinema and people passing
away the time at the square and are situated on the sides of Boulevard Ring.
The cinema
facade design in combination with the designed forms of the square is associated
with the view which is an appropriate combining shape for a spectacular building.
Also, a spatial composition is created on the side of water cascades in which the
arch accentuating the main entrance and dome system
of the underground church, reflecting in the water surface, complete the lines of
the cinema appearance symbolizing "a look directed at the origins".