Melnikov House
20/02/27 - 5:00 p.m.
The Melnikov House, designed by architect Konstantin Melnikov for himself and his family, is an icon of the Russian architectural avant-garde. The experimental cylindrical structure was built between 1927 and 1929 to test Melnikov’s concepts for mass-produced housing. Melnikov believed that the essence of his house lay in the balance and equivalence of weight, light, air, and heat. The original layout, elegant spatial arrangement, and ingenious engineering techniques are combined in a unique architectural form that still looks modern. Retaining some historic elements of the 20th century, the house also reflects the tragic life of this solo architect in a collectivist society.
Pavel Kuznetsov discussed the history of the Melnikov House from inception in the early 20th century through establishing the museum in 2014 and today’s conservation project. He explored the newly discovered information that uncovered the architectural, engineering, and philosophical ideas lying behind Melnikov’s ambitious plan to build an architectural manifesto in 1920s Soviet Russia.
