Office: KATARSIS ab | ArchDaily

The Nikolsky Rows Public Space / KATARSIS ab

Valeria Silva — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:00:00 +0000

The Nikolsky Rows are an example of a gostiny dvor, a very distinctive Russian type of historic market complex. The building fell into disrepair and remained abandoned until a recent restoration. Today, the complex is occupied by a hotel. Until recently, the inner courtyard was taken up by a parking lot. The Nikolsky Rows remained excluded from the context of the city.

Rotating Triumf Arch / KATARSIS ab

Andreas Luco — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:00:00 +0000

The district of Kolomna, where many of Dostoevsky’s novels are set, is one of the oldest — and, probably, the most distinctive — in St. Petersburg. The Nikolsky Rows is a brilliant example of a gostiny dvor, a very distinctive Russian building type combining a shopping arcade and an inner courtyard used as an open market and storage and maintenance area. The building fell into disrepair and was then restored. However, until the present day, it failed to become an active city space in its own right. The former arcade now houses a hotel, while the market courtyard remained inaccessible to the public. We created a small architectural landmark to trigger the return to life for this historically vibrant location.

Burning Bridges Installation / KATARSIS ab

Valeria Silva — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Nikola-Lenivets is a small Russian village located in the Kaluga Region, not too far from Moscow, where artist Nikolay Polissky created one of the largest art parks in Europe. The area of 650 ha serves as an experimental ground for visual arts, architecture, music, and theatre. Having engaged the village community, Nikolay created a world-famous landmark with a steady flow of tourists that contributes to local employment. The park regularly hosts large-scale festivals, and Archstoyanie is, probably, the best known among them.