Houzz Tour: 21st-Century Update for a Soviet Commune Apartment
Period materials and a compact, perfectly planned-out kitchen refresh a constructivist gem in Moscow
The house-commune was a Soviet design that sought to transform utopian visions of communist life into brick and mortar. These buildings consisted of small, separate “cell apartments,” with most functional areas, such as kitchens, shared among all tenants. The house-commune on Moscow’s Gogol Boulevard is a legendary piece of constructivist architecture, designed and built between 1929 and 1931 by a group of architects under the leadership of Moisei Ginzburg.
This home is, in fact, an adapted cell apartment. Its owner is well-versed in art and modern design, and he moved here because of his interest in the building’s history. So when architect Alireza Nemati planned the renovation, he respected the ideas of the original builders but adapted the space to his client’s modern needs.
This home is, in fact, an adapted cell apartment. Its owner is well-versed in art and modern design, and he moved here because of his interest in the building’s history. So when architect Alireza Nemati planned the renovation, he respected the ideas of the original builders but adapted the space to his client’s modern needs.
The client had been living in the apartment before the renovation, but now everything — including the walls and the electrical and plumbing systems — had to be dismantled. Although Nemati started almost from scratch, he did, whenever possible, select finishes appropriate to the period when the home was built. In some ways, the work was like a restoration project.
Find an architect for your renovation
Find an architect for your renovation
The highlights of the interior are its built-ins: a hidden kitchen, a laundry area and closets. Most of the furniture had to be designed in nonstandard shapes and sizes.
Apartment elevation
Main-floor layout
The renovation maintained the traditional layout for commune cell apartments. A bathroom and a small hallway are on the top floor, while the living area is downstairs.
The renovation maintained the traditional layout for commune cell apartments. A bathroom and a small hallway are on the top floor, while the living area is downstairs.
The client wanted to use natural materials and neutral shades. Oak flooring runs throughout the apartment, including on the staircase treads. The staircase structure itself is made of wood in accordance with Ginzburg’s original drawings. The walls are coated with white water-based paint to give a sense of greater space and openness.
Wall paint: Tikkurila
Wall paint: Tikkurila
With such a modest floor area, it was important not only to visually expand the apartment, but also to keep it from getting cluttered. That’s why the owner asked the architect to allocate a place for every item.
The hallway has room for only a small coat rack, so the main storage area is under the staircase. It features pullouts, which the architect considers the best solution for a small area.
The hallway has room for only a small coat rack, so the main storage area is under the staircase. It features pullouts, which the architect considers the best solution for a small area.
The home’s weak old walls posed the project’s biggest challenge. Any furniture and other items that normally would be attached to a wall had get their own supports. The bookcase, for example, had to be supported by a stainless steel frame because the wall wouldn’t have been able to withstand the load.
Nemati also faced the possibility of having to totally redo the water and heating systems. “The biggest challenge was handling all the nuances associated with the sewage pipes. These issues had to be resolved with the local housing and communal authorities and with the neighbors, which took a lot of time,” he says.
Nemati also faced the possibility of having to totally redo the water and heating systems. “The biggest challenge was handling all the nuances associated with the sewage pipes. These issues had to be resolved with the local housing and communal authorities and with the neighbors, which took a lot of time,” he says.
The bookcase includes a niche for folding chairs. This was a great solution for two reasons: First, the extra seats are out of the way until guests come to visit; second, the niche is shallower than the bookcase and doesn’t cover the glass.
The constructivist architects who designed this building probably never would’ve guessed that future tenants would prepare meals inside their own apartments — originally, all residents were expected to use the communal facilities. As a result, the kitchen setup was another challenge for Nemati, pictured.
The kitchen he came up with is designed like a spaceship cabin. Every inch was planned and measured. Hidden behind folding doors, the kitchen includes dedicated storage for every need, including a ventilated box for vegetables, pictured below, and a narrow drawer to hold cleaning supplies. A refrigerator and a pullout table are hidden under the countertop.
The kitchen he came up with is designed like a spaceship cabin. Every inch was planned and measured. Hidden behind folding doors, the kitchen includes dedicated storage for every need, including a ventilated box for vegetables, pictured below, and a narrow drawer to hold cleaning supplies. A refrigerator and a pullout table are hidden under the countertop.
The kitchen countertop is oak veneer covered with a waterproof varnish, and the backsplash features a waterproof paint. The wet zone is covered with marble. Nemati designed the oak drying rack himself; the water flows directly back into the sink.
Finding a hood of the right size wasn’t easy, so the architect designed that himself as well. It was made through using 3D-printing technology and metal forming. He equipped it with a powerful but compact and silent motor.
Wall paint: Tikkurila; wall lamp: Fritz Hansen; find similar lamps
Finding a hood of the right size wasn’t easy, so the architect designed that himself as well. It was made through using 3D-printing technology and metal forming. He equipped it with a powerful but compact and silent motor.
Wall paint: Tikkurila; wall lamp: Fritz Hansen; find similar lamps
Next to the kitchen is a cabinet that houses a washing machine, a laundry basket and more cleaning supplies. There is also a closet with a hidden sliding rod that can be used to put up a curtain to separate the bedroom and shower room from the living room for coziness and privacy.
The extremely simple bedroom, which is used exclusively for sleeping, is decorated in shades of white. It connects to an en suite shower area.
The large amount of glass in the shower area gives it an open feel. The entrance is a glass door, and the round window inside frames a view of the city.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A man with a passion for constructivism, a modern form of architecture that flourished in the Soviet Union in the 1920s and ’30s
Location: Moscow
Size: 355 square feet (33 square meters)
Architect: Alireza Nemati of Studio Bazi