The House of the Architect is a cultural and professional center for Nizhny Novgorod's architects, located on Upper Volga Embankment, in a corner building at its intersection with Seminarskaya Square. The building was constructed at the turn of the 20th century; before the revolution it housed the offices of the Volga Steamship Company. The building was erected in 1850–1851 to a design by Mikhail Konstantinovich Yastrebov, assistant yarmarka architect, and is an example of academic eclecticism; it is a monument of architecture and history listed in the register of cultural heritage sites.[1]

The Building

The corner building housing the House of the Architect stands where Verkhne-Volzhskaya Embankment opens onto Seminarskaya Square. According to sources, the building was distinguished by an artistic and structural design that was advanced for its time, as well as exceptional durability. The original owner of the building was titular councillor Porfiry Nikolaevich Grigoryev, who purchased the plot at auction near The Kremlin; to cover construction costs, he leased out the second floor. From September 1857 to January 1858, the building was home to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who stopped in Nizhny Novgorod on his way back from exile in Orenburg; the poem "The Neophytes" was written here. In 1858, French writer Alexandre Dumas père stayed in the building during a visit to Nizhny Novgorod in the course of a journey through Russia to attend the yarmarka.[1] Before the revolution it housed the offices of the Volga Steamship Company; in the post-Soviet period the building was handed over to the professional association of architects.[1]

Activities

The House of the Architect serves as a venue for professional and artistic events of the Nizhny Novgorod architectural and artistic community. In 2003, a solo exhibition by Mikhail Viktorovich Dutsev titled "The Image of Surroundings" was held here.[2] Group exhibitions by artists of an avant-garde orientation have also been held at the House of the Architect — among the participants was Nizhny Novgorod sculptor and painter Vasily Stepanovich Samsonov. The building currently has a multi-level layout: the first floor houses a bookshop and souvenir shop, the second floor contains an exhibition space and event hall, the third floor is home to a coworking space and architecture school; the basement hosts the "Tishina" exhibition space, and the courtyard features a summer recreation area. The 143 m² exhibition hall accommodates up to 60 guests for a banquet-style seating arrangement and up to 120 for a reception; the rental includes service rooms, tables, chairs, six restrooms, a summer courtyard, and a foyer.[3][2]

Links

Sources

  1. Nizhegorodskaya Pravda — Secrets of the Nizhny Novgorod House of the Architect — The building is a monument of architecture and history listed in the register of cultural heritage sites; it was built in 1850–1851 to a design by… (archive)
  2. dom-archi.ru — House of the Architect Nizhny Novgorod — The building currently has a multi-level layout: the first floor houses a bookshop and souvenir shop, the second floor contains an exhibition… (archive)
  3. shater-nn.ru — Venue "House of the Architect" — The exhibition hall of the House of the Architect, measuring 143 m², accommodates up to 60 guests for a banquet-style seating arrangement and up to 120 for a reception. Included in the rental… (archive)
Materials from articles used (3)

Seminary Square, Mikhail Viktorovich Dutsov, Vasily Stepanovich Samsonov