The new Hospitality Centre in Kamenka, Lipetsk Region, Russia was completed by Moscow office Megabudka in their vision of the New Russian Style. The style is based on a rethink of the culture and values inherent in Russian architecture and mentality.
The centre is composed of separate blocks, each of different height and with its own function. The blocks together present a comfortably-scaled building front that recalls the streetscape of the old city.
With numerous entrances from the street, each block can operate independently and be separated from the neighbouring volume which allows for events of great variability to be undertaken at the same time.
The blocks are clad in ebony black, the colour of wooden boards burned under the sun. A mainstay of Russian architecture, the burned black wood contrasts well with the landscape and in particular, the pure white of the winter snow.
The different blocks are arranged on a single stylobate, united by a wooden terrace on the roof. The stylobate provides a type of observation platform, from which visitors can take in views of the nearby pond, a fortress, and a fire-breathing sculpture of Gorynych (a folk hero of Russian fairy tales), one of the main attraction of the centre and its surrounding park.
Diluting the monumental forms of the building, architectural ornaments include triangular windows, various lattices, and a variety of ways of laying boards – all offering a new interpretation of the architecture of the Russian Izba.
Stylistically, the interior design concept also references the Russian style. Like a carved cabinet with jewels, a plethora of details and textures and natural material result in a cozy atmosphere with architectural and craft techniques borrowed from various eras of Russia and the Soviet Union.
