The former carriage repair depot of Moscow-Kurskaya railway station is an unusual building in a modern urban environment. Built in 1906, it is a striking example of the industrial architecture of the early 20th century, but it has not been designated as an architectural monument. After standing abandoned for several decades, the building has not lost its charm, and has even attracted new visitors. Train spotters come here to watch trains passing by from the roof, while artists organize exhibitions and installations and stage conceptual theatrical performances. So, in 2011, the creative association BLACKMEAT organized an exhibition called "Les", and in 2016 Theater.doc staged the performance "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" on the rooftop. There is the phrase "everything rests on the floor", which has become an aphorism left by the street artist Kirill KTO.
Even at the beginning of the design, we set ourselves the task of giving a natural continuation to the multifaceted history of the building and expressing it in architectural forms. That's how the ideas of conservation, contrast and integration came about.
Conservation
The main part of the building, the car repair shop, which was later named the Old Building, is a single space with a gable roof. The roof is supported by metal trusses. Brick walls are "cut through" by large arched windows and decorative pilasters are located between them. As part of the project, it was decided to restore all historical openings, pilasters and cornices using bricks from dismantled parts of the building. A portion of the existing facade was demolished as it carried no aesthetic or functional load. Instead, there is now the main entrance to the business center and a large-scale stained-glass window that wraps part of the old wall creating a ruinous effect and transferring the facade into the interior. Graffiti on the walls was preserved and left as part of the interior and the name "Transporter" refers to an obscure hobby among train enthusiasts, trainspotting.
Contrast
In place of the buildings that were unsuitable for repair, a new building was decided to be built that followed the boundaries of the existing structure. When designing the architecture of the New Building, we wanted to emphasize the adjacent historical building by applying contrast and interpreting modern architectural elements in a new way. For example, an expressive pediment was created, reinterpreting the shape of the old building's pediment. The windows facing the railway follow the precise rhythm of those in the historical building, and from the pedestrian side, they are grouped into different clusters. Decorative elements "flirt" with the relief of the old facade, but do so in a minimalist manner. This approach allowed for a dialogue between buildings, solving complex functional tasks, and linking the building to difficult terrain.
Integration
The connecting element of the project is landscaping, which aims to integrate the former abandoned building into the environment of a modern city. An important functional task was to make the territory passable. So, a staircase appeared on Kazakova Street, which opens a transit passage for people walking from the subway. We also tried to saturate the territory with greenery and create intimate and cozy spaces at the ends of the building. The rails integrated into the paving, as well as the excavated part of the facade of the old building, which was buried in the ground, became a historical reference to the spirit of the place. This element of landscaping refers to the idea of conservation.
