The Only: "Ornate House" on Leningradsky Prospect

If you have ever driven along Leningradsky Prospect near Dynamo metro station, you have surely seen the building with an elegant ornate facade. Unusual architecture for the capital, yet such residential buildings could have been built in sleeping districts. Interested? We tell you more details.

Address: Moscow, Leningradsky Prospect, 27
Year of construction: 1936–1940s
Project authors: architects Andrey Burkov and Boris Blokhin
Style: Soviet art deco

Concept vs Reality: Andrey Burkov and Boris Blokhin planned this six-story house as a standard project. The architects were confident that mass housing should not only be functional but also beautiful. Imagine how the sleeping districts of Moscow would look today if this idea had been implemented. Unfortunately, the Great Patriotic War stopped ambitious plans, and Blokhin's house remains a unique example. 

What's special: elegant concrete lattice patterns in the form of floral ornaments covering kitchen balconies and their contents. These are based on drawings by famous graphic artist Vladimir Flavorsky. From a distance, the lattices resemble ornate shutters on country houses, but in reality, the plant motifs refer to the Art Nouveau era and floral prints of renowned English designer William Morris. 

Nicknames: due to its decorative features, the building is called "Ornate House" or "Lace House." The alternating balconies and windows led residents to another association — they nicknamed it the "Accordion House." Photo: a-shuster.livejournal.com

Did you know: The "Ornate House" is the first multi-story panel house in Moscow. Hard to believe, right? In fact, the panels on the outer walls are made of concrete, not marble as it might appear. It is said that pigment was added during production when they realized achieving even concrete tone was impossible. 

Number of apartments: 90

Layout: the six-story building has only one entrance with two spacious staircases in the right and left wings. Apartments were initially designed for one family, the main drawback being very small kitchens. It was assumed that food would be cooked in restaurants, and residents would only reheat it at home.

Photo: a-shuster.livejournal.com

Apartment prices: from 11.9 million rubles for a two-room flat to 16 million rubles for a three-room flat.

Rent costs: a two-room apartment with designer renovation is offered for 110 thousand rubles per month. 

On the cover: photo by Denis Esakov.

Read also:

• Who built the "Bachelor's House" in Moscow?
• The Narodnaya House: Does the future of communal housing exist in Moscow?
• Who built the "House on Stilts" in Moscow