Onexim Hall

A meeting hall was created for one of Moscow’s political parties within a Stalin era movie theatre. The previous interior was completely altered, appropriating only the sense of monumentality characteristic of its time. The new space can be altered to cater for different functions such as conference hall, cinema and event space. Adjacent spaces include meeting rooms, catering, amenities and storage.
Time constraints for this projects led to the use of easily accessible materials such as fibrecement panels, plywood, glass blocks and black steel. The three wall surfaces of the hall are treated differently — the exterior wall is clad in fibrecement panels which resemble concrete, the opposite partitioning wall is plywood, with doors concealed in a pattern of panels.
The central space is defined by two strong elements — a grand staircase constructed of steel, and a glass curtain wall. The glass block wall is illuminated by fluorescent lamps that create a series of patterns, mirroring the structure below the ceiling.

Architecture: Olga Treivas, Vera Odyn, Viktor Trifonov, Svetlana Mahrova
Client: Kraus-M
Status: Completed
Location: Moscow
Year: 2011
Photography: Olga Treivas

  • A short deadline dictated the usage of the interior most simple and accessible materials in the interior

  • The ceiling is made out of crystal-shaped metal modules