"A chronicle in metal and concrete": architectural evolution of factories discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA
The educational lecture "Industrial Russia" took place at the National Centre RUSSIA on 11 April. Art historian and architectural historian Yelizaveta Likhacheva and architect Stepan Lipgart introduced the audience to Russia’s industrial architecture and spoke about technological innovations in the country and the world.
The lecture was dedicated to an in-depth study of the architectural evolution of industrial facilities. Industrial architecture developed alongside advanced engineering technologies and reflected changes in society and global industry, said Yelizaveta Likhacheva, the moderator of the lecture.
"There are two meanings to the term 'industrial architecture.' The first refers to the architecture of plants and factories. But the term is also often used in relation to architecture produced by industrial, factory-based means. These are the 'panel buildings' we all know. Today we are talking about the first meaning. The typology of factory buildings is relatively new. Industry as such was born at the very end of the 16th century. The first industrial buildings were probably port structures serving major harbour hubs. There are also examples of weaving workshops in the medieval sense. Starting from the 17th century, the first factories began to appear — for example, the Gobelins Manufactory in Paris," noted Yelizaveta Likhacheva.
From the production of luxury goods and military metallurgy in the 18th century, there was a transition to the stage of the scientific and technological revolution. A full-fledged industrial transformation was already underway in Europe by the 1820s. It led to environmental degradation in populated areas and required relocating factories beyond city limits, noted architect Stepan Lipgart.
"Without an understanding of industry, no country, no modern society can function properly. But it is important to remember that behind the massive workshops there are always people. Industrial giants are, above all, collectives, labour dynasties, craftsmanship and experience. It is also impossible not to mention a certain degree of 'destruction' that took place in the 1990s with industrial enterprises and the manufacturing sector. This was done according to market laws. For example, a modern large city — large-scale industry cannot exist in it. At the same time, in the 20th century, the Soviet project considered it a duty to establish major industrial enterprises in the city centre," said Stepan Lipgart.
The wave of industrialisation in Russia and the world was examined during the lecture through specific examples such as the Obukhov Plant, Uralmash Plant, the large-diameter pipe production shop at the Chelyabinsk Pipe-Rolling Plant "Vysota 239," and many others. A separate part of the lecture was dedicated to the architecture of light industry. Here, industry experts discussed the history of factories such as the "Krasnoe Znamya" knitwear factory.
"In general, I can say that a factory is about people. And this story is about the fact that most modern productions are, in one way or another, primarily focused on ensuring the comfort of workers, their safety, and a certain level of protection. This is something that architects of the second half of the 19th century did not think about at all," emphasised Yelizaveta Likhacheva.
In the 20th century, an ideological approach began to develop, within which a person was perceived as an integral and important part of the production process, and therefore increasing attention was paid to the comfort of workers, the experts noted. This trend is clearly reflected in the architecture of modern industrial structures. Today, contemporary factory and plant buildings meet the functional requirements of staff safety and comfort.
The cycle of educational events within the architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale" continues. The next event will take place on 21 May with the lecture "Business Russia." Stay tuned for updates on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA russia.ru.
Event photobank
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The children's workshop "Houses and Little Homes in the City" was held on 19 April at the National Centre RUSSIA.
