Bringing bold ideas to life: young visitors to the National Centre RUSSIA tried themselves as interior designers

On May 21, the programme of educational events of the architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale" at the National Centre RUSSIA continued with a series of children's workshops entitled "Appartment Layout Through the Eyes of a Child." Together with Anna Butova, a lecturer at the HSE School of Design, young participants of the art class created interior projects of their dreams — from unusual furniture to flats filled with bold design ideas.

"Children’s imagination is not just fantasy, but a new perspective on familiar things that can inspire even professionals. After all, sometimes the most brilliant ideas are born from those who do not yet know the word 'impossible'. Children see the world a bit differently — their projects are full of unexpected colours, shapes and functional solutions, they are not afraid to make mistakes, which means they have more freedom for true discoveries. Moreover, through creativity, a child tells us, adults, about their dreams, moods and needs — and this is the key to mutual understanding between generations," noted Anna Butova.

The workshop became a laboratory of ideas: the young participants proposed unexpected solutions combining imagination, humour and individuality. For example, the children came up with a trampoline-flat surrounded by jungle, a kind dragon instead of a bed, and a "security armchair."

"I made a tree-shaped armchair so I could sit in it surrounded by beautiful trees. It has a flower-shaped mirror, a decorative leaf and a vine, so I can not only sit, but also hang from it. And to climb up into the chair, you go through special gates," shared young Vasilisa.

The organisers of the workshop noted that children’s ideas are fresh, sincere and often more original than those of adults. The tools for bringing the children’s fantasies to life were simple items such as ordinary pencils, cardboard boxes and other basic materials.

"I encourage you to be creative in everything, to look at others as little as possible and think: 'I can’t do that.' You are the most creative, the very best! Imagine, draw, build models — and never throw away your childhood works. After all, any of your creations could become a breakthrough in design, and maybe, ten years from now, you will be able to use them to bring your coolest childhood ideas to life," said Anna Butova to the children.

The architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale" at the National Centre RUSSIA reveals the grandeur of Russia through its architectural legacy. The exposition includes both the National Centre RUSSIA's own objects and those provided by museums and private collectors from across the country. Among them are architects' tools from different eras, drawings and models, models of buildings both successfully constructed and remaining as innovative ideas. As a separate section, the future of domestic architecture is presented — children’s creative studios, student workshops, and works by young architects.

Watch the series of the National Centre RUSSIA’s educational lectures on architecture with Yelizaveta Likhacheva and learn more about the Russian architecture.

Partners of "The Birth of Scale" exposition include DOM.RF, the Ministry of Construction of Russia, Gazprom, the State Research Museum of Architecture named after A. V. Shchusev, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Yakov Chernikhov Architectural Charitable Foundation, and the HSE School of Design.

 You can become a participant of the tour of "The Birth of Scale" exposition and attend workshops as part of the educational programme "Children’s Architectural Studios" free of charge by pre-registering on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA at russia.ru. Current information about workshops is available in the "Events" section.