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In 1896 the city hosted the 16th All-Russia Industrial and Art Exhibition. Close to 200 pavilions were built for this event, and especially remarkable was the main pavilion designed by engineers G.E. Pauker and I.A. Vyshnegradsky. Once the exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod was over, the pavilions were sold: the openwork structures which were part of the Central Pavilion were used as the framework of the pack-houses. During Soviet times this area was a port, and the secrecy was one of the reasons why no one knew for a long time of this gem hidden behind inconspicuous brick walls. The metal structures were discovered in 2015 and received the status of cultural heritage. The structures have been preserved and new pavilions replicating the same spatial form have been created within them.
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Lined with polished stainless steel panels, these new pavilions melt visually into space. Historically, each pack-house is a two-part structure since it consists of a larger and a smaller space of identical shape and geometry. These internal metal-enclosed spaces (small and large) are connected to each other by a glazed vestibule with heating. The vestibule has a translucent roof so that the openwork can be viewed from inside at close quarters. The main entrances to the pavilion are located opposite each other on the exterior façade.
Historically each pack-house is a two-part structure since it consists of a larger and a smaller space of identical shape and geometry. These internal metal-enclosed spaces (small and large) are connected to each other by a glazed vestibule with heating. The vestibule has a translucent roof so that the openwork can be viewed from inside at close quarters. The main entrances to the pavilion are located opposite each other on the exterior façade. As for the new uses of the pack-houses, the one houses a pavilion for cultural activities and exhibitions while the pack-house 2 (the larger one, located closer to the water) houses a pavilion with a 608-seat concert hall with three floors above ground level. In each warehouse the smaller unit accommodates the necessary support functions – technical and service premises, the cash counter vestibule, cloakroom, buffet, and restrooms. The inner walls of public spaces are clad mainly with metal cassette panels. The floor is self-levelling terrazzo, white with various shades. The newly-built structures do not extend beyond the old historical framework but are set 1800 mm within its perimeter as indicated in the building plan. The roof of the larger pavilion is set back from the historical framework by over 500 mm and of the smaller by over 200 mm. Exterior cladding is mainly with stainless steel façade panels of 40 mm thickness.
This design using the historical framework with effective illumination in the evening and with the new structures inserted into it is not only a new symbol of the city but also an exemplar of painstaking restoration and integration of a reminder of industrial architecture. No less important, it has been executed within a fairly short time frame and at reasonable cost.
SPEECH is one of the largest and most successful architectural offices in Russia. SPEECH specializes in the design of buildings and complexes of various functional purposes, the development of urban planning concepts, as well as the creation of public interiors and exhibition design.
