COMPETITION FOR THE PALACE OF THE SOVIETS, PROJECT BY WALTER GROPIUS

THESIS IN DIGITAL DRAWING 

COMPETITION FOR THE PALACE OF THE SOVIETS, PROJECT BY WALTER GROPIUS: GEOMETRICAL ANALYSIS AND DIGITAL COMPOSITION

This thesis is aimed to the digital reconstruction of one of the most interesting projects, both from the design and functionality point of view, presented during the competition for the Palace of the Soviets held in Moscow between 1931 and 1934. 

The project presented by the german architect Walter Gropius, which hadn't convinced the council for the construction of the Palace, was designed to represent a building like a monument to the soviet socialistic ideals, based on a unified architectural organization, circumscribing inside to a circle the different functions of the organism; a circle which symbolize the aggregation of the popular masses. 

Within this project, Gropius proposes again his "Totaltheater" idea, or rather, a modern theater which must be a "community theater," a unity factor for the people, "an architecture of human unity," where it needs to be abolished the separation of the actors world and the world of spectator, dragging it into the scene; to make this possible he designs a system of movable stages, sets and screens, to show  images on space and not on a plane, in order to extend the scene until reaching the viewer.

It was considered interesting to give "life" to this iconic building of Gropius' rationality, as simple in form as complex as a whole, trying to respect to the maximum the original drawings.

Finally, I wanted to pay tribute to one of the founding fathers of modern architecture, rebuilding digitally, one of his most elaborate and ingenious works, perhaps not fully understood in the past due to the absolute political ideals which affected so heavily even in architectural choices of the time.

Thanks to supervisor Prof. Arch. Alberto Sdegno

Thanks to second supervisor Arch. Dmitry Smirnov

Special thanks to Harvard Art Museum for the photos of the original draws necessary to rebuild digitally the Gropius' project.

Arch. Alex Cogo

Here a virtual tour from outside to inside of the Palace (watch on youtube for better quality):