Prior to the renovation, the space was segmented into tiny cluttered office rooms, remnants of the 90s.After a close study of its history, the structure of the original building was revealed and adapted to the needs of Garage headquarters. Tall windows that had been bricked up were opened, the space was cleaned of the 90’s clutter, the attic space was put into use. The building is a historical artifact, with a kind of space-time tetris visible in its walls.
Throughout its multiple lives it has served as a boat repair yard for the Bromley factory,
then developed into an exhibition pavilion by the avant garde architect Shchusev in 1923, later it became a movie theatre, and a hall for exhibiting trophy weapons during WWII.
The new internal structure was dictated by the brief. Garage headquarters consists of several departments, each requiring a dedicated space, with the ability to interact. The space can be observed in its entirety from various points, with the head office slightly separated and overlooking the rest, to be accessed by a narrow winding staircase. T
The lower level contains the entry foyer, PR and research department, where panoramic windows reveal the ruins of a movie theatre destroyed during WWII. This space is at tree top level and opens up to the park.
A parade staircase leads to the second floor, where open working areas are organized around a closed core of the conference room, small kitchen and printing room. At tree top level, this space opens up to the park.
The topmost mezzanine is additionally lit by a long window which reveals the ruined theatre and the city skyline.......more
