Chocolate Factory

concept
Address: Bersenevskaya Embankment, 6, bldg.3, and 8, bldg..1; Bersenevsky pereulok 2, bldg.1 (the site of what used to be the Red October Factory), Moscow, Russia
Design work: 2010
Principal architect: Anastasiya Rychkova
Partners in Wowhaus: Dmitry Likin, Oleg Shapiro


While we were working upon the idea of reconstructing the Red October Factory, it occurred to us that it would be a good idea to extend the conversion of this old chocolate factory beyond the factory blocks themselves. The ‘Chocolate Yard’ is an open exhibition space which can be accessed both from outside and from the surrounding factory blocks. Here you can pass your time pleasurably among redbrick buildings that still carry the aroma of chocolate.

Objective:

To create a multifunctional "outside living room".

Solution:

We propose uniting the Chocolate Factory exhibition complex with the inner courtyard. In order to achieve this, some of the functions of the gallery space should be relocated to the open zone. This will involve setting up exhibition stands and screens and building a wooden amphitheatre which can be used for recreation or holding events.

The Chocolate Yard is two courtyards linked by a passage.
1 wooden amphitheatre
2 main entrance to the exhibition complex
3 wooden islands (for sitting or lying down)
4 exits from the exhibition hall into the second courtyard
5 vertical surfaces for video projections
6 Akademiya, open terrace café
7 garbage containers

The maximum length of the entire Chocolate Yard is 89 metres; its width is 18 metres; the floor area is 1300 square metres.

Several exits from the Chocolate Factory exhibition complex lead out into the courtyard via the wooden amphitheatre.

The inner facades of the buildings are clad with special surfaces onto which films can be projected; canopies protect these surfaces from the rain. Essential equipment (e.g. sound equipment) is concealed behind the screens.

People can watch the films from both the amphitheatre steps and the terrace of Akademiya Café.

In the evenings the courtyard is illuminated, creating an atmosphere of intimacy.

 

The facades of the first communicating courtyard are partly lined with mirror panels. The vertical mirror pipes/panels are illuminated at night, creating visual accents.

Inside the communicating courtyard are wide wooden ‘islands’ that visitors can sit and lie on.