Foundations for the promotion of contemporary art Ruarts

The main value of the Ruarts foundation, headed by Marianna Sardarova, is openness: to interaction with the audience and the professional community, to changes in the contemporary agenda. This openness became the main leitmotif of the architectural project of the ATRIUM studio, which was once again tasked with transforming the residence (Ruarts gallery in Zachatievsky lane, the interiors of which were designed by the same bureau, was born on the site of two penthouses) into a place of art. In 2015, before becoming the foundation building, the mansion was reconstructed and adapted for apartments. Therefore, the new status first of all affected the facades: they were cleaned of unnecessary pseudo-classical decor and re-plastered in a noble gray shade, and the first floor level was transformed into an urban showcase: the windows were maximally enlarged (and new ones were added from the courtyard side) and the internal space was articulated, framed by panels of glass fiber reinforced concrete with a decorative structure. The main entrance opening was expanded and accentuated with a volumetric element made of corten steel.

Openness, transparency, and accessibility of contemporary art are also demonstrated by the large atrium, cut out on three levels upwards. The space is arranged in such a way that the visitor, moving from level to level, constantly encounters unexpected and sometimes paradoxical visual connections, starting from "windows" on each floor, through which you can directly observe the exhibition from the staircase, and ending with a glass fragment of the floor on the lecture level, providing a clear view of the entire atrium.

However, the visitor is first greeted by the urban living room on the first floor, open to all: a small cafe, a bookstore, and, of course, the first art objects - the concrete staircase already considered the trademark of Ruarts (in the gallery on Ostozhenka, it has repeatedly served as a decoration for various creative initiatives) and the reception desk - another specifically designed spatial sculpture.

This desk - as a symbolic element of the foundation's new space - was planned to be printed on a 3D printer from fiberglass. However, it turned out that in Russia there is no equipment capable of printing such a large volume, so the necessary form was cast from composite material. And even in this desk, by the way, there is a kind of window-"spy hole", which can be interpreted as a symbolic portal to the world of art.

Three full floors are dedicated to exhibitions, from the second to the fourth: the laconic white-box finish is emphasized by contrasting black museum lighting bars and minimalist suspension systems.

The fifth floor is a lecture hall with a transformer partition and a multimedia zone: video art can be shown on three screens. The offices and the future open library room are located on the sixth floor - here there will be access to literature on street art. Finally, the open terrace on the roof is intended for intimate events for the art elite, which Marianna Sardarova is known for: even such a cultural institution as the Russian pavilion in Venice today dreams of having a full-fledged bar area, and to the welcoming hostess of the contemporary art foundation, it is a must.