Architectural stories
Architectural Stories project
The projectuses a 360° format to guide you through the building. You move from level to level and see how structure, time, and daily life connect in one space. The tour shows how the house was built, how it functions, and how residents experienced it.
You are looking at a residential complex on Novosmolenskaya Embankment.It stands on massive supports and rises over twenty floors.
Late Soviet Housing Complex
Novosmolenskaya 4 is part of a group of high rise residential buildings constructed on the western edge of Vasilievsky Island at the end of the Soviet period. The project was designed by architects Vitaly Sokhin, Vladimir Sokolov, and Pyotr Kurochkin. They aimed to create compact and efficient housing near the waterfront, using monolithic concrete and a clear vertical structure. The complex forms a distinct silhouette along the water and reflects the urban approach of the late eighties.
The unusual shape of the towers comes from the elevated structure. The residential floors start above the ground because the building stands on large reinforced concrete supports. These supports protect the lower levels from moisture and wind and leave an open space beneath the structure. This raised form inspired the informal name House on Chicken Legs. Today this feature is one of the defining architectural elements of the entire complex.
Experience the Arhitecture
This project began as a personal story. I grew up next to this building and saw it through fear and curiosity. Over time, my view changed. The research became a way to understand why this type of housing became part of the city’s memory. Here I share that experience through photos, recordings, and residents’ stories.