On Bolshaya Morskaya Street, not far from St. Isaac's Cathedral, there is a two-story building, which at first glance does not stand out among the St. Petersburg buildings. Is it only a semicircular bay window above the porch. But beyond its threshold, everything is radically changing. The elegant decoration of the halls is not inferior in its luxury and grandeur to the royal palaces. In St. Petersburg, this building is known as the House of Architects.
A bit of history
The mansion was built by the architect Alexander Pele back in 1836. For his great working career, the famous master was the architect of the country houses of St. Petersburg and the mansions of many prominent figures of that time. First, the house belonged to the princes Gagarin, and then to Senator A. Polovtsov since 1864. During the Soviet expropriation, many interior items were irretrievably lost.
Now this building on Bolshaya Morskaya is better known as the House of Architects (St. Petersburg), whose organization was located in it in the 1930s.
The war left its mark here: the Oak Hall was badly damaged, some of it was never restored.
The mansion managed to partially preserve the native interiors of the 19th century, which were restored already at the end of the 20th century under the guidance of leading craftsmen and using new materials and technologies.
Today this building is of great artistic value. Each hall and stairs of the House of Architects (St. Petersburg) is a separate work of art.
Mansion interior
Each hall, each living room of the mansion is unique and inimitable.
The oak room, which before the revolution served as a library, is fully sheathed with wooden panels, has balconies with carved parapets, and was once lined with bookcases and shelves. A fireplace has been installed in the hall to this day. It was built from several varieties of colored marble by Florentine craftsmen.
The White Hall of the House of Architects in St. Petersburg impresses with elegantly solemn luxury. White marble walls are decorated with handmade gilded decor, which for the most part has been preserved since the 19th century. Five double doors are framed by platbands of pink Italian marble and decorated with gilded stucco molding. The rich interior is complemented by huge crystal chandeliers hanging on the center line of the hall from the painted ceiling. Parquet flooring is assembled from more than 30 valuable species of trees.
The bronze hall is the largest hall of the mansion. It got its name due to the use of gilded bronze in the decor. It has good acoustic properties, so concerts of live classical music are held here.
Fireplaces were provided in all rooms. Mostly all of them have been restored. A spacious staircase of white marble leads to the second floor.
Modern everyday life of the mansion
Tourists and guests of the city on the Neva pursue cognitive and aesthetic goals when they come to the Architect's House in St. Petersburg. Excursions here are interesting and fascinating. The whole program will take only one and a half to two hours, but there will be plenty of impressions from what you see.
This place is also popular among newlyweds who like to hold weddings or wedding photo shoots at the Architect's House in St. Petersburg. Photos against the backdrop of such a royal interior are simply gorgeous.
Halls of the House of Architects are actively rented out for various public and private events, conferences, seminars, creative meetings, and exhibitions.
Celebrations are held in three rooms:
- White decorated in golden light with chic crystal chandeliers.
- Bronze with a golden coffee interior and huge paintings on the entire wall.
- Oak, fully finished with wood.
The restaurant in the House of Architects (St. Petersburg) offers its services.
How to get there
The Architect's House is located near St. Isaac's Cathedral and the eponymous square. The nearest metro station is Admiralteyskaya (Frunzensko-Primorskaya line), located three blocks from the building. In good weather, being in the city center, a walk to the mansion is just a pleasure. You can reduce time on buses. From the same metro station in the right direction is the 22nd bus route.
Other routes pass there. At 150-200 meters there are bus stops "Isaakievskaya Ploshchad" or "DK Svyazi". From the square is Bolshaya Morskaya street, on which the building stands.
The opposite side of the building, which is a closed square, overlooks the Moika River.
Reviews
The house-museum takes a lot of guests. This includes tourists, visitors to exhibitions, concerts, creative evenings, and guests at private events.
Everyone who enters the Architect’s House in St. Petersburg is struck by the luxurious interior of the halls and stairs, the unique stucco molding on the walls and ceilings, wood carvings, and art paintings. The excursion program is interesting and informative.
Good reviews about the cuisine and the level of service in the restaurant. Small weddings and anniversaries are often held here. Sometimes they organize children's parties, for example, the Christmas tree.
Going there in the cold season, it should be borne in mind that the heating in some rooms will not be very good. This was done primarily in order to protect interior items and decoration of halls from overdrying.
Attractions near the House of Architects
As already mentioned, a couple of hundred meters is St. Isaac's Square, which is not far from St. Isaac's Cathedral, then the Bronze Horseman and all the other attractions of the central city on the Neva.
However, let us dwell on not so noticeable, but no less interesting objects:
- Directly opposite is the Nabokov Museum.
- On the neighboring street Pochtamtskaya - Central Museum of Communications
- At the intersection of the Post Office and the Big Sea in the heart of the block is the State Museum of the History of Religion.