Russian State Documentary Film and Photo Archive in Krasnogorsk
About the project
The Russian State Documentary Film and Photo Archive complex was built in 1949. It initially served as an archive for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and began preserving the country's film and photographic records in 1953. The building was constructed by Japanese prisoners of war brought from the Far East to a design by the German architect Dr P. Spiegel, himself a prisoner of war. In an ironic turn of history, the facade of the archive's new building was finished in German Jura Limestone. Light-toned Jura Beige was used in honed and rock-face finishes. The stone gives the building monumentality and restrained dignity, while the rock-face sections create an individual architectural rhythm. A building that safeguards the history of the state in rare photographs and film also presents an exterior worthy of high-quality institutional architecture. Jura Limestone has proved exceptionally reliable in Russian climatic conditions. Its long record on facades provides the durability and appearance expected of a building visited by prominent representatives of government and culture.
