Reimagine the concept of an architectural monument, composed of a fluidic functionality. Rotating Triumphal Arch revolves on such an inspiring idea of a rotating arch visualized and executed by KATARSIS ab in the courtyard of the Nikolsky market. Started as a paper project, the rotating triumphal arch emerged in the district’s heart of Kolomna, deep in St. Petersburg.
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The project portrays the author’s reflection on reality, where nothing stands permanent and even the most sacred object easily changes direction. The novel vision crafted a sense of playfulness onto the defining monumental expression. The arch stands centrally among endless arcades of the courtyard, focusing to enshrine it as a symbol of future variations. Without losing identity, the Triumphal Arch scripts its position in the cultural landscape of the city, bestowing to frame everything around it.
The triumphal arch presents itself as a carousel for kids. Exciting and curiously fascinating, the ability to rotate and interact with the monumental structure invites everyone to take part in its victorious magnificence. Spinning all day long, it has been popularized among kids and even adults. Soaring a height of 5 meters, yet any child can easily turn the structure. It can even take their parents for a delightful merry-go-round.
The arch emphasizes its context, reinterpreting the Nikolsky market in the arch’s proportions, graphics, tectonics, and texture. Integrating wood, a natural and sustainable material, articulates the importance of an observant attitude to the space of an architectural monument. The prime material of the arch measures 50mm × 50mm timber. Devised by a pivot mechanism enables smooth rotation by a diameter of 650 mm welded to a metal base. An array of horizontal and vertical slats arranges in an overlaying manner envisioning the entire structural expression.
An allegory of the search for the unique ‘Russian way’: a paradoxical combination of the yearning for development and the eternal fear of change. The arch presents an attempt to reinterpret and provide a new understanding of one of the most established architectural expressions. Rotating Triumphal Arch truly stands as an experience, a colloquy woven by its elemental serenity and ceremonial interaction. Let’s step up and go for a spin!
Project Details:
Architects: KATARSIS ab
Location: Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Area: 18 m²
Year: 2020
Photographs: Grigoriy Sokolinsky
Architect: Peter Sovetnikov, Vera Stepanskaya
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