Hotel Ukraine is one of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow. The hotel building was built at an accelerated pace to International Festival youth and students, which was scheduled for 1957. Hotel Ukraine in Moscow originally included 1000 hotel rooms and 254 apartments.
The outer part of the building is decorated with obelisks, vases made of sheaves of wheat, decorative walls made of five-pointed stars. The hotel's interior is also characterized by luxurious marble decoration and picturesque shades. Hotel Ukraine 206 meters high with a spire, consists of three parts. The central part of the hotel has 34 floors.
The hotel is located in an important, from the point of view of urban planning, place at the Dorogomilovskaya bend of the Moscow River on the Taras Shevchenko embankment. The building was erected even before the construction of the Novo-Arbatsky bridge and the active development of the adjacent part of Kutuzovsky Prospekt.
The high-rise was supposed to become a vertical, marking the beginning of the only laid-out Kutuzovsky Avenue. According to the general plan for the reconstruction of Moscow in 1935, the projected avenue was supposed to be called Constitution Avenue and it was supposed to pass by Poklonnaya Gora through the Dorogomilovsky district to the center. Now these are New Arbat and Kutuzovsky Prospect.
Architects of the hotel "Ukraine"
The architect of the hotel Ukraine was A. Mordvinov, who specialized more in high-speed flow construction of new quarters of Moscow. His ideas were more in line with solving problems with a catastrophic shortage of living space for Moscow citizens.
Therefore, he involved the newly released architect V. Oltarzhevsky to work on the project of the Hotel Ukraine, who took part in the work on the project of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition in Moscow and was repressed in the 1930s on charges of sabotage.
After the death of I. Stalin, the architects of the skyscraper had to make excuses for its construction for a long time. With the filing of N. Khrushchev, incredible criticism of both the building and the architects who created it began. Most of the architects who took part in the work on high-rise buildings, including the hotel Ukraine, lost their Stalinist prizes and high positions. Architect A. Mordvinov was disgraced from the post of President of the USSR Academy of Architecture.
Construction of the hotel Ukraine in Moscow
The architects and builders of the hotel Ukraine faced a difficult task. The bank of the Moskva River is not the best place for a high-rise building. The design of the building assumed that the foundation of the entire structure should go to a depth of 11 meters and 6 meters below the water table.
There were two solutions to such a difficult problem in those years, or the already well-known system of freezing the soil or dewatering using a network of pumps. More than 900 pumping units were provided for the drainage of groundwater in the pit.
Hotel Ukraine got its name only under N. Khrushchev, before that, at all stages of architectural planning and construction, the project was called the Hotel Building in Dorogomilovo.
Completely architectural ensemble was completed only in the late 60s, when the view of Arbat Square and Novy Arbat was finally formed. The Taras Shevchenko embankment and the park laid out on it successfully complemented the look of the Ukraine Hotel.
The engineers, planning the Constitution Avenue, assumed to build it up with houses three times less in height than the erected ones. However, in connection with the criticism of the project by N. Khrushchev, buildings were erected on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, catching up with the hotel Ukraine and significantly diminishing its appearance.
The magazines of that time wrote that "the eerie masses that had grown on the sides of the new highway wiped out the hotel spire with their grayness, which against their background looks like a medium-sized sapling stretching from under the asphalt of New Arbat."
In 1957, at the time of its opening, the Ukraine hotel was considered the largest in Europe. The restaurant of the Stalin skyscraper was also a landmark of Moscow in its own way. From above, the entire structure is a rectangle, one side of which is the main element - a high-rise building of the hotel itself, and two long and symmetrical sides make up residential buildings.
The golden hue of the limestone near Moscow used for the cladding of the building emphasizes the richness of the facade. The majesty of the building is emphasized by the colored mosaics in the high-rise part of the building, the extensive use of bas-reliefs and volumetric sculptures.
One of the legends about Stalin's skyscrapers says that the designs of all buildings were based on the designs of the pyramids. Indeed, among the design drawings of Ukraine there is a drawing reflecting the idea of \u200b\u200ba pyramid.
It is their proportionality that contributes to the harmonious perception of skyscrapers. The architect of the hotel Ukraine A. Mordvinov based the project on a versatile pyramid. The architectural image of the skyscraper embodied the universal principles of harmony.
Interior of the hotel Ukraine in Moscow
The hotel rooms in Ukraine were designed and equipped to the highest standards of that era. The air preparation and heating equipment was practically silent. The building was provided with a general dust removal system.
Several restaurants and shops were envisaged in the building. The halls of the restaurant were made in typical Stalinist architecture. The closed rectangular architecture, the monumental enfilade did not match the restaurant function at all.
One of the European guests of the Ukraine Hotel wrote that "while having breakfast in the restaurant hall, I experienced the full severity of the building, pathos, excessive pomp, and my own insignificance." According to I. Stalin's plan, these are the feelings that all visitors to Moscow skyscrapers should have felt.
The large dimensions of the halls and individual elements of the restaurant were completely disproportionate to a person, and even more so to a sitting person. The use of expensive materials for decoration, luxury fabrics and dishes made eating not just an uncomfortable event, but a very dangerous ritual. One awkward movement of the guest and for the spoiled tablecloth or dishes it was necessary to pay a large fine.
It is impossible not to mention the KGB post on one of the floors of the building. The Soviet government could not allow such an object as the Ukraine Hotel, which also receives foreign guests and is located within walking distance from the Foreign Ministry building, did not have special equipment for listening to conversations and monitoring guests. And as you know, a post with duty officers of a specialized department was necessarily set up for the equipment.
High-rise reconstruction
In 2005, the building of the Hotel Ukraine in Moscow was put up for auction. The Moscow government was forced to sell the building, as no co-investor was found willing to invest almost $ 60 million in its reconstruction. More than 20 little-known companies participated in the auction. The winner of the auction was Biscuit LLC, which paid $ 275 million for the high-rise building.
The building was completely reconstructed. The interior elements of the decor, the facade, including the 73-meter spire, have been updated. During the renovation, one of the eight decorative towers collapsed on the restaurant building. There were no victims in the emergency, as everything happened at night.
During the analysis of the destroyed structure, the architects and experts agreed that the collapse occurred due to the use of low-quality building materials during the construction of the hotel Ukraine back in the 1950s. But despite this, its further operation is considered safe.
Today, the high-rise not only fulfills its main purpose as one of the best hotels Moscow, but is also a striking landmark of the city. In 2010, the renovated skyscraper began to receive guests under the brand name "Radisson Royal" (Radisson Royal). The management of the building was entrusted to The Rezidor Hotel Group. The new Radisson Royal Hotel is part of the international Radisson Hotel chain.
One of the conditions for the reconstruction of the Ukraine Hotel in Moscow was the preservation of its historical appearance and interior decor. Now the pompous halls of the skyscraper are located:
- Restaurant "Tatler Club" A. Novikov.
- Beefbar "Junior".
- Veranda restaurant.
- Restaurant of Iranian cuisine "FARSI".
- Italian restaurant "Bono".
- "Mercedes-Bar".
- Karaoke bar "Troubadour".
- Restaurant for two "Romantic".
The most high point the building - a glass veranda under the spire of the Ukraine Hotel, or as it is now called the Radisson Royal Hotel, is occupied by the Romantic Restaurant. At almost 200 meters, there is a magnificently decorated table and two comfortable armchairs, just for two.
And the main decoration of this restaurant is not its snow-white decoration and romantic setting, but of course the view! View of Moscow from the center to the outskirts. By the way, the Bono restaurant, located nearby, is included in our two ratings “The most expensive restaurant in Moscow” and “Panoramic restaurants in Moscow”.
The restaurant's cuisine fully corresponds to the height of the restaurant itself; each dish is unique and is a masterpiece of culinary skills. Dinner in such unusual place will be remembered for a lifetime, and the story of an evening spent on one of the highest and most unusual rooftops in Moscow will be passed on like a family legend.
Diorama Moscow - the capital of the USSR
Hotel Ukraine in Moscow not only fulfills its function of receiving guests, but also serves as a hall for a large number of items of artistic value. The main gallery on the first floor houses an amazing historical exhibit - Diorama Moscow - the Capital of the USSR. The diorama is a miniature Moscow of the 70s. The diorama is not only a cultural and historical monument, but also a masterpiece of panoramic art.
The diorama surprises with a very high level of accuracy. The models of the depicted objects are especially reliable. The diorama is made on a scale of 1:75, which allows you to see in detail the entire center of Moscow at that time.
The total area occupied by the diorama is 306 sq. m. and is equipped with mechanisms that reproduce the appropriate time of day. The diorama was created in the art workshop of Yefim Deshalyt for the National Exhibition in the United States by order of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The diorama has been exhibited in many countries around the world, making it possible to perform virtual travel behind the Iron Curtain to the capital of the Soviet Union. The diorama at the exhibition in Leipzig won the gold medal as a work of high art.
In the USSR, the diorama was exhibited at VDNKh and in one of the exhibition complexes Moscow. In 2007, specially for the reconstructed hotel Ukraine in Moscow, at an auction, Diorama was bought by the new owners of the building. In 2010, restoration work on the Diorama was completed and now it is on display.
Pier of the hotel Ukraine in Moscow
The pier of Ukraine in Moscow is located on the Taras Shevchenko embankment opposite the park in front of the hotel. The pier, like the embankment, was built in 1961 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of the Ukrainian poet T. Shevcheno, complementing the architectural composition of the structure. The pier is equipped for disembarkation and embarkation of passengers. The pier of the Radisson Hotel is usually called a pier, despite the fact that in the river fleet the more common term is a pier.
"River trams" do not make a stop near the pier - pleasure motor ships of the Capital Shipping Company, which make regular river walks along the Moskva River. The pier of the Ukraine Hotel is intended only for the parking of ships of the Radisson Royal flotilla. Radisson cruise along the Moskva River on modern and comfortable yachts begins from the pier of the renovated hotel.
Flotilla Radisson Royal
In 2009, 5 magnificent pleasure yachts, specially designed for the Radisson Royal, were launched:
- Ferdinand.
- Scarlet.
- Celebrity.
- Capella.
- Bon Voyage.
The snow-white yachts surprised and delighted not only the travelers themselves, but also the Muscovites, who watched with amazement the smooth glide of the motor ships along the Moskva River. The trip on a pleasure boat from the Radisson flotilla was mainly entertainment for foreign tourists. But in last years and Muscovites started buying tickets for cruises on the Moscow River more and more often.
In 2013, the Radisson Royal flotilla was replenished with improved yachts with class 1 salons and open decks, allowing you to experience the journey along the water surface of the Moscow River: enjoy the sun, headwind and splashing waves:
- Butterfly.
- Montana.
- Felicita.
- Primavera.
- Beauty.
Cruises on the Moskva River from the Radisson Royal pier are held every day all year round... The motor ships are equipped with all the necessary equipment to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers. Panoramic glazing of all yachts of the Radisson Royal flotilla allows you to admire the center of Moscow without any interference. The open decks are a great place for a photo shoot.
All ships have restaurants and bars, where you can have a pleasant dinner and admire different panoramas of Moscow.
Architectural bureau "AVK-Project" offers the following types of hotel design services:
- Development of pre-design proposals (PP, EP, space-planning solutions, architectural concept);
- Development of the "Project" stage for all sections;
- Development of a complete set of Working Documentation;
- Coordination of the completed project;
- Interior design of hotels and hotel complexes;
Architectural bureau "AVK-Project" uses the most modern design methods when developing hotel projects, saving the customer both time and money. We create an individual, memorable image of the finished object. Based on the preferences of the customer, architects can make facades in various styles and materials, ranging from modern minimalism to rich classics. Architectural bureau "AVK-Project" amassed great experience in hotel design and their approval in Moscow and other cities of Russia.
Our experts are always ready to advise you on possible architectural and construction solutions and schemes for joint work.
Hotel project:
A modern hotel is a complex that combines many different functions, such as housing, restaurants, public areas, technical premises and service infrastructure. The main task for an architect when designing a hotel is to arrange and interconnect zones for various purposes so that, on the one hand, there are no technological problems during the operation of the designed hotel, and on the other, the resulting interior space should be comfortable and attractive. and the facades are beautiful and memorable.
The architectural design of hotels has a number of features that are not typical for other types of objects. This is the specificity of planning decisions and fire regulations, and the need to solve the facades in such a way as to avoid the manifestation of regular planning in the breakdown of facades.
It is not so easy to achieve an extraordinary solution of facades in a hotel project. This is due to the peculiarities of the layout of this type of buildings. A large number of identical rooms in the plan set a certain constructive step that cannot be hidden on the facades, which is why the facades of most of the designed hotels have a regular step of windows and balconies.
Small hotels:
This feature of hotel planning makes architects look for non-trivial ways to solve the problem. In a sense, small hotels are easier to design. This is due to the fact that with a smaller number of rooms and their greater heterogeneity, it is much easier to achieve interesting solutions for the facades of the building and the interior space. The size of the plot on which the hotel is designed is also of great importance. The larger it is, the more interesting the project of the hotel realized on it can be.
Mini hotel projects:
The peculiarity of mini hotels is the almost complete absence of service infrastructure, a small number of rooms and very cramped conditions of the land plot. In this regard, near such a hotel should be located all those auxiliary and service institutions, which, as a rule, include large and medium-sized hotel complexes.
Hotel design:
In the hotel project, first of all, great attention should be paid to the flows of visitors and service personnel. Competent zoning and a well-thought-out technological scheme should be the result of the development of layouts in the hotel project. If this, for some reason, cannot be done, then during the operation of such a hotel, problems cannot be avoided.
The process of designing hotels begins with an assessment of a plot of land for development: its area, relief, availability of communications on it, surrounding buildings. Therefore, it is not possible to start designing hotels without providing the customer with a geological base and a site plan. Also, you need a detailed technical assignment with a description of the room stock (the number and areas of different types of rooms), engineering systems, the specification of the service infrastructure. As well as the requirements set by the customer to the level of finishing of residential, technical and public premises of the projected hotel.
After receiving all the necessary information, the architect proceeds to the development of floor zoning schemes, both aboveground and underground, "planting the volume of the building" on the master plan of the site. Further, planning solutions, hotel facades, general site plan are developed. Upon completion of work on this stage, the customer receives a finished sketch design of the hotel, including:
- Explanatory note
- Technical and economic indicators
- Situational plan
- General plan
- Floor plans
- Slits
- Facades
- 3D rendering
The next stage of work is the Project stage. At this stage, designers and engineers of related sections are involved. All of them develop their sections of the hotel project, making changes in planning solutions, elevations, and sometimes the landing of the building. For each section of the hotel project, schemes, specifications, calculations, etc., necessary at this stage are developed. Each section is coordinated with the project architect and after final approval and verification, a finished hotel project is released, ready for the necessary approvals.
Upon completion of the approvals, you can proceed to the release of Working Documentation. At this stage, all the necessary documentation for construction in all sections is issued. The maximum study of all units and details is carried out, the release of estimates and specifications, both for general construction and engineering sections of the hotel project. After completing work on this, the last, design stage, the customer receives all the documentation necessary for the construction of the hotel. However, for high-quality and technologically correct construction work, technical and architectural supervision of construction is required. Their representatives monitor the compliance with the project and technical regulations of the work carried out at the construction site.
There are millions of different hotels around the world. They are all completely different and unique. Some hotels are cozy and modest, while others are luxurious and expensive. But there is also another category. These are hotels that will take your breath away at one glance. When everyone, looking at the photo with one eye, says "Well, wow!"
Luxury hotel on the island of Santorini (Greece) is located at an altitude of 90 meters above sea level, on the beautiful cliffs of the caldera. It is considered one of the most amazing hotels in the world. Thanks to the snow-white facade and gentle overall design, it is simply impossible to miss. The hotel's amazing location brings many benefits to it. Firstly, from every point of the hotel there is a delightful view of the sea. Secondly, located high in the cliffs, far from civilization, the Katikies offers its guests privacy and carefree relaxation. The architecture has been adapted to the surrounding landscape, matching its natural forms. Despite this, the amazing white resort hotel stands out from other buildings. The hotel boasts two huge swimming pools, an outdoor jacuzzi and of course the spectacular and breathtaking scenery around.
This wonderful hotel is located in the small village of Conca Dei Marini, located between the Italian cities of Amalfi and Praiano. The hotel and spa is located on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. Very romantic and a nice placereminiscent of hotels from old movies. However, it is so, because it was built in the 17th century, but at that time it was a monastery. Later the building turned into a hotel that impresses with its beauty, unique history and architecture. After renovation, it has retained its charm that has existed for many years.
The luxury hotel has 20 rooms overlooking the ocean, coastline and tiered gardens. Some changes have been made to landscape and interior design over the years. Many of the original elements of the building have been retained, but some new elements have been added. The hotel now features a delightful cliff-edge pool and a luxurious spa.
Ladera Resort is located on the island of Saint Lucia. In total it consists of 9 villas and 23 suites with open walls. The so-called Open Wall system is that the west side of each room is completely open and offers magnificent views of the mountains and the Caribbean Sea. The idea of \u200b\u200ba spa with open walls was first realized in 1992. Since then, it has become a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. All suites and villas have their own pools. The amazing resort sits on a fine line between luxury and minimalism.
The layout of the rooms has been carefully thought out to ensure maximum comfort and privacy for guests. All guests can enjoy life and relaxation away from civilization. This is facilitated by relaxing spa treatments, beautiful restaurants and many fun activities that are regularly held here. The rooms feature beautiful French furnishings and local accessories, as well as 19th-century wicker fittings. In addition, all villas and suites are decorated with paintings by local artists.
The Radisson Blu Hotel has won worldwide acclaim not for its stunning location or the splendid views from its rooms, but because it houses the world's largest cylindrical aquarium. It is called Aquadom and is filled with approximately 1 million liters of seawater. In the aquarium, there are 1,500 tropical fish of 56 species, and at the bottom there are miniature reefs. The state of the amazing and unique aquarium is monitored by specialists from the Berlin Sea Life aquarium, located next to the hotel. The aquarium, which consists of four parts connected together, is made of acrylic glass and has a cylindrical shape. The aquarium is located on a 9-meter concrete foundation. The aquarium and the hotel were built at the same time, or more precisely, the hotel was built around the aquarium, turning it into the main attraction of the hotel. A glass lift allows visitors to access the observation deck under the hotel's glass roof. For those wishing to spend more time here, the hotel offers 427 apartments overlooking the tropical underwater world or overlooking the city.
The amazingly beautiful Glass Igloo Hotel is located in Finland. The windows offer a delightful winter landscape. Without a doubt, everyone, admiring the enchanting view, will want to spend as much time outside as possible. Unfortunately, this is not possible due to the cold weather. But there is one place where the conditions are just perfect. This is a glass villa in the Kakslauttenen hotel. Here winter looks even more beautiful than it really is.
After a busy day, guests can relax in transparent rooms and fall asleep under the stars. Glass domes provide panoramic views of the surrounding landscape as well as the sky. The main idea is to create the impression of sleeping outside under the stars, but at the same time warm and cozy.
Jade Mountain is a quirky resort located in Saint Lucia's eastern Caribbean... It is located above the beach of the Anse Chastanet resort. The hotel features bold architectural details, marvelous pools and bridges connecting separate rooms with the rest of the resort. The beautiful columns highlight the local architecture. The resort offers its guests an exclusive restaurant, a terrace, and a spa. Everything at Jade Mountain Resort is made with an emphasis on relaxation and recreation. There are no telephones, no radio, no television. Internet access is available only at the reception.
The most amazing thing about it is the arrangement of the rooms. Each room at Jade Mountain Resort has only three walls. Each suite has luxurious bedrooms, a living room and its own private pool with amazing sea views. And the absence of a fourth wall is a huge plus, since the open space allows you to admire the beautiful landscape, feeling like a part of nature.
Soneva Gill by Six Senses is simply a wonderful vacation destination located in the Maldives. The hotel occupies one of the largest lagoons in the region. The resort consists of oversized water villas. Each villa offers breathtaking ocean views. The favorable weather and beautiful white sandy beaches make the region ideal for a resort.
The resort is a 20-minute speedboat ride from Male International Airport and is one of the 1,190 islands that make up the Maldives. The luxury resort offers a new way of life, different from any hotel or resort. Here guests can rent one of the stunning houses and enjoy life surrounded by water. A strange but amazing feeling to look out a window or an open door and see the water around.
The Plaza Athénée is located in Paris and is considered one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Chic design, stylish interior - a successful combination of innovative accents and traditional classic details. The hotel is located on Avenue Montaigne, known as a high fashion street. Charles de Gaulle Airport is 30 minutes by car from the hotel. A stay at this hotel will turn into a real fairy tale. The hotel has a business center, fitness center, sauna, spa, conference rooms, dining room, several restaurants. Each room has DVD players, plasma TVs, safes and Internet access. Babysitting services are available for those who want to take a break from family life. It should be noted that pets are also allowed in the hotel.
Today people increasingly want to find something attractive, but unique and unusual. This is what the Grotta Palazzese restaurant can rightfully be called. Palazzese is a unique and delightful restaurant located inside a vaulted limestone cave. The restaurant is only open during the summer months. A limestone cave overlooking the sea is another detail that makes this place unique. Guests of the hotel can enjoy dinner here and at the same time admire the beautiful landscape, listen to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and feel the sea breeze caressing their skin. This place is definitely worth a visit, if only for the thrill of dining in a cave near the sea. The hotel is located a little higher. Both the hotel and the restaurant have a very sophisticated look.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel
The hotel is located in Singapore and has many unique elements. Marina Bay Sands, considered the most expensive hotel in the world, offers 2,560 rooms. It also houses the world's largest outdoor pool, 200 meters above ground level. The pool is three times larger than the Olympic pool and is located on the 55th floor. So those who are afraid of heights should be especially careful. Marina Bay Sands also has a casino, convention center, theater and lotus-shaped museum, so there are many other places besides the pool to attract visitors. The hotel was designed by the architect Moshe Safdie.
If there is a desire to completely retire, to hide from the world, then it is worth going to rest, allowing you to be alone with yourself away from the hustle and bustle of big cities.
The architecture of a hotel or hotel complex is a complex and multifaceted concept that includes the external appearance of buildings, their internal layout, landscape organization of the territory and the interior decoration of the premises.
Architectural structures, like other phenomena of modern artistic culture, are difficult to drive into the rigid framework of any style or direction. They are often on the verge of being a complex mix of various traditional and innovative architectural techniques. Therefore, it seems logical to conditionally divide the motley variety of modern hotels into groups according to the principles of their location and the method of construction. Each group has some common architectural features. Modern multi-storey hotels are complexes with a very high level of comfort, offer a wide range of services, and have a well-developed infrastructure. Such hotels are often included in the world famous international chains - Sheraton, Hilton, etc. Various restaurants and bars, conference rooms, shops, underground parking, indoor and outdoor pools and fitness centers, as well as equipped with all modern communication facilities business centers make them attractive for both tourists and people traveling for purely business purposes. The architecture of such hotels is extremely functional and modern, using the latest achievements in building technologies, modern structures and building materials.
In Europe, where many original architectural monuments have survived, where cultural and historical traditions are strong, the architecture of hotels clearly shows a tendency to respect history, when old buildings take on a new life. In capitals and historic cities with a rich cultural tradition, these hotels are usually located in the vicinity of many attractions. The most fashionable of them are located in old buildings of architectural and historical value in the existing urban development. Many hotels have existed for a long time, have their own history and traditions, and are proud of their famous guests. The level of comfort in them is at the highest level, since in the process of reconstruction and renovation they were equipped with all means of modern engineering equipment. At the same time, the external appearance of the building and the interior underwent restoration, they were returned to their original appearance, the original atmosphere of a bygone era was recreated. The interiors and all the decoration of such hotels are made in the style and traditions of a certain historical period.
The decoration uses expensive materials; it can be oak panels for facing walls and ceilings, tapestries and tapestries, parquet flooring, marble, bronze and gilding are widely used. The interiors are replete with authentic refurbished fittings and antique furnishings, striking in luxury and giving the impression of being in keeping with a particular era. It can be baroque or empire, rococo or art nouveau. The tendency for old buildings to acquire a new life and a new destiny has led to the fact that impregnable castles, which have spared time, have become strongholds of hospitality today. For nearly nine centuries, the medieval Amberley Castle has stood among the majestic hills and vast lakes of West Sussex, one hundred and twenty kilometers from London. It strikes with a delightful atmosphere of privacy and serene tranquility, in which a unique flair of antiquity and the highest level of comfort inherent in a world-class country hotel coexist. In total, the hotel has nineteen suites individually decorated with antique furniture and luxurious fabrics, which have all the modern conveniences, moreover, televisions, video players, telephones and other equipment are delicately camouflaged in a historical setting.
Recently, a slightly different approach to the architectural solution of hotels located in historic buildings has become more widespread. Taking care of the external appearance and facades, the architect reserves the right to create a completely new interior in style and spirit. So, located in the very center of London near Trafalgar Square, the five-star One Aldwych hotel strikes with a sharp contrast: a building from the beginning of the century and an ultra-modern interior. High rates everyday life and the bad ecological situation in modern megalopolises makes man turn his face to nature, draw vitality from it. The advantages of a quiet and measured provincial life, tranquility and solitude in the bosom of nature, national flavor and peculiarities local cuisine make "agritourism" more and more attractive. Hotels offering this type of holiday are usually located in the countryside in traditional buildings. Hotel Borgo in Tuscany, Italy is located in an old building typical of Mediterranean architecture, in a wine estate in the province of Chianti. Today, like centuries ago, delicious wine and fresh olive oil are produced here. It is surrounded by vast vineyards and picturesque olive groves, and the peaceful atmosphere of patriarchal Italy reigns.
National flavor is one of the main features typical for the architecture of country hotels intended for recreation. The use of techniques, details and materials traditional for the area in the architectural look allows the building to harmoniously fit into environment and optimally adapt to natural and climatic conditions. In addition, the national flavor, present both in the architectural appearance and in the interior design, is an important emotional and aesthetic factor that influences the formation of a positive image of hotels.
To give the guest pleasure, to make his stay at the hotel pleasant and boring, to entertain and surprise him, to amaze him and stay in his memory for a long time is a peak that not all hotels manage to reach. It obeys only those who firmly know the formula for success: an expressive architectural form must be filled with the content of high-class service.
In the old days, stone flour shops were located at the corner of Mokhovaya and Tverskaya streets, in the mid-1890s there was a tavern "Balaklava". A few years later, the ownership passed to the Varvarinsky joint-stock company of homeowners, which in 1900 began the construction of a first-class hotel designed by the architect Alexander Vasilyevich Ivanov, an architect who by that time was already well-known in Moscow, who built the office building of the Morozov Tver Manufactory Association on Varvarka and the house of an insurance company "Russia" on Lubyanskaya Square. The hotel, which received the name "National", received its first guests in 1903.
The facades of the building were made in a mixture of styles, a combination of neo-Renaissance with neoclassicism and modernist details, which gives them the impression of stylistic ambiguity, but at the same time conveys an individual character. The architect used natural stone and ceramic tiles, stucco and smooth plaster for decoration. The corner attic was decorated with a majolica panel "Apollo and the Muses" made at the Moscow Butyrka Ceramic Factory of S. I. Mamontov "Abramtsevo" by artists S. V. Chekhonin and A. Ya. Golovin. Soon after the revolution, it was replaced by another panel, on an industrial theme, made according to sketches by F. I. Rerberg at the same Abramtsevo plant.
The interiors were striking in their luxury and splendor: marble staircases, mosaic floors, huge stained-glass windows, figures of Atlanteans at the entrance to the elevators, painted ceilings. Furniture in the rooms made by special order from fine wood. A whole range of modern technical innovations: electric elevators, telephones, steam heating system, manufactured at the San Galli foundry. Many of the rooms were equipped with private bathrooms and water closets.
Hotel accommodation was not cheap (up to 25 rubles per day ) , but there was no end to the guests - rich industrialists, merchants, foreign diplomats willingly stayed here. In 1913, the uncle of Nicholas II, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, lived in "National". Prominent figures of Russian culture did not shy away from the luxurious hotel - at different times Ivan Bunin, Anna Pavlova, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov lived here.
The hotel's fate changed dramatically after 1917. During the October battles, the building was damaged by shelling. And immediately after the transfer of the capital from Petrograd to Moscow, for some time before moving to the Kremlin, members of the Soviet government settled here in a "modest" bourgeois setting: Lenin, Sverdlov, Trotsky, Dzerzhinsky. For many years the hotel became the "1st House of Soviets" - a hostel for the functionaries of the new government. Hotel status was returned to her only in the early 1930s. At the same time, its name was finally fixed - "National" (before the revolution, both names were used), apparently more in keeping with the spirit of the times. The building was overhauled. At the same time, they partially changed it. appearance: the lower floors were repainted to look granite, the oak window frames were replaced with aluminum ones. The hotel furnishings were supplemented with furniture from Anichkov and Tsarskoye Selo palaces.
In 1974, the ceilings of two halls on the second floor were decorated with painted plafonds made by the artist I. V. Nikolaev in the classical style of painting the ceilings of the school of old masters, but at the same time with elements of the newer decorative school of V. A. Favorsky. In the details and ornaments of the plafonds, features of the World of Art aesthetics are noticeable, which emphasizes the connection with the works of famous artists of the Benoit-Lanceray family, from which the author himself comes.
In the same 1974 "National" was included in the list of protected by the state monuments of history and culture.
Speaking of the hotel, one cannot fail to mention the famous hotel restaurant - for many years it was a favorite place for a pleasant pastime among the intelligentsia and Soviet bohemians.
Despite repeated renovations in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, attempts to modernize the hotel, it was in disrepair. And at the end of the 1980s, its comprehensive reconstruction and restoration began. Based on the results of the competition, the general contractor, the Austrian company Rogner, was selected, and the architects from Austria V. Hoffelner and E. Survillo became the authors of the restoration project. On the Russian side, specialists from the Moscow Department for the Design of Public Buildings and Structures “Mosproekt-2” took part in the restoration of the National. All works were completed in 1995, and the renovated hotel opened its doors to its guests again. And she has seen a lot of them in her lifetime, including the famous ones. Presidents of different countries, members of royal families, and famous cultural figures from all over the world have stayed here.
