Laundry section of Narkomfin Building to be restored

The Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage has approved a preliminary project to restore a newly-listed cultural landmark known as the Laundry Section of the Narkomfin Building (People’s Commissariat of Finance Residential Building) at: 25-27/1 Novinsky Boulevard. The rundown building has not been used for a long time.

The restoration project was drafted by the Ginzburg Architects workshop headed by Alexei Ginzburg, the grandson of architect Moisei Ginzburg who co-designed the People’s Commissariat (Ministry) of Finance Residential Building complex.

Currently, Ginzburg Architects are trying to adapt the former laundry section to contemporary standards. Renovation/restoration work will begin after the project is coordinated with the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage, that is, presumably in the spring of 2014.

Mr Ginzburg noted that the main problems in restoring the laundry section were related to the dilapidated state of the exterior walls. The restoration will require a complex, experimental use of materials in the project. The brickwork and foundation will also be reinforced. An attempt to restore the swing-open windows, used by Moisei Ginzburg on the building would be not be feasible, so Ginzburg Architects will attempt to recreate replicas of the 1930 version, the year the building was completed.

The state-of-the-art People’s Commissariat (Ministry) of Finance Residential Building complex located at: 25/1, 25-27/12 Novinsky Boulevard was built to a design by Moisei Ginzburg and Ignaty Milinis in 1928-1930 for Ministry of Finance employees on the grounds of two city estates, which were previously owned by opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin, and comprised a block of flats with public and laundry sections.