Library Reconstruction Project, Apatity

The modernist architecture of the building and the rich history of the location inspired the designers to preserve the Soviet heritage. They focused on carefully restoring the original architectural features and materials — sandstone, marble, parquet and a soaring staircase. When creating the visual concept of the project, the Tochka Design Studio team was inspired by the aesthetics of the Soviet era. For example, unusual facades: because of the purpose of the building, people began to recognize the pages of an open book in the bends made in the shape of flagpoles. The architects complemented them with contour lighting, thanks to which the soft lines look especially interesting during the polar night.

On the ground floor, dedicated to the library, there is an entrance area with a hall and a dressing room, a large reading area, a hall of industry literature and an art living room suitable for master classes and chamber meetings. Its thoughtful filling ensured the versatility of the space: participants of the book club can gather on semicircular sofas, and children can play in the part of the hall separated by curtains with a gradient.

Upholstered sofas with pastel pink upholstery are adjacent to a large table and armchairs in the same shade: the design looks so informal and stylish that even the head of the city administration holds meetings and online meetings there. The cold palette of colors used on the facades formed the basis of interior solutions. The Murmansk region, which includes Apatites, is located in the northern region and is adjacent to the Scandinavian countries. The active cultural exchange with Denmark, Finland and Sweden influenced the visual preferences of the townspeople. The usual combinations of gray, white and red are intuitively understandable to local residents, so was decided to preserve and complement them with textured details. The furniture in the project is quite neutral: chairs made of light wood, restored armchairs and stretched sofas do not change the previous mood of the interior, but simply make it more modern. The velvety fabrics of the upholstery balanced the strict finishing materials — natural marble, shell rock typical of Soviet institutions and decorative plaster for concrete on the walls of one of the halls. Anastasia Yukhnevich and other designers tried to preserve and reliably repeat the original finish in everything: even a piece of marble damaged by time was carefully replaced with a suitable tone material.