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[YEAR RUN OF THE IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL PERIODICAL] Stroitel’naia promyshlennost’ [i.e. Construction Industry]

Item #1026

#1, 2/3, 4-10, 11/12. Overall 10 issues. Moscow: Gosnauchtechizdat, 1931. 31x23 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Small tears of the spine with fragments lost, occasionally spots on covers and pale water stains throughout margins, ink signatures on t.p. and pencil direction on subscriber on the back cover, otherwise very good and clean internally. Print run varied 21-25 000 copies.
This is an early year set of monthly magazine ‘Construction Industry’ that was founded in 1923. It came out during the Soviet period and even after. The title ‘Construction Industry’ was changed in 1958 to ‘Industrial Engineering’, then ‘Industrial and Civil Engineering’.
The interesting late constructivist design of the periodical was expressed in laconic covers. Each of them features different photograph or competition project (except for #4 and #5 printed with the same photograph). The design was produced by an unknown artist with monograph ‘VP’.
Some of the issues contain captions for the cover images. For example, the cover of an issue #2/3 displays a project of a model Palace of Culture by ARU group, supposed to get together separate workers’ clubs of the Proletarsky district in Moscow. Although the magazine focused on engineering, it also reflected the relevant architects’ rivalry. The cover of #8 showcases a competition project of the Palace of Soviets that Boris Iofan designed for 1931 All-Union Open Competition and that was awarded among the trio of winners. The drawing depicts a combination of a circular large hall, semicircular small hall and a high tower that the early version of his design consists of. The cover of #10 features a striking photograph from Magnitostroi blast furnace construction.
Internal design of the edition includes numerous photographs from construction sites, constructivist designs and models of buildings. The magazine regularly published projects from open and closed architectural competitions. In issue #2-3, a discussion between architectural groups OSA, ASNOVA, VOPRA, LIKS is published, suggesting projects of the model Palace of Culture for the Proletarsky district in general, as well as its parts (club, theater). An excellent insight into contemporary tendencies was also reported by the first exhibition of projects by Architectural Institute students (#2/3).
One of the main components of this periodical was calculations and drawings of structures built, characteristics of used materials. The issues #1 and #7 contain figures gained in testing the Shukhov’s hyperboloid towers and roof systems. Among other topics are aerodrome as the new factor of urban planning; mooring masts; using cranes, reinforced concrete structures; prefabricated buildings; bridges; water towers; comparison of Russian and American wastewater management; new devices for construction and others.

According to the Worldcat, separate 1931 issues are in Stanford and Columbia Universities.

Price: $1,500.00