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Arkhitektura kluba [i.e. The Architecture of the Club]

Lukhmanov, N.V.

Moscow: Teakinopechat’, 1930. Item #263

103, [1] pp.: ill., plans. 22x15 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Very good. Tears of the spine, some soiling and general wear of the wrappers.

Rare. One of 5000 copies. Cover design contains Melnikov’s design of the second floor of the club (ill. #17).
With 80 black and white designs, plans and photographs of workers’ clubs including the most famous Moscow clubs: the Zuev Workers’ Club, the Rusakov’s Workers’ Club, Kauchuk Factory Club.
The book is dedicated to the massive phenomenon of Soviet workers’ clubs which construction occurred in 1920s. Social, idealogical, educational functions were laid upon them when created in the beginning of the century. This nature was very attractive for architects of the time sparking with ideas. Almost all architects of 1920s thought workers’ clubs should stand out from everything else. Clubs built in 1927-1930s were avant-garde innovations created by famous Vesnin brothers, Melnikov, Golosov and others, and it’s well-known since 1930s architecture and art in general had to take different turn towards socialist realism and central state planning (after all the clubs in 1920s were financed by unions). These clubs were last birds of free creative process, and today they are world famous and considered architectural monuments.
In this edition the author examines the problems of modern architecture praising young constructivist architects who based their designs first of all on a function of a future building (and that’s what Soviet architecture and construction needed to be - functional in opposition to old masters who are actively criticized). But as this book is already like many others full of socialist ideology the author calls for an unifying architecture style for clubs depending on its functions. Lukhmanov met and talked several times with Konstantin Mel’nikov (1890–1974) who was one of the leaders of the constructivist architecture. In this edition author repeatedly stated Mel’nikov’s opinion and relied on his design principles.
But the most interesting in this edition is detailed analysis of the club’s architecture - from the plan and building materials to its interior design, furniture, and problems of comfort. The main idea of this edition is still on the edge (like all art in 1930) - it calls for cultural revolution according to a new ideology of building communism but it’s still sees constructivism as a key for that.

Worldcat locates three copies in USA (Getty, Harvard, MOMA).

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