This project refurbished the Moscow Art Theatre and created a new public square setting for the historic venue, as the centrepiece of the Stanislavsky Factory masterplan. Lyndon Goode Architects Founding Director Simon Goode successfully led the project for John McAslan + Partners (JMP).

Founded by Konstantin Stanislavsky, the Moscow Art Theatre hosted the first performance of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard in 1904. Closing after its founder’s death, weather took its toll on the neglected fabric, necessitating a complete overhaul for contemporary use.

Simon scheduled external repair works – balancing cost with benefit – and worked with the client’s team to ensure the new interior would achieve an exceptional environment for artistic creation and a welcoming environment for audiences. The existing fabric was reused to minimise waste and reconstruction costs, making this a highly sustainable project. JMP called it “a beautifully repaired historic building”.

The Stanislavsky Factory was the first project in Russia to win a RIBA International Award. As part of JMP’s wider masterplan the project also won the 2012 Civic Trust Award, with judges commending it as “exemplary ... acting as a catalyst for further high-quality regeneration in Moscow’s central historic quarters”.