The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, which is currently located in a temporary pavilion in Gorky Park, is about to move to the restored Four Seasons pavilion. Columnist Dmitry Butkevich talks about the building, which will retain elements of Soviet architecture, and about Garage's ambitious plans to become the Museum of Modern Art.

Photo: GARAGE CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture is a non-profit project of the Iris Foundation for the Development and Support of Art. The Garage CSK was founded in 2008 by Daria Zhukova. For four years it was located in the former Bekhmetyevsky garage (where, in fact, the name of the project comes from) on Obraztsova Street. This architectural monument - the brainchild of the great Melnikov and Shukhov - has always been considered a temporary refuge for the Center for Contemporary Art. And so, in 2012, Garage moved to its permanent location - Gorky Park.

True, here too the main, so to speak, office of the Center is located in a temporary pavilion made of recycled cardboard and paper by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. But the day and hour is approaching when in 2015, after reconstruction, the main and, I hope, permanent building of the Garage will open. This was built in the 60s. pavilion "Seasons"; in my youth there was a restaurant here, which, I remember, was covered in the glory of a very fashionable place, but almost always did not work, and since the late 70s it has been dilapidated.

Thanks to the work of the OMA agency, led by Rem Koolhaas, the 5,685 sq.m. building is promised to preserve the original elements of Soviet architecture and decor, while fully meeting modern international requirements for museum space.

"Why to the museum?" - you ask. After all, Garage is an exhibition, educational and scientific program. 60 exhibitions, 1,500 educational events and a separate educational center, 29 books published. (By the way, there were exhibitions of such pillars of art of the 20th-21st centuries as Rothko and Abramovich). All this will remain, but now the Garage will turn into the Museum of Contemporary Art.

“The world is changing, and so are we. Together with society, cultural projects must evolve. As a “decisive institution,” we have taken on the responsibility of becoming the Museum of Contemporary Art,” says Daria Zhukova.

The stated goal is to become the main museum of contemporary art in Russia with a worldwide reputation. By May 1 of this year, the Garage CSK will complete the rebranding process, which includes changing the logo, corporate identity and name.

By the way, a total of $27 million will be spent on the reconstruction of the Four Seasons.

“The day and hour is approaching when the main building of Garage will open.”