Communal House of the Textile Institute, Constructivist student dormitory in Donskoy District, Russia.
The Communal House of the Textile Institute is a student dormitory with constructivist features comprising three connected sections: a sleeping wing with long corridors, sanitary facilities, and an educational zone with communal spaces. The numerous small sleeping cabins, bathing areas, and study zones form an integrated residential complex for students.
Architect Ivan Nikolaev designed this student housing complex in 1930 as an experimental living space for Moscow Textile Institute students. The building underwent major restoration from 2011 to 2016, which reinforced its steel structure and replaced the distinctive ribbon windows.
The building reflects Soviet living ideals through its deliberate layout, where small sleeping cabins line long corridors alongside shared facilities. The shared bathrooms and communal study spaces show how daily life was organized for a group of students living together.
The dormitory is not directly open to visitors, so it is best to explore the exterior and publicly visible parts of the complex from the Donskoy District. A daytime visit allows you to see the distinctive architecture and the arrangement of the building sections clearly.
The building contained over a thousand tiny individual sleeping cabins where students would rest, while meeting for communal activities in the central zones. This unusual balance between private rest and shared living was a radical experiment in how young people could live together in modern society.
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