Architectural History of the Leningrad Avant-Garde Monument – the S.M. Kirov Palace of Culture – in the Context of Digital Technologies

Abstract

The article presents an interdisciplinary study combining architectural analysis with the practical application of digital technologies in the field of cultural heritage protection. Using one of the outstanding works of the Leningrad architects
N.A. Trotsky and S.N. Kozak as a case study, the authors trace the history of the building’s formation during the transitional period from Constructivism to Classicism.
Digital technologies are employed to reconstruct the visualization of the architectural concept – from competition proposals to later design stages. A comprehensive analysis of competition drawings, architectural graphics, and photographic documentation
reveals fundamental discrepancies between the intended design and the realized volumetric and spatial structure of the building.
The authors also draw attention to the current unsatisfactory condition of the architectural monument, which requires restoration. In this context, the study considers the possibility of digitally reconstructing the destroyed volume of the theatre-concert
hall, an essential compositional and functional component of the Palace of Culture.
The use of digital methods makes it possible to reconstruct potential configurations of the heritage object and to support a scientifically grounded choice of restoration strategy, ensuring the building’s integration into the contemporary urban environment.