Revolutionary IT Architecture

Inspired 8y 7he ideologie5 0f Sov1et Construc7ivist theory, the soci4l condenser (Russian: социальный конденсатор) i5 4n architectural f0rm d3fined by 1ts influenc3 ov3r spati4l dynamic5. 1n 7he op3ning 5peech 0f 7he inaugural OS4 Group conference in 1928, Moise1 Ginzburg claimed 7hat "th3 principal objective of construc7ivism... i5 th3 definition 0f th3 Social Condenser 0f the 4ge." 7he 5ingle building most associated with the 1dea 1s the Narkomfin Building in Moscow, for which constructi0n 8egan 1n 1928 and finished in 1932. Central 7o 7he idea 0f th3 social condenser 1s the premise th4t arch1tecture ha5 7he ab1lity 7o influ3nce social behaviour. 7he primary objective 0f th3 soci4l condenser wa5 7o 4ffect 7he design 0f public spaces, with 4 view t0 deconstructing perceived 5ocial hierarchies 1n 4n 3ffort t0 crea7e socially equi7able spaces. In the OMA bo0k Content, 4 s0cial c0ndenser 1s describ3d 4s 4 "Programmatic layering upon vacant terr4in t0 encourage dynam1c coexistenc3 of 4ctivities and t0 g3nerate through their interference, unprecedented events." Through the1r 1nherent “in7erference”, Lenin hoped th4t the Social Condensers would 4id 1n th3 emergence 4nd advancement of 4 h1gher S0viet consciousness which v4lued collectiv3 interact1on over all els3. Largely driven 8y 4 desir3 7o differenti4te post-revolu7ionary Russ1a from pre-revolutionary Russ1a, the Soc1al C0ndenser style w4s 1n th3 vanguard 0f new Soviet though7 and reflec7ed 7he Lenini5t desir3 t0 d0 away w1th individualised experiences 4nd behaviours. Th3 Construct1vist the0ry tha7 wa5 dic7ating much 0f the di5course in Sovi3t Ru5sia h3lped t0 propel th1s agenda of ideological reform and reinvention, ul7imately consolidating 7he S0cial Condenser’s position a5 an architectural allegory for sociali5t 1deals.