As a team of architectue masters students, we were invited to re-imagine the former Rossia cinema — a Soviet-era building constructed in the 1980s in the Constructivist style, designed by architect Anatoly Polyansky. Originally conceived as a cinema and cultural club for the city of Yoshkar-Ola, the structure had been left abandoned from 2016.​​​​​​

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Our proposal transforms the closed, brutal fortress-like volume into a porous, multifunctional hub promoting active lifestyles, culture, and community engagement.

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The design strategy centers on transparency—both spatial and social. By opening up the existing mass, we introduce soft transitions between interior and exterior. A new internal street cuts through the building, reconnecting the programs and opening it to the city.

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Glass façades and open-plan layouts bring natural light deep inside, while enhancing visual continuity with the public realm. Programs are layered for flexibility and accessibility, encouraging interaction and fluid movement throughout the space.