MATREX

Boris Bernaskoni’s architecture is exceptional, not only in the context of his original Russia but pretty much in the whole world as well. It is exceptional because at a rather young age he has managed to make an idea go from sketch to reality, maintaining the integrity of the project throughout the whole process. Such an enterprise is highly unusual, architects would normally lower their sights fearing too much trouble ahead—no wonder that most of what gets built in the word is so mediocre. The opposite attitude— overly assertive designs that confuse a bold idea with shocking forms—can be just as disastrous.
The MATREX Building is exceptional in the sense that it is able to balance a powerful formal statement with certain maturity and calmness in character. A stable, slightly pyramidal archaic volume contains an internal atrium shaped in the familiar silhouette of a Matrioshka. The project is both precise and “loose” at the same time. For a young architect it is rather contained, but also fresh. When dealing with such simple forms, to be equally distant from mediocrity and unnecessary overreaction, a huge amount of effort is required to maintain the integrity of the initial idea.