Informed by the ideologies of Soviet Constructivist theory, the Social Condenser is an architectural form defined by its influence over spatial dynamics. In the opening speech of the inaugural OSA Group conference in 1928, Moisei Ginzburg claimed that "the principal objective of constructivism... is the definition of the Social Condenser of the age."[1] The single building most associated with the idea is the Narkomfin Building in Moscow, for which construction began in 1928 and finished in 1932.
Central to the idea of the social condenser is the premise that architecture has the ability to influence social behaviour. The primary objective of the social condenser was to affect the design of public spaces, with a view to deconstructing perceived social hierarchies in an effort to create socially equitable spaces.
Approaches to creating the built form of a "social condenser" include the intentional overlapping and intersection of programs within a space through circulation. In this example, shared circulation nodes create collision zones of varied constituencies. These collision areas are designed as points of confluence in which otherwise disperse communities are forced to interact. The creation of these interactions is a key aim of the Social Condenser.
In the OMA book Content, a social condenser is described as a "Programmatic layering upon vacant terrain to encourage dynamic coexistence of activities and to generate through their interference, unprecedented events."[2]
Through their inherent “interference”,[2] Lenin hoped that the Social Condensers would aid in the emergence and advancement of a higher Soviet consciousness which valued collective interaction over all else. Largely driven by a desire to differentiate post-revolutionary Russia from pre-revolutionary Russia, the Social Condenser style was in the vanguard of new Soviet thought and reflected the Leninist desire to do away with individualised experiences and behaviours. The Constructivist theory that was dictating much of the discourse in Soviet Russia helped to propel this agenda of ideological reform and reinvention, ultimately consolidating the Social Condenser’s position as an architectural allegory for socialist ideals.
^Ginzburg, Moisei (1928). Ginzburg's Opening Address (Speech). OSA Group Conference.
^ abContent. Rem Koolhaas, Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Köln: Taschen. 2004. ISBN 3-8228-3070-4. OCLC 54454315.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Informed by the ideologies of Soviet Constructivist theory, the SocialCondenser is an architectural form defined by its influence over spatial dynamics...
act as a 'socialcondenser' by including within it a library and gymnasium. On the other hand, architects of the 1920s had to face the social reality of...
housing that was the norm, was the main priority of this group. The term socialcondenser was coined to describe their aims, which followed from the ideas of...
cognition — social commentary — social complexity — social computing — socialcondenser — social conflict — social conservatism — social contact — social contract...
apartment block on Tverskaya in Moscow (1929) and a series of three 'socialcondenser' kitchens and communal facilities built in Leningrad between 1928 and...
electrical generator. The low-pressure exhaust from the turbine enters a steam condenser where it is cooled to produce hot condensate which is recycled to the...
specifically those of the setting in psychoanalysis, and the history of the socialcondenser in architecture. Her most recent research engages with acts of displacement...
energies on the social space. Fusing his aesthetic and political concerns he created a stunning constructivist staircase — a socialcondenser that forms the...
in propagandising collective houses and pioneered the notion of the socialcondenser. OSA architects were employed by the state to develop a standard for...
energies on the social space. Fusing his aesthetic and political concerns he created a stunning constructivist staircase – a socialcondenser that forms the...
found as an argument for urban renewal. Identity safety cues Proxemics Socialcondenser Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioural Science, article...
This was followed three years later by the Narkomfin Building, a 'socialcondenser' which tried to embody socialist and principles in its structure. The...
(1763–1775) an improved version of Newcomen's engine, with a separate condenser. Boulton and Watt's early engines used half as much coal as John Smeaton's...
rather small 'sleeping cabins'. The Urbanists envisioned cities as a 'socialcondenser' that was well equipped to instill people with communitarian attitudes...
condenser into the same air path; the air first passes over the evaporator coil, where it is cooled and dehumidified before passes over the condenser...
or tubes that make up the condenser; the coils or tubes are passively cooled by exposure to air in the room. The condenser cools the vapor, which liquefies...
reheating the cylinder. Watt introduced a design enhancement, the separate condenser, which avoided this waste of energy and radically improved the power,...
smaller than the transparency, a crucial role is played by the optical condenser which illuminates the transparency. Since this requires a large optical...
automatically isolated from the turbines and main condenser and are instead switched to a secondary condenser system which is designed to cool the reactor...
approximately 2% of the mule spindles in Lancashire were Condenser spindles, but many more Condenser mules survive today as these were the last spindles regularly...
the vapours rise and reflux Lyne Arm – transfers the vapour to the condenserCondenser or worm – cools the vapour to yield distillate A cognac pot still...
partially condensed the steam, the remaining vapor is condensed in a condenser. The condenser is a heat exchanger which is connected to a secondary side such...
can be achieved by changing from water-cooled condensers (Dimroth condenser) to air-cooled condensers (Vigreux column), which take advantage of the large...
the construction of the still. Stills employing automotive radiators as condensers are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol produced from antifreeze...
a coil in an electromagnetic microphone or the voltage produced by a condenser microphone. The voltage or the current is said to be an analog of the...
invention for condensing vapors, which came to be known as the Liebig condenser. Justus Liebig was born in Darmstadt into the middle-class family of Johann...
refrigeration equipment is made of four key components; the evaporator, the condenser, the compressor and the throttle valve. Ice machines all work the same...
Global Information