Tatlin Tower - The Tower of Babel of Communism

Soviet architecture and its directions are still an inexhaustible source of inspiration not only for architects around the world, including the inhabitants of Geektimes. Being infected with Zahi Hadid's cosmic ideas and the unique construction of the Shukhov Tower , we decided to recall the project located at the junction of futurism and constructivism - the Tatlin Tower.

The epoch of the “great socialist state” began after the revolution of 1917 and marked the beginning of strong changes. The changes also affected art: the once reigning bourgeois remnants were a reflection of an unacceptable past and fell into disgrace, and revolutionary movements received complete freedom of action, if, of course, they belonged to a new ideology. This is how the course of constructivism appeared, which was not very appreciated by us, but very influential and respected for Western art to this day. The founder of Soviet constructivism was Vladimir Tatlin - the creator of the tower model, incredible and unique in its design, even in our time. It was supposed to become the main symbol of communism and inspire future generations for such incredible accomplishments as she herself. But this did not happen. She was destined to survive communism and find her destiny in another part of the world.

The first monument of steel, glass and communism

Model 1919
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The project of a monumental monument dedicated to the III International. This name was given to the Tatlin tower in its original form. Tatlin planned to begin construction in Leningrad and to time the construction of his creation to the victory of the October Revolution of 1917. The structure was supposed to symbolize the reunification of mankind, divided after the destruction of the Tower of Babel. In 1924, the project received a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris.




The project of the tower consisted of three geometric structures, rotating around its axis. At the base of the building was a cube (legislative power). It was planned to hold meetings, congresses and conferences. In the central part there is a pyramid (executive power). And at the very top of the cylinder and hemisphere, there was a place for "informational power." Radio masts and antennas were also part of the monument - just like the beams of searchlights that draw text on the clouds. Bearing mast were going to send to the North Star.



Other details of the structure were also imbued with symbolism. The slope of the tower is the same as the axis of the Earth. Rotating designs are correlated with the turnover of our planet. The height of the tower is 400 meters, a multiple of the earth meridian (1: 100,000). And the form of the spiral personified the movement of liberated humanity.



Tatlin Tower in Leningrad were going to build here

The design of the tower: the double helix and the inclined mast were well ahead of their time, and the rotating parts became a dream for architects like fiction; this dream came true only after 80 years - in the project of the Suite Vollard house in Curitiba (Brazil).


Suite Vollard, one of the first rotating residential buildings in the world

But in the late 1920s, the attitude of the country's leadership towards constructivism changed dramatically, and the building was never built. The symbol of the revolution was out of work. Tatlin's tower turned into a utopia and went down in history not as a symbol of communism, but as a symbol of constructivism and a source of inspiration for many architects of the 20th century and modernity.

Tatlin Tower Mockups

Exhibition "Soviet Avant-Garde" in London

Tatlin created three models of the tower, but they are all lost. Modern renovations are made according to preserved drawings and photographs. Here is where you can see some mock towers:

• The Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow);
• Center Pompidou (Paris);
• Museum of Contemporary Art (Stockholm);
• Art School named. K.A. Savitsky (Penza);
• Royal Academy of Arts (London);
• The main dining room at Oxford University.

Layout in the Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow). A source


Layout in the Penza Art Gallery. A source


Layout in the Center Pompidou (Paris). A source


Layout in the Museum of Modern Art (Stockholm). A source

Future tower project

A new generation of architects and the development of technology has allowed us to finally implement this project. The work was undertaken by the Indonesian architectural bureau PHL Architects. They proposed a new project of the Tatlin Tower, which allows restoring the destroyed ecosystem of the built-up and littered area on the bank of the longest and most polluted river in Jakarta - Chilivung. This tower will become not just a tall building, but an eco-friendly and autonomous city of the future.


The concept of the new tower Tatlin in Jakarta. A source

The center of the tower will consist of a living area for 9 thousand people, and between its compartments will arrange gardens and farms. This will provide local people with oxygen and food. On one farm, you can grow vegetables and rice, on the other - edible insects, on the third - livestock. The main part of the products will go to the residents of the building, and the remains will be sold on the market located on the first floor.


Location of gardens and farms inside the building

To ensure good air quality inside the skyscraper, an air purification system will be located on its top. Electricity will be produced in two ways: using river water flowing in a spiral around the cone, and - additionally - using photovoltaic panels on the walls. This will provide the tower with complete autonomy in terms of food, electricity and water.

The project will not only become the hallmark of Jakarta, but also bring many benefits. The construction of the complex will save 19 hectares of land from low-rise buildings and reduce the load on the electrical grid. In addition, the bureau experts note that the building will slow down deforestation and water pollution in Chilivung.

Thus, the fate of the architectural pearl of the constructivist era was formed - proving that a brilliant idea is able to survive all political regimes, ideologies and acquire other forms and features, inspiring new generations of followers. Many times they wanted to implement the project in Russia, but so far they have faced either a lack of funding or the difficulty of finding a place to build. In architectural circles, the Tatlin tower project is highly esteemed. He influenced the architecture of subsequent currents. Among the many admirers of Tatlin’s talent were the outstanding modern deconstructivists Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid .