Assignment

Voronezh has one of the worst transportation situations in the country. After the fall of the USSR, car ownership rose drastically and suffocated the city designed around public transportation. The roads were routinely gridlocked. The cars were parked anywhere there was a spot to fit a car: sidewalks, parks, trails, and even up against fire exits. At the time, there were no parking ramps in the city and I had never seen one. Also, I did not have a driver's license. This project was my introduction to the world of car ownership and demanded a lot of research.

Program

Parking ramps were known to have viability problems in other Russian cities because customers were unaccustomed to high per-stall costs. Therefore, I decided to add other car-related programs to offset the initial lack of clients: the showroom, carwash, car repair, tire shop, etc.

The building was styled to look like a car engine and various car parts: carburetor, intercooler, crankshaft, and others. With that, it acquired a minimalist utilitarian esthetic.