- Ivan Rerberg
Infobox Architect
caption=Northern Insurance clock tower, 1909–1912
name=Ivan Ivanovich Rerberg
nationality=Russian Empire ,Soviet Union
birth_date=1869
birth_place=Moscow
death_date=1932
death_place=Moscow
practice_name=Roman Klein firm (1897–1909)
Own practice
significant_buildings=Central Telegraph andKiyevsky Rail Terminal (Moscow)
significant_projects=
awards=|Ivan Ivanovich Rerberg (
October 4 ,1869 – 1932,Moscow ) was a Russiancivil engineer ,architect andeducator active inMoscow in 1897–1932. Rerberg's input to present-day Moscow includeKiyevsky Rail Terminal ,Central Telegraph building and the Administration building ofMoscow Kremlin . Rerberg, a fourth member in a dynasty of engineers, was credited with innovative approach to structural frames and despised the title of an "architect", always signing his drafts "Engineer Rerberg".ru icon G. M. Scherbo. "Ivan Ivanovich I. Rerberg" (Г. М. Щербо. Иван Иванович Рерберг 1869–1932. – М.: Наука, 2003) ISBN 5-02-006189-1, p. 5]Biography
Rerberg's father,
Ivan Fyodorovich Rerberg (1831—1917), was a railroad engineer who became executive director of Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod railroad. [ru icon E. M. Shukhova. "Ivan Fyodorovich Rerberg" (Е. М. Шухова // Архитектура и строительство Москвы, N 4, 1999) "Arkhitektura i stroitelstvo Moskvy", N 4, 1999 ISSN 0039-2421 [http://www.asm.rusk.ru/99/Asm4/asm4_1.htm] ] Founder of Rerberg dynasty came to Russia fromDenmark in Petrine period, and since then first-born sons in the family always were named either "Ivan" or "Fyodor". Ivan's elder brother, Fyodor (1863—1938), became a painter.Ivan was educated in a Cadet Corps, was commissioned into
military engineer s, and graduated fromSaint Petersburg Academy of military engineers in 1896. By this time he had solid practical experience in buildingdam s and roads. In the same 1896 he dropped out of military service and joined the construction team of Kharkov locomotive works. Next year Rerberg was hired byRoman Klein as Klein's deputy for structural engineering on the site of Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Rerberg worked on the museum site for 12 years (1897—1909) and was awarded an honorary title of its "lifetime architect". Simultaneously Rerberg managed other projects of Klein's firm —Muir & Mirrielees department store (1907—1908),Moscow State University expansion,Devichye Pole clinics (1897—1900s),Miusskaya Square college (1903).In 1906—1909 Rerberg, still an associate of Klein, was gradually switching to independent work. In 1906 he won a contest for the first stage of a large apartment building in
Meshchansky District funded by the estate of the late G. G. Solodovnikov. The second stage was designed byMarian Peretyatkovich ; construction was managed byTraugott Bardt who completed the project in 1909. This building was styled in a mix ofVictorian architecture andArt Nouveau ; all subsequent work by Rerberg belonged to the school ofRussian neoclassical revival .In March of 1909 Peretyatkovich and Rerberg teamed together to design the Northern Insurance buildings in
Kitai-Gorod . Peretyatkovich soon left Moscow, and final, as-build, exterior of the building was shaped by Rerberg alone. This "modernized neoclassicism" project, completed in 1911, also employedVyacheslav Oltarzhevsky and then unknown traineeIlya Golosov . Rerberg's career peaked in the five years that preceded World War I. He designed private residences (present-day Embassy of Indonesia), hospitals, colleges, a high school and a shopping arcade. [ru icon I. A. Prokofieva. "Pervye moskovskie passazhi" (И. А. Прокофьева. Первые московские пассажи // Архитектура и строительство Москвы, N 6, 1999) "Arkhitektura i stroitelstvo Moskvy", N 6, 1999 ISSN 0039-2421 [http://www.asm.rusk.ru/99/Asm6/asm6_11.htm] ] His last work conceived before World War I,Kievsky Rail Terminal , was substantially completed in 1917; interiors were completed in 1920—1921.In the period of economic collapse that accompanied
Civil War in Russia Rerberg was employed by three major theaters of Moscow — Bolshoi, Maly andMoscow Art Theatre . In 1921—1923 he supervised emergency works on reinforcement of Bolshoi Theaterfoundation s that were flooded by a wash from undergroundNeglinnaya River . Rerberg published proposals for a thorough renovation of Bolshoy, and these were slowly implemented under his supervision until Rerberg's death.ru icon G. M. Scherbo. "Ivan Ivanovich I. Rerberg" (Г. М. Щербо. Иван Иванович Рерберг 1869–1932. — М.: Наука, 2003) ISBN 5-02-006189-1, p. 43]In 1925 Rerberg secured a contract to design Central Telegraph building in
Tverskaya Street ; the state clients initially opted for a public contest, but were dissatisfied withavant-garde entries and preferred to hire an old school professional. Rerberg's draft was authorized in March of 1926, and the building was completed in 1927. Rerberg usedreinforced concrete frame and moved all staircases outside of main building shell; this resulted in unusually spacious and well litopen space offices, new to Moscow construction. Large public area actually accounted for only 4% of its 35,000 meters; most of the space was occupied by actualtelegraph and mail-sorting equipment, while 20% were allocated to house the Comissar of Communications with his staff. Later, the space taken by equipment was gradually reduced in favor of offices. [ru icon S. B. Kiselev. "Proekt rekonstrukcii Tsentralnogo telegrafa" (С. Б. Киселев. Проект реконструкции Центрального Телеграфа // Архитектура и строительство Москвы, N 4, 1999) "Arkhitektura i stroitelstvo Moskvy", N 4, 1999 ISSN 0039-2421 [http://www.asm.rusk.ru/99/Asm4/index.htm] Note: other sources state interior area at 40,000 square meters.] Externally, the Telegraph mixed modernist structure of glass panes andgranite -clad columns with classicalsymmetry and quality workmanship and attention to detail associated withArt Deco . The building caused an uproar of avant-garde critics but was praised by mainstream press. [ru icon Vyacheslav Glazychev. "Rossiya v petle modernizatsii: 1850—1950" (Вячеслав Глазычев. Россия в петле модернизации. 1850—1950.) 1989, 2003, chapter 6 [http://www.glazychev.ru/books/petlya/petlya_07_20_gody.htm] ]Rerberg's last project, Military College in Kremlin (present-day Administrative Building of Moscow Kremlin) was completed after his death, in 1934.
His grandson
Georgy Rerberg is known as a cinematographer.References
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