Narkomfin and Isokon – Points of Contact

Wednesday 13 Dec 2023 | 18:30 - 20:30

Daria Sorokina compares two iconic residential projects of the 1930s, which although emerging independently, exemplified the internationality of modernism.

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The 1920s and 1930s were an era filled with hope for a brighter society and world. Visionaries of radical modernism worldwide sought answers on how modern living should be defined. They looked to housing projects as the solution for the masses, but these aspirations often went unrealised.

This lecture meticulously examines the parallels and distinctions between two iconic projects: Moscow's Narkomfin building and London's Isokon flats. It delves into the similarities in infrastructure, including food, sanitation, childcare, and social spaces, while also exploring the connections between these projects and influential figures of international modernism like the Bauhaus and Le Corbusier.

Daria Sorokina is an art historian and a doctoral student at École normale supérieure in Paris, holding a Master degree in design research from the Bauhaus Dessau. The pedagogical practices in Modernism are explored in her research, with strong focus on pedagogy of colour.