Bernaskoni’s Arc is a bold and beautiful statement in the Russian landscape. Completed in 2012 and standing at 72 sqm, it is built on the border between forest and field and is a hybrid that performs several functions. As is a traditional statement of entry, through the presence of an arch or gate, Arc stands as a somewhat nod to that nostalgia.

Spatially, Arc is a spiral staircase that includes a portal, an observation deck, a bar and also a well within. Within the sculpture, there exists an artist’s room, that every year the room is transformed into an art installation. Bernaskoni’s intention, being contextually sensitive, was to minimize waste as key. Arc is therefore comprised of a series of six-meter length boards where all off-cuts have been reused on site as structural elements which is then painted black.

This Russian beauty is a sensitive and considered addition to the portal transitioning the structured human-worked landscape into the wild, untamed one.

Photography courtesy of Bernaskoni and Yuri Palmin.