Hotel Moscow, Stolichnaya Vodka Label

Hotel Moscow - rebuilt version. 

Following my post last week http://blog.therussiahouse.net/2014/05/stolichnaya-vodka-label.html about the redesign of the Stolichnaya Vodka label, I though I would post a few pictures of the Hotel Moscow.  As I mentioned, this hotel was demolished and rebuilt to the same design - a process which is common in Moscow as described in my post of http://blog.therussiahouse.net/2013/06/moscow-hotel.html.  this post highlights the dubious practice of preserving the architectural heritage by creating facsimiles of original buildings (with lucrative contracts for demolition and reconstruction awarded in the process.

Hotel Moscow in January 1993.  

The Moscow hotel was built in the 1930s and is situated on Manezh Sqaure (its original name before being renamed in 1967 "50th Anniversary of the October Revolution" square.  60th Anniversary.  Stalin approved two separate designs  for the side blocks, the architects were not sure which design to use, so the hotel was constructed using both designs, thereby giving the hotel a clumsy, ill-proportioned facade.   As you can see in the above photograph from 1993, the square was not pedestrianised as it is now.  There was a vast expanse of tarmac in front of the hotel, which was flanked by two busy roads making it accessible only by a pedestrian tunnel.  In the 1990, the whole area was pedestrianised (except for the road in front of the Hotel National at the bottom of Tversakaya available for vehicles).  A large,multi-level underground shopping centre was created here with fountains, gardens restaurants and bars on the exterior - running the length of Alexander Gardens (Alexandrovsky Sad)

Manezh Square May2002. 

July 2003 - Before demolition commences. 

July 2003 - Before demolition commences.