OPUS: Where Home Begins

The Russian magazine INTERIOR+DESIGN has featured the interior design of the OPUS club residence, currently under construction by PIONEER on Derbenevskaya Embankment in Moscow.

Located just one bend of the river from the Kremlin, OPUS marks the beginning of a new, desirable residential area near Paveletskaya. Designed by the architectural firm Tsimailo Lyashenko & Partners, the building with its cascading terraces makes a striking impression with its dynamic façade and is already becoming a new landmark along the embankment.

All communal spaces were designed by Natalia Belonogova, who has created an authentic lobby that reflects the worldview of its residents and resonates with their innermost emotions. Handcrafted textures, natural materials, and artisanal pieces by designer Denis Milovanov together create a tactile atmosphere of warmth and comfort.

“We wanted to evoke a sense of grounding, to create a moment where one truly feels: ‘I’m home’. That realisation should come the moment you step into the lobby,” says Belonogova. “We spent a long time thinking about how to begin a metaphorical conversation about ‘home’ before someone even reaches their apartment. That’s when we thought of totems, which eventually became the centrepiece of the lobby. These sculptural forms by Denis Milovanov symbolise a connection to the earth, to our roots and ancestry — as if they are echoes of our forebears welcoming us at the threshold, offering protection, love, and ancestral wisdom through their shapes.”

“We deliberately avoided assigning any one cultural reference or meaning to the totems. They are a collective, primal image, and each person can interpret them differently — perhaps recalling the Russian North, a misty childhood forest, or travels far from home. These forms hold archetypes and stories embedded in our DNA, but their meanings are left open, waiting to be discovered through reflection and imagination.”

This philosophy of openness resonates with Denis Milovanov as well. A long-time collaborator of Belonogova’s, the two enjoy a deep creative synergy. As he explains:

“I’m not drawn to overly finished objects that focus obsessively on detail. I prefer primitive forms that still feel aesthetically balanced. Fifteen years ago, I first visited the Russian North — its stark, ascetic beauty inspired me to create bold, brutalist wooden pieces. Wood is alive — textured, tactile — and it sets a powerful tone in the interiors of OPUS. Many lobbies in new developments feel anonymous and sterile; your eye has nowhere to linger. OPUS is different. The totems invite interaction — they spark curiosity and stir emotion.”

Located just minutes from the Garden Ring, OPUS offers residents a high level of comfort while benefiting from the “15-minute city” concept — with all key infrastructure of central Moscow within easy reach.

Full article (in Russian):
https://www.interior.ru/design/19399-opus-s-chego-nachinaetsya-tvoi-dom_erid=F7NfYUJJzq9XPtyZJaAW.html