This project focuses on developing a concept for revitalizing the site of the former «Varya» oil refinery—(the «Nizhny Novgorod Colosseum»)—into a creative space integrated within the urban environment of the Moskovsky District of Nizhny Novgorod.

The «Nizhny Novgorod Colosseum» is located in the Moskovsky District of Nizhny Novgorod. Currently, the area is occupied by warehousing and garage structures, as well as non-residential buildings.

The distance between the gasometer tower and the «Colosseum» building, along the existing road network, is 900 meters.

The site of the former «Varya» oil refinery boasts a history spanning over 130 years—from a small chemical enterprise established in 1873 to a major industrial complex that produced oils and lubricants. The cracking tower and the former gasometer tower, which remain on the grounds, are unique elements of industrial architecture, bearing witness to the factory’s technological evolution.

The unique industrial architecture (over 100 years of history) remaining on the site has not been recognized as heritage and risks being lost or altered.

The «Nizhny Novgorod Colosseum» territory and the gas holder are in a state of decay. Since the 2000s, the buildings have been decommissioned, and maintenance has ceased. Roofs and iron elements have been removed, and openings are exposed. Potential soil and groundwater contamination due to long-term industrial use (petroleum products, chemical substances) creates additional environmental and sanitary risks.

It all began with a myth created by people—the act of «dubbing» the building the «Nizhny Novgorod Colosseum.» This unofficial title became the starting point for the project. I find it important to preserve this spontaneous heritage—not to destroy the urban myth, but to validate it by giving it an architectural and functional foundation. This is how I arrived at Rome and the Roman Forum as a model for organizing the space.

A spontaneously emerging urban myth already exists in the minds of city dwellers and serves as a ready resource for territorial development. Meanwhile, the Moscow district, with a population of over 110,000, lacks a major creative cluster, unlike the city center where the Strelka demonstrated the effectiveness of redeveloping industrial territories.

The project has the potential to become the district’s first cultural magnet, filling a gap in public infrastructure. Simultaneously, it addresses the challenges of preserving dilapidated industrial heritage and ecological rehabilitation of the area, transforming a problematic industrial zone into a vibrant space that serves the city.

Various government programs are being considered as methods of implementation