ATOM Museum and Exhibition Complex at VDNH | UNK

UNK designed the ATOM universal Museum and exhibition complex at VDNH by order of Rosatom. This is the first major facility built on the territory of the complex in the last 30 years. The construction was carried out in the epicenter of the historical development – an underground pressure river flows under the pavilion. UNK specialists have integrated the new project into the familiar landscape of the main avenue of VDNKH, preserving modern architecture, engineering and exhibition potential. The ATOM Museum embodies the national success of a great power and its authority on the world stage. "Seven floors of Russia's love for the atom as a scientific achievement of mankind," Western journalists presented the ATOM Museum to their readers.

The pavilion is an innovative architectural structure with an area of 25,000 square meters. The museum, whose exterior image is a transparent air shell with a weightless 53-meter console, consists of 7 floors, 3 of which are underground. The depth of the building is 26 meters, which makes it the deepest object at VDNH. The pavilion was built using top-down technology. The ATOM pavilion is a very complex and structurally unique project: the two walls of the pavilion are 12–meter self-supporting glass, which, thanks to its frameless design, made it possible to create the most open space and visually combine the interior space of the foyer with the territory of VDNH. The floating ceiling of the pavilion is a console with a maximum reach of 55 meters. Anchors are installed in the foundation plate at a depth of 17 meters, which distribute the load on the cantilever elements. The load from soil, snow, and utilities was worked out while developing the roof's structural capabilities. The project includes the possibility of moving the console relative to the windows from the snow load by 20 centimeters. The node is designed specifically for this project, it is a unique solution that is not found in any building in the world.

White and crystal-clear, with a huge floating console, technologically advanced and expensive, full of records: the largest Jumbo glass in Moscow, the underground space is almost larger than above ground, and the exposition is naturalistic in contrast to the light abstract architecture – the ATOM pavilion has become, at least, the main architectural hit of 2023 and It continues to be a unique and iconic building in Moscow, an attraction for the citizens.