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Design Gallery: The Art Nouveau Dacha

Reproductions from Vladimir Story's historic dacha designs

by Ismene BrownSaturday, 27 March 2010

Vladimir Story's 1917 brochure for patterns for building Russia's traditional wooden country houses - called dachas - has been rescued from oblivion by the chance discovery of an ancient copy of it in Georgia. Now reprinted, The Art Nouveau Dacha: designs by Vladimir Story reveals with marvellous detail a unique house-building tradition full of details and requirements that are as modern nearly a century later. Read the story of this book in theartsdesk's Books/Art section, and enjoy a selection of reproductions from everything from a grand "English-style" mansion to a whimsical little children's pergola perched on a tree stump.

Click on a picture to enter the slideshow.

Project No. 3: Basic dacha
Project No. 4: "This type of house is best suited for summer use."
Project No. 12: “Here we offer a building for construction over a period of several years.”
Project No. 15: “Norwegian-style house”
Project No. 17: Dacha mansion
Project No. 22: “English-style house.” Exterior
Ditto: interior side section
Project No. 34: “Stable, Laundry Room and Servants Quarters.”
Project No. 42: “Basic Swimming House on columns. This is built over existing water with a retractable privacy box, able to be lowered on chains.” Project No. 43: “Floating Swimming House. It stands on four floating boxed columns, attached to the river bank by cables.”
Project No. 48: “Pergola on Tree Stump... The roof should appear like a straw hat.”
Project No. 49: Fruit Storage Shed "Norwegian-style"

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The Art Nouveau Dacha: Designs by Vladimir Story Published 1917 St Petersburg, edited by Peter Nasmyth (MTA Publications 2010 - find it on Amazon or direct from MTA Publications

A place for the family horse and bath-houses were as essential then as garages and en suite bathrooms now. Insulation was an obsession

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