Lessons from the Social Condensers. 101 Soviet Workers’ Clubs and Spaces for Mass Assembly

The book reflects the wide reach of early Soviet social condensers, from agitation installations to workers’ clubs, palaces of culture, and mass action theaters spread from Europe to Siberia. Coined by Soviet architects in the 1920s, the term “social condenser” came to signify the agency of architecture not only in shaping individual behaviors but also in reforming society at large. These projects serve as precedents for how architecture can activate social collaboration and human interaction but also as a cautionary tale of utilizing architecture as an instrument of social control.