The Plisetsky House is a historically significant building where directors of the trust lived for 50 years. It is named after Maya Plisetskaya's father, who headed the Arktikugol in the 1930s. Despite the fact that he never lived in this building, the house is recognised as a successor to the original Plisetsky house. The building is considered as one of the most remarkable cultural and historical sites of the settlement and holds deep meaning for the local community as many Barentsburg residents relate their own identity to this place.

Object name: The Plisetsky Reception House
Location: Barentsburg, Svalbard
Function: a reception house with an office function
Number of floors: 2 floors
Building height: 9.495 m
Building area: 184.36 m2
Project Authors: Grigory Voronin, Georgy Gnilorybov, Olga Legostaeva, Evgeniya Myu

Historically, the trust director’s house was located on the outskirts of the settlement, on the site of the current consulate building. The first building that appeared on the site of the modern Plisetsky house was built after 1936. However, there is almost no information about its function.

In 1943, when World War II battles were in full swing, the old head of trust’s house was completely destroyed. The restoration work began only  in 1950, when the house was rebuilt in a completely different, neoclassical form and at a new location.

After studying the history and symbolic significance of the Plisetsky house, as well as the needs of the local community, it was decided to propose a project of a reception house in the renovated building. The ground floor of the building is supposed to serve as an office for guest delegations that come to Barentsburg 10-14 times a month and who need a comfortable space for business communication with the trust’s administration. The ground floor is designed for hosting official delegations. Considering the fact that the purpose of visits and the delegation status can vary, there was designed a large hall on the ground floor that can be adapted to host any groups and events that can vary from a visit of a Chinese scientific delegation or a lecture for Indian geologists to an official receipt for the Svalbard governor and authorities, the project authors even believe that once the designed space can serve a venue for official talks and debates between Norway and Russia on the topic of sustainable technologies in Svalbard.

However during the period of polar nights almost no delegations come to Barentsburg, the reception house might stand without use most of the time, which seems problematic and unacceptable. Therefore the project implies that the building can be easily reconfigured into an office space for the trust's temporary working groups. Since the reception house is supposed to be directly managed by the Arktikugol administration, the project authors suggest that it might be possible to create a schedule for the arrival of delegations, and designate free days, when some rooms in the Plisetsky house will be available and can be allocated for office use, that will provide temporary working groups with workplaces.

The project stands out for combining two key approaches - careful attitude to the existing architectural elements and a modern interpretation of the building’s history. As the second floor extension has never been a historical element of the house, the project implies its removal. This is a significant move that turns the house to its original form.

Renovation of the facades involves preservation of the wooden paneling, which will be restored and decorated with carved ornaments, inspired by old Russia and traditional northern patterns.

The project proposes a significant reconstruction of the roof since the original one has been destroyed. This fact encouraged the authors to take some rather bold actions and design an unusual, complex roof structure, the shape of which evokes the movement of sea winds, using copper as the roofing material will allow sunlight to reflect during the polar day that would highlight the Plisetsky House.