Anton Nadtochiy and Vera Butko are the founders and chief architects of the Moscow-based studio ATRIUM. Since 1994, the studio has grown from a small interior design bureau into one of Russia’s leading architectural studios, with projects in dozens of cities. In an exclusive interview for the ArchitecturalNO podcast, they spoke openly for the first time about their creative path, bold experiments and the formation of their distinctive authorial style.

We had something to say in architecture!

This phrase reflects the essence of their approach. Anton recalls how, straight after graduating, he was “sat down at a computer and told: do it!”, while Vera adds: “The life of the studio began together with our life together. It is simple.” Together, they challenged established standards, offering clients open layouts and unexpected solutions — for example, cutting an atrium space into the centre of an apartment, which led to the surprised question: “Was that even possible?”

Over more than 30 years of work, ATRIUM has grown from a small experimental studio into a large architectural bureau with a distinctive authorial style based on working with form and space. “We measure projects not by size, but by meaning,” Anton notes. Today, ATRIUM is a team of 150 professionals creating private houses, major public spaces and new formats, including digital projects and the metaverse.

Their clients are often long-term partners with whom the studio has worked for decades, sharing a high level of architectural ambition and a commitment to creating uncompromising architecture. As the architects say, “everything in our life is an incredible coincidence of circumstances leading to a logical result.” It is this spirit of courage and creativity that makes ATRIUM one of the most recognisable and respected names in contemporary architecture.

More about the history and philosophy of ATRIUM is available in the full interview on the ArchitecturalNO podcast_