Social Condenser as an architectural concept. The formation of the OSA in 1925 helped Ginzburg to realise his Constructivist hopes by working with like-minded individuals in a tight group of focused architects. The group was known for the design and construction of a number of Constructivist buildings in the Soviet Union including the Likhachev Palace of Culture, several apartment blocks and the Mostorg department store. However, it was for the Narkomfin Building in Moscow that both the OSA and Ginzburg received greatest publicity. The Narkomfin is widely regarded as the stylistic epitome of the Social Condenser for its devotion towards promoting the socialist way of life. Featuring communal kitchens, dining halls and even shared bathrooms, the 54-unit building was defined by orthogonal design, iterative room plans and muted colour design. Additionally, the removal of the private facilities resulted in smaller rooms, allowing for a greater number of units which helped to accommodate the issue of overcrowding in Moscow during the 1920s and 1930s. In designing this building, Ginzburg was driven by two key imperatives. Firstly, the aforementioned desire to inspire and precipitate the socialist way of life by minimising private activities and advocating for collective interaction through open and shared amenities. However, there was a secondary motive that defined Ginzburg’s architectural practice for the Narkomfin Building. In addition to enacting Lenin’s plan for a new Soviet psyche, he sought to “ease life emotionally, and provide residents with rest and relaxation in a way that they could experience the joy of life.” As such, Ginzburg was able to bring about a sense of relief among the otherwise work-laden Soviet proletariats, promoting the enjoyment of finer details through restful collective spaces. Architectural Influence In the post-war period, the Social Condenser influenced European social housing through its orthogonal forms and functional unit designs, extrapolated by architects such as Le Corbusier in his Unité d’Habitation with a view to inspiring collectivism after the war. The Social Condenser has also antithetically informed deconstructivist architecture as contemporary architects seek to unravel the determinism of the constructivist style in favour of more fragmented structures. While Social Condensers sought to influence human behaviour through considered design, the deconstructivist buildings of today engage just one design tactic; “a simple and random morphological gesture that removes sense from form”. This lies in opposition to the functional nature of the Soviet Social Condensers which were actively designed to inspire collectivism. Despite