ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of stillness in the work of Russian constructivist architect Ivan Leonidov (1902-1959). It describes his tectonic translations of the atmospheric conditions of hot-air balloon rides as expressions of the gradual movement from the earth to the stillness of the sky. The chapter argues that for Leonidov the stillness of the hot-air balloon's hovering movement expressed the vibrating waiting of the Russian community just before the realization of the new society. Silence as expressed through the idea of stillness emphasizes the waiting state of the individual's perception of the absence of movement and sound. By deciding to translate the particularities of hot-air balloon movement, Leonidov suggests a new kind of tectonics through the anti-tectonics of lightness and vibrating stillness that contradict the established reinforced concrete. Montage technique contributes to the translation, providing moving characteristics to both the suggested project and its representation in a way that does not lose the static qualities of the proposed stillness.
