Dear Readers,

In this edition of our digest, we embark on a captivating journey into the realm of design and architecture, exploring how these elements harmonize with the extreme cold climates of Siberia. Our destination for this exploration is the resilient city of Yakutsk.

The residents of Yakutsk, Siberia are experts at handling harsh winters. They own thick furs, know not to wear glasses outdoors unless they want them to freeze to their face, and stay outside for only a few minutes at a time to avoid frostbite. This is what it’s like living in the iciest city on Earth, with temperatures plunging into the -70°C range all through winter, according to National Geographic.

It’s cold enough to freeze car batteries and fish sold in open-air markets. Fuel, water, and sewage pipes create at times visually imposing geometric structures as they either rest on the streets or hover in the air. In the city center, the mild smell of gas from the overground pipes is unavoidable and a constant presence of thick fog gives the city a mystical aura. Yakutsk, the largest city in the world built entirely on permafrost, carries its infrastructure on the outside, its entrails exposed. Many houses are propped up on stilts 8 to 10 meters high, and if they’re not, the heat from the building thaws the permafrost beneath it, causing the structure to sink.

Yet, it is precisely in the face of these challenges that the city has become a canvas for innovative design and architecture tailored for extreme cold climates. Indeed, Yakutsk beckons the world to turn its gaze toward this frozen expanse for some inspiration on the topic of design in extreme cold.

Join us on this journey as we explore how design can not only withstand but also thrive in the harshest of conditions.

Wishing you warmth and inspiration,

Metin Mirasyedi
Founder & Managing Director of PAP – THE BRAND