The project draws upon Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of carnivalization — the phenomenon of urban festivities where established order recedes, boundaries between people dissolve, and the urban space transforms into a stage for collective action. The island, dedicated to a theater festival, continues the historical logic of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair as a space for encounters, celebration, and spectacle.

The landscape is built upon a natural dramaturgy that alternates between lush existing greenery and regular, disciplined design interventions. Pedestrian routes, viewing platforms, and elevated boardwalks unfold the island as a sequence of shifting scenes, while the topography shapes natural amphitheaters and vantage points. A new bridge connects the island to the city, breathing new life into the spaces beneath existing structures.

The cluster comprises a main pavilion, rotundas, performance stages, a festival square, a sculpture park, and site-specific art installations. An allusion to the structures in Federico Fellini's 8½ is manifested in the imagery of the transformable stage — an architecture capable of shifting its scenario and adapting to a diverse array of events.