For Yekaterinburg’s bid book for the right to host the World Universal Exhibition "Expo-2020", ABD Architects developed a concept of arranging the exhibition facilities.
Written by: Tatiana Shovskaya Translated by: Anton Mizonov
Project Team:
Leader of the author collective, general director of OOO "ABD" - B.Levyant; deputy director on design – B.Stuchebryukov; director on project management – A.Korzenkova; chief architect of the project – A.Feoktistova; leader architect – T.Skoroduli; architect – E.Ignatova; architect – D.Potryasaev
1.2012 — 1.2013
Commissioner – autonomous non-profit organization “Bid committee EXPO 2020”
Allied suppliers – “Laboratory of Transport Systems”, “Ilia Mochalov and Partners”, “M.K.Z. Engineering”
At the end of this year, in Paris, the venue of the
World Universal Exhibition "EXPO 2020" will be announced. Besides Russia's Yekaterinburg, this role is claimed by
four cities - Dubai, Sao
Paulo, Ayutthaya, and Izmir. However, the most
important part of the bid book that our country has submitted to take part in
this high-profile competition, is the architectural proposal and the
town-planning contest of the "Expo" territory in Yekaterinburg
developed by ABD Architects.
This exhibition is not only a
major international event, but also a very effective way to stimulate the
development of the city and the region where it is organized. That is why the
project of ABD architects provides not only for the "Expo" with all
the necessary facilities, but also a strategy to use these facilities after the
event. After the exhibition is over, the greatest changes will be made in the
first place to the expo park: some pavilions will be dismantled and utilized;
some will be turned into office and cultural spaces, while the residential and
public buildings will become the residential stock of the city.
As the area for ExpoPark,
Yekaterinburg offered the architects two places to choose from: one in the
immediate vicinity of the airport, and the other not far away from the heart of
the city, on the bank of a large natural lake. The choice was made in favor of
the Verkh-IsetskyLake - not only because
this place is more attractive but mostly because of the fact that the new
residential buildings, the roads, and the public facilities as well as the
landscaped territories are more appropriate and required within, and not
outside, the city. This place has other benefits as well. For example, there is
a symbolic border of Europe and Asia nearby,
and this attraction can be made part of the exposition in the open air. What is
more, in the immediate vicinity, there is a high hill, on the top of which a
sightseeing platform can be built, from which the entire future expo park will
be plainly seen.
The transport plan of the
territory of the future exhibition was developed with consideration of the
already-approved project of highway development in Russia. The architects proposed to
build a bridge across the lake and thus close the minor transport ring of
Yekaterinburg. Simultaneously, this will ensure the best accessibility of the
exhibition grounds both from the north and from the south. The bridge will be a
two-level one, besides the highway, it is planned to lay a railroad track on it
that will connect the exhibition with the airport. The superhighway that runs
from the bridge, in turn, will approach the transport junction that will
connect it with the Moscow
highway running from the West, and with the street leading to the center of
city. Next to the highway junction, a capacious parking lot will be built,
together with a transport and transfer terminal, the latter uniting under its
roof a subway and an underground station, a bus depot, shopping areas, and a
conference hall with a hotel.
The main entrance into the
Expo-park is located in the immediate proximity from the transport terminal. In
addition, the exhibition area will be accessible by city bus directly from the
city center, and from the ExpoVillage. In addition to
its own subway station, "Expo" is planned to connect with the heart
of Yekaterinburg by a tramway line, and there will be built a helipad for
VIP-persons. Inside the Expo-Park, only environmentally-friendly kind of
transport will be used - electro bus with a route covering the entire perimeter
of the expo area, and the water tram. For the water tram, the authors propose
to dig a ring channel that will be filled with the water from the lake.
The existing streets of
Yekaterinburg set the main axes of the newly-designed territory of the
Expo-Park and its residential quarters, which, according to the architects'
plan, will ensure a maximally organic inclusion of the improved section into
the already-formed structure of the city. However, this was only one of the
challenges faced by the authors of the concept. The layout of the expo area
took into account all sorts of factors. Among others, this was the uniformity
of the distribution of the points of attraction and services for the visitors,
and the ease of finding one's bearings at the exhibition, and the accessibility
of each specific pavilion. Totally, the exhibition will consist of 103 pavilions
- these will form the squares, and these squares, in turn, will be
"strung", very much like beads on the main pedestrian axis that will
stretch from west to east.
As is the custom at “Expo”, the
large exhibiting countries are building their pavilions by themselves, while
the smaller countries occupy the so-called "joints" that are going to
be built by the on-venue construction company. Besides, the exhibition is going
to feature quite a few of "corporate" and "theme' pavilions, as
well as the pavilions of federal regions of Russia. It is planned that the
latter will be built along the main promenade - the esplanade that starts at
the main entrance. Its perspective will be closed by the pavilion of Russia that is going to be executed in the shape
of a bridge that symbolically connects Europe and Asia.
After the pavilion of Russia, the axis of the esplanade
will be continued by the developed pier, which is planned as the area for
conducting light shows and fireworks. The entire territory of the exhibition is
divided into the day and night zones. When the pavilions are closed, the
visitors go over to the embankment. Designed as one big natural park, it is
filled with a lot of "evening-type" facilities: expo-arena,
amphitheater, Movie Theater, hybrid library, and a few multi-purpose venues.
The theme of “EXPO -2020” is
already known - “Global Reason”, and, of course, first of all, it will find its
reflection in the exposures of the theme and national pavilions; however, the
authors of the concept wanted it to also show though in the outward appearance
of the exhibition complex. For this purpose, as the key architectural image, a
crystal was chosen - the jagged edges of the pavilions and the white color of
their facades, according to ABD architects, will not only create the right
associations but will also enhance the "Ural" origin of this
"mineral". However, the design of the concrete objects of exhibition
still belongs to the future, as the architects say, sincerely hoping to get to
it after the positive resolution of the International Bureau of Exhibitions.
Project Team:
Leader of the author collective, general director of OOO "ABD" - B.Levyant; deputy director on design – B.Stuchebryukov; director on project management – A.Korzenkova; chief architect of the project – A.Feoktistova; leader architect – T.Skoroduli; architect – E.Ignatova; architect – D.Potryasaev
1.2012 — 1.2013
Commissioner – autonomous non-profit organization “Bid committee EXPO 2020”
Allied suppliers – “Laboratory of Transport Systems”, “Ilia Mochalov and Partners”, “M.K.Z. Engineering”
The Fulcrum
Ostozhenka Architects have designed two astonishing towers practically on the edge of a slope above the Oka River in Nizhny Novgorod. These towers stand on 10-meter-tall weathered steel “legs”, with each floor offering panoramic views of the river and the city; all public spaces, including corridors, receive plenty of natural light. Here, we see a multitude of solutions that are unconventional for the residential routine of our day and age. Meanwhile, although these towers hark back to the typological explorations of the seventies, they are completely reinvented in a contemporary key. We admire Veren Group as the client – this is exactly how a “unique product” should be made – and we tell you exactly how our towers are arranged.
The Secret Briton
The house is called “Little France”. Its composition follows the classical St. Petersburg style, with a palace-like courtyard. The decor is on the brink of Egyptian lotuses, neo-Greek acroteria, and classic 1930s “gears”; the recessed piers are Gothic, while the silhouette of the central part of the house is British. It’s quite interesting to examine all these details, attempting to understand which architectural direction they belong to. At the same time, however, the house fits like a glove in the context of the 20th line of St. Petersburg’s Vasilievsky Island; its elongated wings hold up the façade quite well.
The Wrap-Up
The competition project proposed by Treivas for the first 2021 competition for the Russian pavilion at EXPO 2025 concludes our series of publications on pavilion projects that will not be implemented. This particular proposal stands out for its detailed explanations and the idea of ecological responsibility: both the facades and the exhibition inside were intended to utilize recycled materials.
Birds and Streams
For the competition to design the Omsk airport, DNK ag formed a consortium, inviting VOX architects and Sila Sveta. Their project focuses on intersections, journeys, and flights – both of people and birds – as Omsk is known as a “transfer point” for bird migrations. The educational component is also carefully considered, and the building itself is filled with light, which seems to deconstruct the copper circle of the central entrance portal, spreading it into fantastic hyper-spatial “slices”.
Faraday Grid
The project of the Omsk airport by ASADOV Architects is another concept among the 14 finalists of a recent competition. It is called “The Bridge” and is inspired by both the West Siberian Exhibition of 1911 and the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge over the Irtysh River, built in 1896. On one hand, it carries a steampunk vibe, while on the other, there’s almost a sense of nostalgia for the heyday of 1913. However, the concept offers two variants, the second one devoid of nostalgia but featuring a parabola.
Midway upon the Journey of Our Life
Recently, Tatlin Publishing House released a book entitled “Architect Sergey Oreshkin. Selected Projects”. This book is not just a traditional book of the architectural company’s achievements, but rather a monograph of a more personal nature. The book includes 43 buildings as well as a section with architectural drawings. In this article, we reflect on the book as a way to take stock of an architect’s accomplishments.
Inverted Fortress
This year, there has been no shortage of intriguing architectural ideas around the Omsk airport. The project developed by the architectural company KPLN appeals to Omsk’s history as a wooden fortress that it was back in the day, but transforms the concept of a fortress beyond recognition: it “shaves off” the conical ends of “wooden logs”, then enlarges them, and then flips them over. The result is a hypostyle – a forest of conical columns on point supports, with skylights on top.
Transformation of Annenkirche
For Annenkirche (St. Anna Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg), Sergey Kuznetsov and the Kamen bureau have prepared a project that relies on the principles of the Venice Charter: the building is not restored to a specific date, historical layers are preserved, and modern elements do not mimic the authentic ones. Let’s delve into the details of these solutions.
The Paradox of the Temporary
The concept of the Russian pavilion for EXPO 2025 in Osaka, proposed by the Wowhaus architects, is the last of the six projects we gathered from the 2022 competition. It is again worth noting that the results of this competition were not finalized due to the cancellation of Russia’s participation in World Expo 2025. It should be mentioned that Wowhaus created three versions for this competition, but only one is being presented, and it can’t be said that this version is thoroughly developed – rather, it is done in the spirit of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, the project is interesting in its paradoxical nature: the architects emphasized the temporary character of the pavilion, and in its bubble-like forms sought to reflect the paradoxes of space and time.
The Forum of Time
The competition project for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka designed by Aleksey Orlov and Arena Project Institute consists of cones and conical funnels connected into a non-trivial composition, where one can feel the hand of architects who have worked extensively with stadiums and other sports facilities. It’s very interesting to delve into its logic, structurally built on the theme of clocks, hourglasses and even sundials. Additionally, the architects have turned the exhibition pavilion into a series of interconnected amphitheaters, which is also highly relevant for world exhibitions. We are reminding you that the competition results were never announced.
Mirrors Everywhere
The project by Sergey Nebotov, Anastasia Gritskova, and the architectural company “Novoe” was created for the Russian pavilion at EXPO 2025, but within the framework of another competition, which, as we learned, took place even earlier, in 2021. At that time, the competition theme was “digital twins”, and there was minimal time for work, so the project, according to the architect himself, was more of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, this project is interesting for its plan bordering on similarity with Baroque projects and the emblem of the exhibition, as well as its diverse and comprehensive reflectiveness.
The Steppe Is Full of Beauty and Freedom
The goal of the exhibition “Dikoe Pole” (“Wild Field”) at the State Historical Museum was to move away from the archaeological listing of valuable items and to create an image of the steppe and nomads that was multidirectional and emotional – in other words, artistic. To achieve this goal, it was important to include works of contemporary art. One such work is the scenography of the exhibition space developed by CHART studio.
The Snowstorm Fish
The next project from the unfinished competition for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025, which will be held in Osaka, Japan, is by Dashi Namdakov and Parsec Architects. The pavilion describes itself as an “architectural/sculptural” one, with its shape clearly reminiscent of abstract sculpture of the 1970s. It complements its program with a meditative hall named “Mendeleev’s Dreams”, and offers its visitors to slide from its roof at the end of the tour.
The Mirror of Your Soul
We continue to publish projects from the competition for the design of the Russian Pavilion at EXPO in Osaka 2025. We are reminding you that the results of the competition have not been announced, and hardly will ever be. The pavilion designed by ASADOV Architects combines a forest log cabin, the image of a hyper transition, and sculptures made of glowing threads – it focuses primarily on the scenography of the exhibition, which the pavilion builds sequentially like a string of impressions, dedicating it to the paradoxes of the Russian soul.
Part of the Ideal
In 2025, another World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan, in which Russia will not participate. However, a competition for the Russian pavilion was indeed held, with six projects participating. The results were never announced as Russia’s participation was canceled; the competition has no winners. Nevertheless, Expo pavilion projects are typically designed for a bold and interesting architectural statement, so we’ve gathered all the six projects and will be publishing articles about them in random order. The first one is the project by Vladimir Plotkin and Reserve Union, which is distinguished by the clarity of its stereometric shape, the boldness of its structure, and the multiplicity of possible interpretations.
The Fortress by the River
ASADOV Architects have developed a concept for a new residential district in the center of Kemerovo. To combat the harsh climate and monotonous everyday life, the architects proposed a block type of development with dominant towers, good insolation, facades detailed at eye level, and event programming.
In the Rhombus Grid
Construction has begun on the building of the OMK (United Metallurgical Company) Corporate University in Nizhny Novgorod’s town of Vyksa, designed by Ostozhenka Architects. The most interesting aspect of the project is how the architects immersed it in the context: “extracting” a diagonal motif from the planning grid of Vyksa, they aligned the building, the square, and the park to match it. A truly masterful work with urban planning context on several different levels of perception has long since become the signature technique of Ostozhenka.
Generational Connection
Another modern estate, designed by Roman Leonidov, is located in the Moscow region and brings together three generations of one family under one roof. To fit on a narrow plot without depriving anyone of personal space, the architects opted for a zigzag plan. The main volume in the house structure is accentuated by mezzanines with a reverse-sloped roof and ceilings featuring exposed beams.
Three Dimensions of the City
We began to delve into the project by Sergey Skuratov, the residential complex “Depo” in Minsk, located at Victory Square, and it fascinated us completely. The project has at least several dimensions to it: historical – at some point, the developer decided to discontinue further collaboration with Sergey Skuratov Architects, but the concept was approved, and its implementation continues, mostly in accordance with the proposed ideas. The spatial and urban planning dimension – the architects both argue with the city and play along with it, deciphering nuances, and finding axes. And, finally, the tactile dimension – the constructed buildings also have their own intriguing features. Thus, this article also has two parts: it dwells on what has been built and what was conceived
New “Flight”
Architects from “Mezonproject” have developed a project for the reconstruction of the regional youth center “Polyot”(“Flight”) in the city of Oryol. The summer youth center, built back in the late 1970s, will now become year-round and acquire many additional functions.
The Yauza Towers
In Moscow, there aren’t that many buildings or projects designed by Nikita Yavein and Studio 44. In this article, we present to you the concept of a large multifunctional complex on the Yauza River, located between two parks, featuring a promenade, a crossroads of two pedestrian streets, a highly developed public space, and an original architectural solution. This solution combines a sophisticated, asymmetric façade grid, reminiscent of a game of fifteen puzzle, and bold protrusions of the upper parts of the buildings, completely masking the technical floors and sculpting the complex’s silhouette.
Arch, Pearl, Wing, Wind
In the social media of the governor of the Omsk region, voting was conducted for the best project for the city’s new airport. We asked the finalists to send over their projects and are now showcasing them. The projects are quite interesting: the client requested that the building be visually permeable throughout, and the images that the architects are working with include arches, wings, gusts of wind, and even the “Pearl” painting by Vrubel, who was actually born in Omsk.
Architecture and Leisure Park
For the suburban hotel complex, which envisages various formats of leisure, the architectural company T+T Architects proposed several types of accommodation, ranging from the classic “standard” in a common building to a “cave in the hill” and a “house in a tree”. An additional challenge consisted in integrating a few classic-style residences already existing on this territory into the “architectural forest park”.
The U-House
The Jois complex combines height with terraces, bringing the most expensive apartments from penthouses down to the bottom floors. The powerful iconic image of the U-shaped building is the result of the creative search for a new standard of living in high-rise buildings by the architects of “Genpro”.
Black and White
In this article, we specifically discuss the interiors of the ATOM Pavilion at VDNKh. Interior design is a crucial component of the overall concept in this case, and precision and meticulous execution were highly important for the architects. Julia Tryaskina, head of UNK interiors, shares some of the developments.
The “Snake” Mountain
The competition project for the seaside resort complex “Serpentine” combines several typologies: apartments of different classes, villas, and hotel rooms. For each of these typologies, the KPLN architects employ one of the images that are drawn from the natural environment – a serpentine road, a mountain stream, and rolling waves.
Opal from Anna Mons’ Ring
The project of a small business center located near Tupolev Plaza and Radio Street proclaims the necessity of modern architecture in a specific area of Moscow commonly known as “Nemetskaya Sloboda” or “German settlement”. It substantiates its thesis with the thoroughness of details, a multitude of proposed and rejected form variants, and even a detailed description of the surrounding area. The project is interesting indeed, and it is even more interesting to see what will come of it.
Feed ’Em All
A “House of Russian Cuisine” was designed and built by KROST Group at VDNKh for the “Rossiya” exhibition in record-breaking time. The pavilion is masterfully constructed in terms of the standards of modern public catering industry multiplied by the bustling cultural program of the exhibition, and it interprets the stylistically diverse character of VDNKh just as successfully. At the same time, much of its interior design can be traced back to the prototypes of the 1960s – so much so that even scenes from iconic Soviet movies of those years persistently come to mind.
The Ensemble at the Mosque
OSA prepared a master plan for a district in the southern part of Derbent. The main task of the master plan is to initiate the formation of a modern comfortable environment in this city. The organization of residential areas is subordinated to the city’s spiritual center: depending on the location relative to the cathedral mosque, the houses are distinguished by façade and plastique solutions. The program also includes a “hospitality center”, administrative buildings, an educational cluster, and even an air bridge.
Pargolovo Protestantism
A Protestant church is being built in St. Petersburg by the project of SLOI architects. One of the main features of the building is a wooden roof with 25-meter spans, which, among other things, forms the interior of the prayer hall. Also, there are other interesting details – we are telling you more about them.
