Anatoliy Stolyarchuk: "I've got no interests outside of architecture".

An interview with the Saint Petersburg architect and the leader of his studio Anatoliy Stolyarchuk.

Interviewed by:
Irina Bembel
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

02 December 2015

Interview

Archi.ru:
- How did you start your career in architecture?

Anatoliy Stolyarchuk:
It all started with me coming to Saint Petersburg which was called Leningrad back then. I was born in a small Ukrainian town of Kamenets-Podolsk, and I went to a regular school there. And when I came to Leningrad I realized that I wanted to be an architect. When I was taking my entrance exams at the Academy of Arts I only had behind me an amateur painting club and private drawing lessons, so I in fact was a "tabula rasa" - but because of this I imbibed everything like a sponge. I had great teachers: besides Sergey Speransky whose studio I attended during my second year, these were such well-known architects as Alexander Macheret, Valerian Volonsevich, and Nathan Tregubov. There was a wonderful aura about the Academy that gave me strength for years to come.

- If I ask you to name the milestones of your professional career, what would it be?

After serving in the military, I spent fourteen and a half years in our famous LENPROJECT in Studio 2 that was then lead by Login Shreter (it was later on headed by Jean Verzhbiisky and Nikolai Apostol), and by the end of my time there I became the deputy chief. In 1989 I was invited to head a studio in LenZNIep where I then worked for nine years. This studio was once headed by Sergey Speransky; over that time my colleagues were Victoria Struzman, Mark Serebrovsky, and others. To me, it was a bar raised pretty high.

It was Perestroika at that time; there were no large projects to do, yet still I was able to get a very important experience of interested residential construction. In collaboration with Valery Kaplunov, we designed a residential compound near Nizhny Novgorod for the military people and their families who came back from German Democratic Republic. Then, this time unassisted, our studio designed a similar compound in the city of Tver. Back in those days, integrated design - with schools and kindergartens, not to mention other objects of social and cultural infrastructure - was quite a rarity. Because they would first build the serial standard residential buildings and then they would try to "pull up" the infrastructure to them in a way that was painfully inefficient. In our case, we from the very start provided for a fabulous school with a swimming pool, a kindergarten, a community center - and all of this was ultimately implemented! In 1998, I opened my own architectural company and I've been running it up to the present day.

- One of your trademark projects is the chain of "Lenta" hypermarkets...

Yes, we developed ten projects, out of which nine have been implemented. For the Russia of the early 2000's, the chain hypermarkets were quite a novelty. We considered our task as taking those all-functional premises, pre-calculated down to the last inch, and giving them recognizable and customer-friendly features - first of all, by virtue of organizing their entrance groups. We had quite a hard time trying to convince our customer that this was really necessary but he ultimately was satisfied because our design solutions were really the ones that sold. We worked quite a lot in the genre of hypermarkets (besides "Lenta", these are "Norma", "Metrika", and "Castorama" chains) but we also built a lot of residential and public buildings.

- Which of them do you consider to be your milestones?

Besides "Lenta" hypermarkets, these are the building of the skating rink on the Butlerova Street, the house that we designed on the Professora Popova Street, the Olympic Trade Center ("Artem" shopping mall) next to Sportivnaya metro station, an office center at the crossing of Nevsky and Suvorovsky prospects, PEAK Shopping and Entertainment Center, and the chapel on the Sennaya Square...

- These all are very different buildings. What are your professional principles?

I profess honest and functional architecture. Second - architecture must be humane. I don't think an architect has the right to thrust either to his customer or to the end consumers his personal subjective ambitions; what he must do is immerse as much as possible into the material that he's got to work with and solve his task taking it to the limit.

- At the same time, your buildings look nothing like functionalism...

Those compromises in favor of decoration or historicism that I allowed of were the steps that I had to take under the circumstances. A characteristic example of that is the house on the Professora Popova Street. Back then, in the early nineties, we were still afraid of making ostentatiously modern injections into the city's historic structure. I took that path later on, for example, in the project that I did for the Mira Street, and I do not on the least regret it, even though the customer was always pushing us to stylize things - which even led to a conflict.

Now, I don't want to say that I am opposed to working "in styles" at all - I just want to say that one must be competent to do that. This city has very few convincing stylizations in it - simply because there are few people that are competent to do that; most of the time what we see is rough unabashed kitsch.

- What motivates you in your work?

The opportunity to build something that had real value, something that's socially important. In recent years, we've done two projects of youth entertainment centers, as well as a rehab centers for disabled persons and disabled children. Being implemented, such projects bring me immense satisfaction.

- You have for years been teaching at Repin Academy of Fine Arts. What does your teaching activity mean and how important is it to you?

I've been teaching at the Academy since 1999, and the more I do the more I value the time that I spend within its walls. I also work as Vladimir Popov's assistant: not only do I teach but I also learn things - from my colleagues and from my students as well. The Academy is the place where some of the finest practicing architects of Saint Petersburg work, and this circle of communication really means a lot to me.

Remembering my student days I try to give my students what I fell short of getting back in my time. Our professors would not analyze our work as often as they should have, and sessions with Sergey Speransky were an event that we all looked forward to. Communicating to my students pushes me to stay in shape in order to be able to always answer their questions, and to be in the loop of what's going on in the profession. I consider my work as a mission, I try to help the young in any way that I can, and be not so much a strict teacher as a mentor and an older friend. There's no other architectural educational institution that teaches the things that the students can learn at the Academy with its century-old traditions. Here we treat our each and every student as a unique personality.

- Presently, you head the Union of Architectural Studios of Saint Petersburg, an organization that many regard as the elite of the Architects Union of Russia. Please share a little bit about this social activity of yours.

It's not in my character being a boss. Once I started working in my own studio I sighed with relief because I no longer had to supervise a staff of some eighty people. In this organization, I am not meant to be a "boss" - within the limits of my power I handle organizational issue and this is how I make myself useful for the professional community. I think that our 15th anniversary biennale that we organized in April was quite a success. Quite recently, in Moscow, there was an exhibition named PROEstate in which our young architects took part. Among the organizers, there was the Guild of Managing Developers and the Union of Architectural Studios. The main prize - a professional visit to Germany - was won by the alumni of our Academy which was of course great news for us. This is all about integration into the European management system that the professionals need so much these days.

- What are your interests outside of architecture?

With all due modesty, I will say that I've got no interests outside of architecture.

- What could you wish to yourself?

I could wish to myself to be in what I would call "creative demand". I really want to make a positive difference, want to implement the experience that I have accumulated while I still feel I have the power to do that.

02 December 2015

Interviewed by:

Irina Bembel
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

Headlines now

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.

send.project

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.

Report

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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”.

Overview

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”.

Object

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.

send.project

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.

send.project

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

send.project

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.

Object

The Shape of the Inconceivable

The ATOM Pavilion at VDNKh brings to mind a famous maxim of all architects and critics: “You’ve come up with it? Now build it!” You rarely see such a selfless immersion in implementation of the project, and the formidable structural and engineering tasks set by UNK architects to themselves are presented here as an integral and important part of the architectural idea. The challenge matches the obliging status of the place – after all, it is an “exhibition of achievements”, and the pavilion is dedicated to the nuclear energy industry. Let’s take a closer look: from the outside, from the inside, and from the underside too.

send.project

Rays of the Desert

A school for 1750 students is going to be built in Dubai, designed by IND Architects. The architects took into account the local specifics, and proposed a radial layout and spaces, in which the children will be comfortable throughout the day.

Object

The Dairy Theme

The concept of an office of a cheese-making company, designed for the enclosed area of a dairy factory, at least partially refers to industrial architecture. Perhaps that is why this concept is very simple, which seems the appropriate thing to do here. The building is enlivened by literally a couple of “master strokes”: the turning of the corner accentuates the entrance, and the shade of glass responds to the theme of “milk rivers” from Russian fairy tales.

send.project

The Road to the Temple

Under a grant from the Small Towns Competition, the main street and temple area of the village of Nikolo-Berezovka near Neftekamsk has been improved. A consortium of APRELarchitects and Novaya Zemlya is turning the village into an open-air museum and integrating ruined buildings into public life.

Object

Towers Leaning Towards the Sun

The three towers of the residential complex “Novodanilovskaya 8” are new and the tallest neighbors of the Danilovsky Manufactory, “Fort”, and “Plaza”, complementing a whole cluster of modern buildings designed by renowned masters. At the same time, the towers are unique for this setting – they are residential, they are the tallest ones here, and they are located on a challenging site. In this article, we explore how architects Andrey Romanov and Ekaterina Kuznetsova tackled this far-from-trivial task.

Object

In the spirit of ROSTA posters

The new Rostselmash tractor factory, conceptualized by ASADOV Architects, is currently being completed in Rostov-on-Don. References to the Soviet architecture of the 1920’s and 1960’s resonate with the mission and strategic importance of the enterprise, and are also in line with the client’s wish: to pay homage to Rostov’s constructivism.

send.project

The Northern Thebaid

The central part of Ferapontovo village, adjacent to the famous monastery with frescoes by Dionisy, has been improved according to the project by APRELarchitects. Now the place offers basic services for tourists, as well as a place for the villagers’ leisure.