For Mental Reboot

At the architectural competition held in 2023 in Novosibirsk, the project by GORA Architects – a pedestrian bridge leading to the town of Bor – was awarded the “Golden Capital” prize. In this country, more than a hundred pedestrian bridges are constructed each year. What makes the Bor bridge different?

Written by:
Marina Ignatushko
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

19 October 2023

Contest Results

The project’s author, architect Stas Gorshunov, explains: the pedestrian bridge is an extension of the route from the city center to the water – to the Vezloma River, which flows into the Volga here.

zooming — The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: Photo © Alexander Ivasenko / provided by GORA

Bor is situated on the left bank of the Volga but is separated from it by flood meadows: passenger ships travel to Bor through the Vezloma channels, and a ferry was in operation for cars. The new pedestrian bridge leads to the pier, and the observation platform at its end faces Vezloma, overlooking the Bor floodplain. The route from the city to the pier is seasonal, and after the construction of a cable car and an alternative to the Bor bridge (of federal importance), reaching Nizhny Novgorod across the Volga is not a problem at all. However, the flood meadows are a traditionally beloved recreation spot for the residents of Bor. Seven years ago, this area was suddenly cut off from the city by a bypass road, which was justified by the needs of motorists, although not everyone found these justifications convincing.

On the bypass road, a traffic light was installed at the zebra crossing, but then the idea of an overhead pedestrian bridge emerged. Initially, there was a proposal to create something similar to Nizhny Novgorod – a clumsy plastic pedestrian “pipeline”. However, during one of the discussions, the governor had doubts, which eventually led to the concept of a tailored project. If one considers only these facts and observes a bit more how pedestrians currently, without using the bridge, walk towards the traffic light, it is easy to assume that Gorshunov’s project is just a piece of pleasant art, and a pure simulacrum.

The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: Photo © Alexander Ivasenko / provided by GORA
The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: Photo © Alexander Ivasenko / provided by GORA

Such assumptions quickly dissipate when one recalls how vehemently local communists criticized the very idea of a pedestrian bridge. In response to the criticism, a whole chain of arguments was built: the “Volga Valley” will be improved, increasing the city’s tourist attractiveness and eventually merging into a certain tourist cluster. Whether the cluster will materialize is unknown; in the coastal zone, re-enactors are already active, depicting scenes from Ancient Rome, and a wake-surf park operates on Yurasovskoye Lake in the summer. There were statements about building an oceanarium in Bor, which were met with mixed reactions and subsequently refined with the addition of “an oceanarium with a hotel and a rehabilitation center for children with cerebral palsy”. Another initiative is to open a yacht club with winter storage and a pier for boats on the banks of the Vezloma. So, currently, the pedestrian bridge is a symbol of change in the Bor Volga Valley.

This symbol is indeed beautiful. The bridge itself is a new landmark for the city, modern and aesthetically flawless, following in the footsteps of the “Mossy Mountains”, the previous project that GORA Architects did in Bor.

The bridge is referred to as an aluminum one; its structures are made of metal, while the finish consists of larch and glass. The glass fragments are crucial for the city, primarily known for its glass factory.

The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley. The construction process

Copyright: Photo © Stanislav Gorshunov / provided by GORA
The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: Photo © Stanislav Gorshunov / provided by GORA

The use of wood in the design is not accidental. The initial version of the project envisioned the construction of a wooden bridge.

Local history inspired the architects as well: in the mid-1930s, the first industrial monorail road in the country was launched in Bor. The wooden viaduct traversed a terrain with significant elevation changes, transporting timber and peat to Bor. The road operated for six years until the forest area was completely exhausted.

The project’s explanatory note says that the locomotives on the monorail road were double-decker: the top part housed the cabin and motor from a tractor, while the lower part contained the running gear. Similarly, the wooden bridge could reproduce the monorail’s image, with a cafe as an addition on the lower platform under the observation deck.

However, it was not by chance that, in defense of his project during the final stage of the architectural competition “Golden Capital”, Gorshunov enriched his presentation with a slide with red figures reminiscent of Matisse’s “Dance” around the bridge.

I thought it was a hint at high art, and that Stas decided to make a bold statement. However, it turned out to be a visualization of the bustling atmosphere around the bridge project, as various interested parties emerged.

Discussions about durability, fire safety, and other security concerns had a radical impact on the project. They wanted something more than allusions to the history of logging, something about a bright future, especially since talks were already underway about “Nizhny Novgorod high-tech” – the first aluminum automobile bridge in Russia over the Linda River, not far from Bor. As a result, the wooden pedestrian bridge was redrawn into an aluminum one.

The aluminum structures are particularly visible when viewed from below the observation deck cantilever. The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: Photo © Alexander Ivasenko / provided by GORA
The aluminum structure was moved by crane to be installed over the road. The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley. The construction process

Copyright: Photo © Stanislav Gorshunov / provided by GORA

The use of wood in the bridge’s design extends vertically to the “Volgorechye” café – it is not suspended under the bridge but is situated at the beginning of the ascent to the bridge, next to the skate park. The entire area is landscaped according to a unified project, reaching to George the Victorious Square: pathways, small structures, and platforms. The promenade area will also extend in the other direction beyond the bridge, reaching to the cable car.

The bridge received high praise not only from the “Golden Capital” judging panel in Novosibirsk but also from the residents of Nizhny Novgorod, who openly envy their satellite city. Of course, one should not expect that the lift for people with limited mobility is operational or that there is no litter or waste around. However, the quality of execution on the bridge and in its vicinity is exemplary.

“In its vicinity” is a very important specification here. Locals refer to Bor as a large village, and to some extent they have a point – public life here is fragmented into private interests, and common goals are rarely united. Although occasionally they do unite – such as in building the Stalin Museum (currently in construction). As for the Mukhinskoe Lake – the main myth and foundation of the city – it has been improved almost to the point of complete loss of all living things. The metal structure – a fragment of the 1896 pavilion, part of which is preserved on the Nizhny Novgorod Spit – was also attached to the case, despite knowing the history of this iron thing. Yurasovskoye Lake (where they opened a beach and the wake-surf park) is now surrounded by roads, and this summer Rospotrebnadzor declared it unsuitable for swimming. The historical wooden building of the “Mossy Mountains” station was restored beyond recognition, and turned into a beer shop. In Volgorechye, opposite the new café – across the road – where the ruins of some small production still stand, a giant windowless and seemingly doorless structure has emerged. No one has a clue who even issued permission for building such a thing here. However, there are also questions about the improvement of Volgorechye: who will take responsibility for the withered saplings passed off as greenery?

As the significance of the bridge for the city of Bor is challenging to measure at the moment, and not everyone believes in signs, I suggest evaluating it as an art object. It has everything: precision of proportions and a divergence of lines. Warmth and aloofness. Traditional material and innovation. It is appropriate, comfortable, and, moreover, self-sufficient. Original-looking, yet at the same time devoid of unnecessary ornamentation. In addition to the ability to move up and down, along, and even across, it accentuates the feeling of suspension and hovering. And if this bridge symbolizes anything, then it is an attempt to discern the perspective: whether Nizhny Novgorod is across the river or other horizons. This thing has been installed in Volgorechye for mental reboot.

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The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: © GORA
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The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: © GORA
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The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: © GORA
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The pedestrian bridge in the Bor Volga Valley

Copyright: © GORA

19 October 2023

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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The “Snake” Mountain

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Rays of the Desert

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The Dairy Theme

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Brilliant Production

The architects from London-based MOST Architecture have designed the space for the high-tech production of Charge Cars, a high-performance production facility for high-speed electric cars that are assembled in the shell of legendary Ford Mustangs. The founders of both the company and the car assembly startup are Russians who were educated in their home country.