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« It is necessary to keep to the Tver type eclecticism ».The session of the town-planning committee at mayor of Moscow

On Wednesday, the 1st of November, the public town-planning committee at mayor of Moscow took place, where the projects of formation of the Kutuzovskij prospectus and construction of ten hotels were discussed, among authors were Zacha Hadid, Alexander Asadov, Paul Andreev, Sergey Kiselyov

01 November 2006
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The  session has begun with a minute of silence in honour of memory of architect Evgenie Grigorevich Rozanova.

The first question on the agenda became the discussion of projects of a partial reorganization of Kutuzovskij prospectus and following it the Mozhajskogo highway between the Third transport ring and Moscow Circular automobile highway. This town-planning project was already discussed and has been rejected with the decision to lead competition which final result will be defined also by the committee. Today three from five projects presented on this competition were discussed.  

As a whole projects are close, but there are also differences. The first (International architectural academy MAAM) connects high-altitude buildings in central compositions around of crossing highways. The second (Moscow research and a project institute of objects of culture, rest, sports and public health services the Mosproject-4, architectural bureau Vorontzova) has much in common with the first. It also keeps opened The Apple garden and Poklonnaja mountain, however the skyscrapers here are scattered separately, «as giants», instead of connected in units. In the third project the more dense building concentrated basicaly in the territory of Poklonnoj mountain has been offered.  

In opinion of the majority acted, there are lacks in all three projects. Buildings are strongly pressed to the prospectus, limiting opportunities of its further development, entrance to city is strongly built up which, in opinion of all acted, should be only accented. Also too massive have recognized the prospective building around of Poklonnoj mountain which in the offered kind will reduce visual scale of district, will lower its town-planning and, the main, ideological value.  

As a result U.M.Luzhkov has approved the first project as the concept, having suggested to consider some ideas of the second, actually - to make houses "more interesting": « … we have an  unusual competition here, it is not a building or a group of buildings, but the whole prospectus, and one of the most prestigious … », and to keep the entrance to the city open. According to the mayor, « … we do not pursue the square meters, the first place is allocated to the architecture of the city! ».  

At the session 10 projects of hotel buildings have been considered.
The scale project presented by a workshop of Alexander Asadova, assumes construction above the railway between Savelovskim and Belarus stations, an office-hotel complex with present mountain-skiing descent above it. On a plan the complex should change considerably a town-planning situation in the area divided by tracks on two parts badly connected among themselves - Tver, is closer to the center, and Butyrskaja, behind the stations.
Besides the project includes expansion of the nearest streets, and the complex is supposed to be put on a new line. After long disputes of necessity of a sport center in the city centre outside of green zones, questions of its aesthetics and advantage, mayor has told, that he liked the study of highways, overlapping of ways and use of space above them, but « mountain-skiing descent, as they say, neither here nor there, this project approaches more for the Sochi anniversary, for example. And if we shall put forward the project only because there is an investor we shall find application of its billion ».  

Then the project of a hotel by Zahi Hadid was disscused, which is supposed to put on an axis between Moscow International Center "Moscow-city" and the center, as a prelude of City, not building it in the basic group of skyscrapers. The hotel will be placed in two towers, in horizontal stylobate showrooms are planned. The height of the hotel comes nearer to an average height of the City, 46 and 52 floors. The project has been accepted almost unanimously, with the unique amendment - have offered to create smoother transition from the City, to change places the arrangement of towers from a greater to a smaller one.  

The project of a high-altitude buildings (Open Company " Arch ") in area of Three stations, on Kalanchovskaja area, in a gleam between a tower of the Yaroslavl station and a hotel Moscow has been rejected because of the infringement of balance between already available high-altitude towers of station, hotel and Stalin many storied building. And also existence of the house on this place of 1930th which can quite serve as small hotel on 40 numbers.   

Also the amendments to the project of hotel already discussed earlier on Paul Andreeva's Pushkin area (Tver, 16/2) on a place of « Houses of the Moscow news » have been made. As the town governor has noted, the facades « are primitive and monotonous, it is necessary to adhere to the Tver type eclecticism ». The project has remained not accepted because of a disagreement in a question of a parity of car places - has been decided to reconsider specifications for hotels.  

In area of China-town, in a quarter 5, on a place of " shabby economic constructions not having a historical value » the committee has approved the construction of three hotels (State Unitary Enterprise " Mosproject-2 ") which « on the scale are entered in historical building and offer domestic territories as much as possible accessible to public ».  

In area of Tsaritsyn Borisovskih ponds U.M.Luzhkov has approvingly accepted Paul Andreeva's landscape hotel (State Unitary Enterprise " Mosproject-2 ", a workshop 14), having noticed, that « … only without a flat roof, not 5th floor and with a reference point on Tsaritsino's », that means white-red execution.  

One more project by Paul Andreev which has recently received the gold diploma of "Architecture", the project of hotel in the beginning of highway of Enthusiasts, on entrance to historical city centre, mayor has approved, but has specially asked not to take a column with an inscription « it is three versts up to Moscow », and it is better to transfer it on more appreciable place that « it was possible to estimate distance ». The project was decided to not accept, and in addition to discuss it with the inhabitants of area.  

Concerning the hotel in area Kuskovskii park, on crossing of street Perovskoj and the Svobodnui prospectus, presented by Open Company « Kiselyov and partners », the decision of mayor was following – it should not be above 43 meters, to increase the amount of car places having expanded underground garage.  

Near to Vladimir Plotkin's completed "Air bus", also with a view on the park of Timirjazevskoj academy the construction of the multipurpose Greek center «Ellada» is supposed which on its scale does not concede to the neighbour already become famous (about 30 floors). The project presented by a workshop «LVA», has appeared to be shown insufficiently in detail, there were many questions with its site and mayor has transferred more careful discussion on following session.



01 November 2006

Headlines now
Home Base
Working on the new building for Letovo Junior School – opened to students in autumn 2025 in the MSU Valley – the architects of UNK, following the client’s vision, subordinated both façades and interiors to the theme of “home”. Multiple variations of pitched roofs, a city skyline traced across glass balustrades, wooden textures, and a whole series of micro-spaces for retreat within public areas are all at the disposal of primary and middle school students. We take a closer look at the new school building – and at how it interprets current trends in educational environments.
Doubles Match
The architecture of the Tennis Palace built in Luzhniki Olympic Complex, designed by Arena Design Institute, was shaped by three factors: the proximity of the brutalist Druzhba Arena, the closeness of the Moskva River and the metro bridge overpass, as well as the specifics of the function – tennis courts require large spans, abundant light, yet at the same time protection from direct sunlight. The architects divided the building into several blocks, playing on contrast, which is further emphasized by the façades developed in collaboration with TPO Reserve and Vladimir Plotkin.
Microdynamics of Macroprocesses
Given the proximity of the multifunctional complex SOLOS to Sokolniki Park and to a major transport hub, Kleinewelt Architekten embedded in the design of the two high-rise towers a sense of dynamism more characteristic of natural phenomena than of man-made objects. Without the authors’ diagrams, this logic is not easy to decipher, although the eye immediately detects a pattern and tries to grasp it. It seems to us that one tower contains the impulse of a bud about to open, while the other evokes the movement of a lithospheric plate. Let us try to unravel it together.
The Space of Post-Cubism
Sergei Tchoban and Alexandra Sheiner, of Studio CHART, created for the exhibition of “post-cubist” sculpture by Beatrice Sandomirskaya – a talented and even “mainstream” artist, yet almost unknown even to art historians – a space akin to her sculptural language: solidly built, confidently stereometric, and subtly expressive. It curves, emphasizing the mass of the sculpture, envelops the viewer, and guides them from one perspective to another, from a generic “shrine” to a “Madonna”.
The Value of Open Space
For the site near the Barrikadnaya Metro Station, Sergey Skuratov developed five projects between 2020 and 2025. Two of them were ones that won the client’s invitation-only competitions. The fifth was recently selected by the Mayor of Moscow for implementation. The project is vivid and sculptural, expressive, eye-catching, and engaging – very much in line with the spirit of our time. And yet, this project is mid-rise rather than tall. In its northwestern part, near the metro and Druzhinnikovskaya Street, it shapes a comfortable urban environment. On the opposite side, it opens up, allowing sunlight into the courtyard and creating a spatial pause within the dense city fabric. How it is organized, what geometric principles underlie it, and why it takes this form – all this is explored in our article.
Coming From the Cold
The ArchBukhta Festival remains one of the few events in Russia where participants go through the entire process of creating an architectural object – from concept to construction. And they do so on the shores of Lake Baikal, in dedication to it. This year, GAFA took part and shared its experience: a local legend, a team-specific design code, friendship, as well as ice skating and endurance in freezing temperatures all contributed to gaining something more than just an award.
Symphony of Water and Brick
The Alter residential complex, designed by Stepan Liphart and built on a bend of the Okhta River, is an example of a “drawn house”: the number of original architectural details is virtually immeasurable. As a result, ribs, projections, and recesses create a picturesque silhouette even without a significant variation in height. Both composition and material respond to the proximity of the river and to the red-brick factory building dating back to the early 20th century. The project was also significantly shaped by recommendations from the city’s chief architect. More details in our article.
Wave and Vertical
The premium residential complex designed by GAFA for a site in the Khoroshevsky District responds to multiple constraints – the arc of a planned roadway, the water protection zone of the Khodynka River, and insolation requirements – through inventive massing. The composition is built on the interplay of two spatial layers: an elongated perimeter block and three towers concealed behind it generate the silhouette and key viewpoints, while also adding semantic depth reinforced by the façade solutions. Another defining feature is a large private courtyard, complemented by a citywide linear park.
Office on Trubnaya
We continue publishing projects by Valery Kanyashin. A building once described, a quarter century ago, as an example of “quiet modernism” has remained just that in some people’s memory. According to Anatoly Belov, its main quality is its unobtrusiveness. The architects from Ostozhenka say the leading role here is played by context and landscape – the change in elevation. Yet is it really so inconspicuous?
The First International
With this publication, we begin a series of texts dedicated to works by the late Valery Kanyashin, one of the founders of Ostozhenka Architects. As it happens, the projects he was involved in largely illustrate our understanding of the firm and its history. The first project in this series is the International Moscow Bank on Prechistenskaya Embankment.
In Memory of Valery Kanyashin
On Friday, February 27, architect Valery Kanyashin passed away – co-founder of Ostozhenka Architects and the author of many significant buildings in Moscow. We publish a text by Anatoly Belov in memory of Valery Kanyashin.
Hypertext in Space
As part of the exhibition “What We Have We (Do Not) Keep”, Sergey Tchoban, the Museum of Architecture, and the CHART studio experiment with an eco-conscious approach to exhibition design, with thematic cross-references and even with publicistic reflections on the necessity of preserving modernism, the roots of contemporary architecture, and the birth of ideas. All of this makes the exhibition, with its light and transparent design, look quite innovative. The elements – both “material” and conceptual – are familiar, yet their combination is far from conventional.
The Outline of “Foundation”
In their competition proposal for the Fili transport hub, the consortium led by Alexey Ilyin proposed an “inhabited arch” – a form that is simple yet complex. The architects emphasize that even at the competition stage, the project’s feasibility was fully calculated, taking into account the minimal nighttime closures of Bagration Avenue. How was this achieved? With what functions? Let us take a closer look. In our view, the building would have suited the heroes of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels perfectly.
The Flying Horizontal
“A house in the spirit of Wright”, as architect Roman Leonidov describes it, pointing to his source of inspiration, was built on a challenging wedge-shaped site. To achieve a sense of intimacy and secure good views from the windows, the entire volume had to be shifted toward the far boundary, turning the house “back” to the neighboring mansions. The main façade demonstrates time-tested techniques often employed by the company: articulated horizontals, a weightless roofline, and a triad of materials – light plaster, dark slate, and warm wood.
Needles of Horizon Contemplation
The “House of Horizons”, designed by Kleinewelt Architekten in Krylatskoye, is carefully thought out at the stereometric level – from the logic of how the volumes interlock (and, conversely, how gaps are articulated between them) to the triangular balconies that give the building its striking, slightly bristling silhouette.
The Red Thread
A linear park project prepared by Alexey Ilyin studio for the improvement of a riverbank in one of the residential districts seeks to reconnect people with nature. Two levels of the embankment invite visitors to contemplate the landscape while at the same time protecting the riverbank from excessive human impact. The “aerial street” links functional zones and the opposite banks, creating new points of attraction along the way: balconies, bridges, and even a “grotto”.
Spindle and Thread
The concept of the Waver residential complex in Yekaterinburg draws inspiration from the past of the Parkovy district. In order to preserve the memory of the late-19th-century flax spinning mill once located here, the architectural company KPLN turns to the theme of textiles and weaving. The project’s main expressive device is a system of ribbons made of perforated weathering steel – a material that, in such volumes, has arguably not yet been used in Russian residential projects.
From Ski Resorts to Year-Round Recreation Clusters
In mid-December, several architectural firms gathered to discuss a “seasonal” topic: the prospects for the development of domestic ski tourism. Where is modern infrastructure already in place, where do only remnants of the Soviet legacy remain, and where is there still nothing – but projects are underway and soon to be completed? This article explores these questions.
Woven Into Sokolniki
Over the past few years, high-rise residential construction in former industrial zones has become the main theme of Moscow architecture. Towers are springing up here and there – but the question is what kind of towers they are. The residential complex CODE Sokolniki, designed by Ostozhenka Architects, is a project where every detail has been taken care of. The authors are attentive to the history of the site, the continuity of the urban fabric, the skyline, and visual corridors. They also proposed a motif with the lyrical name “scarf”. We take a closer look at the volumetric composition and the large-scale décor “woven”, in this case, out of terraces and balconies.
Stepan Liphart and Yuri Gerth: “Our Program Is Aesthetic”
The studio of Stepan Liphart, an architect known for his distinctive signature style and one-off projects, now has a partner. Yuri Khitrov, a specialist with a broad range of competencies, will take on the part of the work that distracts one from creativity but drives the business forward. One of the aims of this partnership is to improve the urban environment through dialogue with clients and officials. We spoke with both sides about their ambitions, the firm’s development strategy, shared values, and the need for pragmatism. And why the studio is called “Liphart & Gerth” only became clear at the very end of the interview.
The Copper Mirror
The varied-toned sheen of “unsealed” copper, painterly streaks and fingerprints, exposed concrete, and the unusual proportions – when you study the ZILART Museum building by Sergei Tchoban and SPEECH architects, there is plenty to talk about. However, it seems to us that the most interesting thing is how the museum’s composition responds to the realities of the district itself. The residential district has been realized as an open-air exhibition of façade statements by contemporary architects – but without public access to the inner courtyards of the blocks. This building – that is, the museum – is exactly the opposite: on the outside, it is deliberately restrained, while inside it shines spectacularly, creating its own sunbeams in any weather.
“Strangers” in the City
We asked Alexander Skokan for a comment on the results of 2025 – and he sent us a whole article, moreover one devoted to the discussion we recently began on the “appropriateness of high-rises” – or, more broadly speaking, “contrasting insertions into the urban fabric”. The result is a text that is essentially a question: why here? Why like this?
Dmitry Ostroumov: “To use the language of alchemy, we are involved in the process of “transmutation...
What we ended up having was an extremely unusual conversation with Dmitry Ostroumov. Why? At the very least, because he is not just an architect specializing in the construction of Orthodox churches. And not just – which is an extreme rarity – a proponent of developing contemporary stylistics within this still highly conservative field. Dmitry Ostroumov is a Master of Theology. So in addition to the history and specifics of the company, we speak about the very concept of the temple, about canon and tradition, about the living and the eternal, and even about the Russian Logos.
A Glazed Figurine
In searching for an image for a residential building near the Novodevichy Convent, GAFA architects turned to their own perception of the place: it evoked associations with antiquity, plein-air painting, and vintage artifacts. The two towers will be entirely clad in volumetric glazed ceramic – at present, there are no other buildings like this in Russia. The complex will also stand out thanks to its metabolic bay-window cells, streamlined surfaces, a ceremonial “hotel-style” driveway, and a lobby overlooking a lush garden.
A Knight’s Move via the Cour d’Honneur
Intercolumnium Architects presented to the City Planning Council a residential complex project that is set to replace the Aquatoria business center on Vyborgskaya Embankment. Experts praised the overall quality of the work, but expressed reservations about the three cour d’honneurs and suggested softening the contrast between the facades facing the embankment and the Kantemirovsky Bridge.
Mountains, Groves, and Ancestral Towers
The year-round mountain resort Armkhi situated in Russia’s Republic of Ingushetia is positioned as a destination for calm family recreation and has well-established traditions shaped by its hundred-year history and the culture of the region. The development program prepared by the Genplan Institute of Moscow preserves the resort’s identity while expanding its offerings and introducing new types of tourist leisure. In the near future, the resort will feature a balneological center, a thermal complex, an interactive museum, an extreme park, and, of course, new ski slopes.
A Small Country
Mezonproekt is developing a long-term master plan for the MEPhI campus in Obninsk. Over the next ten years, an enclave territory of about 100 hectares, located in a forest on the northern edge of the city, is set to transform into a modern center for the development of the nuclear energy sector. The plan envisions attracting international students and specialists, as well as comprehensive territorial development: both through the contemporary realization of “frozen” plans from the 1980s and through the introduction of new trends – public spaces, an aquapark, a food court, a school, and even a nuclear medicine center. Public and sports facilities are intended to be accessible to city residents as well, and the campus is to be physically and functionally connected to Obninsk.
Pearl Divers
GAFA has designed an apartment complex for Derbent intended to switch people from a work mode to a resort mindset – and to give the surrounding area a much-needed jolt. The building offers two distinct faces: restrained and laconic on the city side, and a lushly ornate façade facing the sea. At the heart of the complex, a hidden pearl lies – an open-air pool with an arch, offering views of a starry sky, and providing direct access to the beach.
A Satellite Island
The Genplan Institute of Moscow has prepared a master plan for the development of the Sarpinsky and Golodny island system, located within the administrative boundaries of Volgograd and considered among the largest river islands in Russia. By 2045, the plan envisions the implementation of 15 large-scale investment projects, including sports and educational clusters, a congress center with a “Volgonarium”, a film production cluster, and twenty-one theme parks. We explain which engineering, environmental, and transportation challenges must be addressed to turn this vision into reality. The master plan solutions have already been approved and incorporated into the city’s general development plan.