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The Red rose

Reconstruction of the ‘Red rose’ is probably the most well-known reconstruction project of old factories. Started in 2003 it will be finished in 2012. There have been many argues and some have been very enthusiastic about it. We tried to digest the information, to see what will be saved and what regenerated, and what will be absolutely new there

16 October 2007
Объект Архитектура

The idea of reconstruction of old factories in Moscow center is one of the most popular. And the factory ‘Red rose’ is one was earliest, largest and famous projects of the kind. In 1990’s it was set by ‘Nirel’, the investment company, and in 2003 Sergei Kiselev’s architectural studio designed the urban planning reconstruction concept of this territory for 9 years – all the activities will have been completed by 2012. The investor is ZAO ‘Red Rose 1875’, and the client is ‘StroiProject’.

The urban planning concept, done and approved in 2004, is the project of transformation of the 6 ha of factory territory into a new business center with a lot of renters, which also will be open for citizens, this means that anyone can walk through it’s territory. In total, the center will unite 10 buildings of different sizes and purposes.

There are two monuments left in the center of the factory area, which will be renovated according to Ludmila Barshh’s design: the first one is the Volzhskie’s manor house, after 1875 on it’s territory was constructed the factory. One-storey house that survived the fire of 1812, in soviet period was made into a gymnasium, and its wooden walls have almost decayed. To the log-construction will be applied the restoration technology for wooden buildings, the old glazed tile stoves will be saved, the interior will be decorated with antiquarian furniture – this will be the building to receive important guests. The second architecture monument also is located within the territory - it is the gallery of paintings of Claude Giraud, the silk mill founder, built by Roman Klein, a very famous person of the late 19th century, good at both museums and factory buildings design.

Besides the two ‘official’ monuments, the ‘Red rose’ also has got a range of less eminent factory buildings, plainer but of good quality exponents of the industry architecture of late 19th century. Some time ago the decision to preserve some of these buildings got positive responses from critics – that was a rare illustration of concerned approach to buildings, which are not monuments. Due to the reconstruction of the building №9 - there is the RBR bank’s office nowadays – with participation of studio ‘Rozhdestvenka’ in 2004, when a multilevel glass gallery was attached to the yard façade, it became obvious how harmoniously may old walls go with the newest design. The second saved building №7 has already been reconstructed. Both will have the same look they have now.

So, the monuments are being reconstructed – only the wooden house will be constructed over again, and the two brick houses will be repaired, they have got modern touch and will remain original. And on the two factory poles there will be two new large office buildings of A-level that is has never been applied to historical buildings, №1 and №2. They are also being designed by ‘Sergey Kiselev and partners’.

The building №1 is the most well-known one of the ‘Red rose’, there have been ArtPlay gallery since 2003 that is ‘home’ for a number of art offices and has become quite famous. ArtPlay is a significant example of loft space development by artists, absolutely common for Moscow. But hardly the original building will be kept – there were articles on the problem in newspapers – but the authors never mentioned this had been the initial idea. Sergey Kiselev had a project that according to layouts required demolition and reconstruction of the building part that fronts Timur Frunze street. The architects call it ‘shed building’ because of covering peculiarity – it looks like a concrete accordion, within its sides there are windows to gain maximum of upper light for wide one-level workshop space. Sheds is a common technique for covering large workshops, here they have already become the mark of the building. Not only façade will be reconstructed, but the covering as well - the whole volume about 20 m from the street.

It should be noted that some time ago following opinions of media and Old Moscow defenders the client asked to save the ‘shed’ building a la ArtPlay and just attach a new building deep within. There was even held a special meeting to discuss the problem. But it turned out that they would have to get rid of about one-third of the underground parking to save the building. Or to dug it somewhere else - in short, to make completely new project for the building №1 on account of the changed specifications. And postpone finishing the construction for more than a year.

Well, the ‘shed’ building is being demolished and will be reconstructed with the underground garage. This was the initial idea suggested in 2003. ‘Behind the back’ there will be a huge glass volume with the inner atrium, by a third less than previously reviewed 8-level building but still very considerable. There will be offices and a fitness-center. The building is quite modest but has an idea that makes it special. On eastern façade, right behind the triangle series of the shed covering, there will be triangle ledges, which are like the sheds but of mirror-like glass. They will reflect the ribbed factory roof, showing the passers by the view on top that they can never see. Actually, the idea of reflection so ordinary for modern glass architecture has got a new representation here – the façade does not take and show dryly what is open to it, but also makes a kind of a ‘leap’ ahead, sprouting some parts it needs to display more. This makes architecture more entertaining, and the purpose of reflection becomes more obvious – it’s not of an occasional kind, it has been worked out in advance and added as the main part to the texture of the façade décor. Reflection becomes a kind of jewellery what is at least remarkable.

Besides the reflection game there is another small secret – the grade of the ‘modernity’ notably increases from the edge (the shed building) that fronts Timur Frunze street to the center. In the center there is a totally glass atrium flanked by the plain light gray parallelepipeds – a local version of Scilla and Haribda that made way for the glass ‘iceberg’. The roof of the atrium is covered with huge analogy of the sheds – they are so large that there have fitted only three ledges clearly suggesting resemblance to the factory part.

So, the ‘Red rose’ is a large area in the city center which reconstruction have been started earlier than others alike. For the past four years it has become a peculiar kind of model and a subject of argument. It demonstrates how hard and expensive it is to save historical environment at the same time changing it into exclusive offices of A-level (must notice offices placed in old factories are never of higher than B-level). At the same it cannot be considered compromise. More likely this is an example of neighboring and complete understanding between two extremes, the first is the generous effort to save everything possible, and the other is the natural wish to make the final high quality and well-sold product. Well, in Moscow the second wins it all. But in the ‘Red rose’ there seems to be a fragile balance.



16 October 2007

Headlines now
Depths of the Earth, Streams of Water
In the Malaya Okhta district, the Akzent building, designed by Stepan Liphart, was constructed. It follows a classic tripartite structure, yet it’s what you might call “hand-drawn”: each façade is unique in its form and details, some of which aren’t immediately noticeable. In this article, we explore the context and, together with the architect, delve into how the form was developed.
Fir Tree Dynamics
The “Airports of Region” holding is planning to build an airport in Karachay-Cherkessia, aiming to make the Arkhyz and Dombay resorts more accessible to travelers. The project that won in an invitation-only competition, submitted by Sergey Nikeshkin’s KPLN, blends natural imagery inspired by the shape of a conifer seed, open-air waiting spaces, majestic large trees, and a green roof elevated on needle-like columns. The result is both nature-inspired and WOW.
​A Brick Shell
In the process of designing a clubhouse situated among pine trees in a prestigious suburban area near Moscow, the architectural firm “A.Len” did the façade design part. The combination of different types of brick and masonry correlates with the volumetric and plastique solutions, further enhanced by the inclusion of wood-painted fragments and metal “glazing”.
Word Forms
ATRIUM architects love ambitious challenges, and for the firm’s thirtieth anniversary, they boldly play a game of words with an exhibition that dives deep into a self-created vocabulary. They immerse their projects – especially art installations – into this glossary, as if plunging into a current of their own. You feel as if you’re flowing through the veins of pure art, immersed in a universe of vertical cities, educational spaces – of which the architects are true masters – and the cultural codes of various locations. But what truly captivates is the bold statement that Vera Butko and Anton Nadtochy make, both through their work and this exhibition: architecture, above all, is art – the art of working with form and space.
Flexibility and Acuteness of Modernity
Luxurious, fluid, large “kokoshniks” and spiral barrel columns, as if made from colorful chewing gum: there seem to be no other mansion like this in Moscow, designed in the “Neo-Russian-Modern” style. And the “Teremok” on Malaya Kaluzhskaya, previously somewhat obscure, has “come alive with new colors” and gained visibility after its restoration for the office of the “architectural ecosystem” as the architects love to call themselves. It’s evident that Julius Borisov and the architects at UNK put their hearts into finding this new office and bringing it up to date. Let’s delve into the paradoxes of this mansion’s history and its plasticity. Spoiler: two versions of modernity meet here, both balancing on the razor’s edge of “what’s current”.
Yuri Vissarionov: “A modular house does not belong to the land”
It belongs to space, or to the air... It turns out that 3D printing is more effective when combined with a modular approach: the house is built in a workshop and then adapted to the site, including on uneven terrain. Yuri Vissarionov shares his latest experience in designing tourist complexes, both in central Russia and in the south. These include houseboats, homes printed from lightweight concrete using a 3D printer, and, of course, frame houses.
​Moscow’s First
“The quality of education largely depends on the quality of the educational environment”. This principle of the last decade has been realized by Sergey Skuratov in the project for the First Moscow Gymnasium on Rostovskaya Embankment in the Khamovniki district. The building seamlessly integrates into the complex urban landscape, responding both to the pedestrian flow of the city and the quiet alleyways. It skillfully takes advantage of the height differences and aligns with modern trends in educational space design. Let’s take a closer look.
Looking at the Water
The site of Villa Sonata stretches from the road to the water’s edge, offering its own shoreline, pier, and a picturesque river panorama. To reveal these sweeping views, Roman Leonidov “cut” the façade diagonally parallel to the river, thus getting two main axes for the house and, consequently, “two heads”. The internal core – two double-height spaces, a living room and a conservatory, with a “bridge” above them – makes the house both “transparent” and filled with light.
The White Wing
Well, it’s not exactly white. It’s more of a beige, white-stone structure that plays with the color of limestone – smoother surfaces are lighter, while rougher ones are darker. This wing unites various elements: it absorbs and interprets the surrounding themes. It responds to everything, yet maintains a cohesive expression – a challenging task! – while also incorporating recognizable features of its own, such as the dynamic cuts at the bottom, top, and middle.
Urban Dunes
The XSA Ramps team designed and built a three-part sports hub for a park in Rostov-on-Don, welcoming people of all ages and fitness levels. The skate plaza, pump track, and playground are all meticulously crafted with details that attract a diverse range of visitors. The technical execution of the shapes and slopes transforms this space into a kind of sculptural composition.
Proportional Growth
The project for the fourth phase of the ÁLIA residential area has been announced. The buildings are situated on an elongated plot – almost a “ray” that shoots out from the center of the area towards the river. Their layout reflects both a response to Moscow’s architectural preferences over the past 15 years, shifting “from blocks to towers”, and an interpretation of the neighboring business park designed by SOM. Additionally, the best apartments here are not located at the very top but closer to the middle, forming a glowing “waistline”.
The “Staircase” Building
In designing the “Details” residential complex in New Moscow, Rais Baishev spiced up the now-popular Moscow theme of a “courtyard” building with an idea drawn from the surrealist drawings by Maurits Escher. He envisioned the stepped silhouettes and descending slopes as a metaphysical mega-staircase, creating a key void within the courtyard that gave the project an internal “spine”. This concept is felt both in the building’s silhouette and on its façades.
Projection of the Quarter
No one doubted that the building that Vladimir Plotkin designed as part of the “Garden Quarters” would be the most modernist of all. And it turned out just that way: while adhering to the common design code, the building successfully combines brick and white stone, rhythmically responding to the neighboring building designed by Ostozhenka, yet tactfully and persistently making a few statements of its own. This includes the projection of the ideal urban development composition “14–9–6”, which can be found right next door, mathematical calculations, including those for various types of terraces (and perhaps the only reminder of the Soviet past of the Kauchuk rubber factory!), and the white “cross-stitch” pattern of the façade grid.
Domus Aurea
In this issue, we examine the “Tessinsky-1” house, designed by Sergey Skuratov and completed in 2023. Located in the middle of the Serebryanicheskaya Embankment district, at the intersection of its main streets, this house assumes a sort of “nodal” role: it not only responds to everything around it and preserves many memories of the former EMA factory within itself, but it weaves all this into a newly directed pattern, reconciling bright “gold” and dark-colored brick, largely with the help of the new, modern-yet-archaic Columba brick, which, come to think about it, is the most precious element here.
The Chimney of Nikola-Lenivets
In this issue, we are examining the “Obelisk House” designed by KATARSIS and built for the Arkhstoyanie 2023 festival. However, it was only finished later on, and this is why we are examining it now. It seems to us that after the “Obelisk House” appeared in Nikola-Lenivets, a dialogue and a few inner connections appeared between the temporary structures built here. These houses no longer look like “accidental neighbors”, more of which below.
​Periscope by the Bay
The jury awarded the second place in the competition for a public and cultural center in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the companies GORA (“Mountain”) and M4. In the consortium’s proposal, the building resembles a sperm whale with a calf swimming next to it or a periscope, whose lenses capture the most spectacular views from the surrounding landscape.
From Arcs to Dolmens
While working on the competition project for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, ASADOV Architects prioritized the value of the natural and urban environment, aiming to preserve the balance of the location while minimizing the resemblance of the volume that they designed to a “traditional building”. The task was challenging, and the architects created three versions, one of which having been developed after the competition, where their main proposal took third place. However, the point of interest here is not the competition result but the continuity of creative thinking.
Hide and Seek
The ID Moskovskiy house, designed by Stepan Liphart in St. Petersburg, in the courtyards near Moskovskiy Avenue beyond the Obvodny Canal and recently completed, is notable for several reasons. Firstly, it has been realized with considerable accuracy, which is particularly significant as this is the first building where the architect was responsible not only for the facades but also for the layouts, allowing for better integration between the two. On the other hand, this building is interesting as an example of the “germination” of new architecture in the city: it draws on the best examples from the neighborhood and becomes an improved and developed sum of ideas found by the architect in the surrounding context.
The Big Twelve
Yesterday, the winners of the Moscow Mayor’s Architecture Award were announced and honored. Let’s take a look at what was awarded and, in some cases, even critique this esteemed award. After all, there is always room for improvement, right?
Above the Golden Horn
The residential complex “Philosophy” designed by T+T architects in Vladivostok, is one of the new projects in the “Golubinaya Pad” area, changing its development philosophy (pun intended) from single houses to a comprehensive approach. The buildings are organized along public streets, varying in height and format, with one house even executed in gallery typology, featuring a cantilever leaning on an art object.
Nuanced Alternative
How can you rhyme a square and space? Easily! But to do so, you need to rhyme everything you can possibly think of: weave everything together, like in a tensegrity structure, and find your own optics too. The new exhibition at GES-2 does just that, offering its visitor a new perspective on the history of art spanning 150 years, infused with the hope for endless multiplicity of worlds and art histories. Read on to see how this is achieved and how the exhibition design by Evgeny Ace contributes to it.
Blinds for Ice
An ice arena has been constructed in Domodedovo based on a project by Yuri Vissarionov Architects. To prevent the long façade, a technical requirement for winter sports facilities, from appearing monotonous, the architects proposed the use of suspended structures with multidirectional slats. This design protects the ice from direct sunlight while giving the wall texture and detail.
Frozen Magma
A competition for the creation of a public and cultural center was held in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Three architectural companies made it to the final, and we consider it important to share about the work of each. Let’s start with the winner – the consortium led by Wowhaus.
Campus within a Day
In this article, we talk about what the participants of Genplan Institute of Moscow’s hackathon were doing at the MosComArchitecture booth at the “ArchMoscow” exhibition. We also discuss who won the prize and why, and what can be done with the territory of a small university on the outskirts of Moscow.
Vertical Civilization
Genpro considered the development of the vertical city concept and made it the theme of their pavilion at the “ArchMoscow” exhibition.
Marina Yegorova: “We think in terms of hectares, not square meters”
The career path of architect Marina Yegorova is quite impressive: MARHI, SPEECH, MosComArchitectura, the Genplan Institute of Moscow, and then her own architectural company. Its name Empate, which refers to the words “to draw” in Portuguese and “to empathize” in English, should not be misleading with its softness, as the firm freely works on different scales, including Integrated Territorial Development projects. We talked with Marina about various topics: urban planning experience, female leadership style, and even the love of architects for yachting.
Andrey Chuikov: “Optimum balance is achieved through economics”
The Yekaterinburg-based architectural company CNTR is in its mature stage: crystallization of principles, systematization, and standardization helped it make a qualitative leap, enhance competencies, and secure large contracts without sacrificing the aesthetic component. The head of the company, Andrey Chuikov, told us about building a business model and the bonuses that additional education in financial management provides for an architect.
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.
Crystal is Watching You
Right now, Museum Night has kicked off at the Museum of Architecture, featuring a fresh new addition – the “Crystal of Perception”, an installation by Sergey Kuznetsov, Ivan Grekov, and the KROST company, set up in the courtyard. It shimmers with light, it sings, it reacts to the approach of people, and who knows what else it can do.
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.