"Pantheon" of QR-codes to work for "Zaryadye"

We examined the new pavilion and talked to Sergey Kuznetsov, the author of the idea of its recreation on the new spot and in the new capacity.

Written by:
Julia Tarabarina
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

30 April 2014

Object

Where:

Russia, Moscow

Architect:

Sergei Tchoban

Sergey Kouznetsov

Firm:

Diller Scofidio + Renfro

SPEECH

Projects:
Information pavilion ′Zariadie′
http://www.speech.su
Sergey Kouznetsov
Sergei Tchoban
2014
Moscow

Information pavilion of "Zaryadye" Park. Photo by Ilia Ivanov.

Yesterday, there took place the inauguration of the information pavilion dedicated to the project of "Zaryadye" Park. This solution seems to make a lot of sense: next to the Vassilyevsky Descent, there will appear, if not a fragment of the future park, then at least its representative. And, this new pavilion is not just any info-kiosk: with the effort from SPEECH company, it recreates a copy of the central part of the Russian pavilion at Venice Biennale 2012.

The Venice pavilion of 2012, one that caused a lot of discussion and controversial responses but still noticed by absolutely everybody (incidentally, it got a special mention from the Venice Biennale), was in fact a strikingly-looking hybrid of the classical architectural tradition and modern technology: its central part featured a veritable Pantheon composed of the squares of QR-codes - or, rather, the geometric construct of Pantheon, stripped of all the columns and εἶδος of the roman masterpiece.

And it was this dome core of the Venetian exposition that the architects have now been able to recreate (exactly, on a 1:1 scale) in Zaryadye, filling its QR- codes with a new meaning: back in 2012, in Venice, they showed the projects of Skolkovo science town, while now the fourteen sections are dedicated to the contest projects of Zaryadye park and the history of this area, and the fifteenth tells about the recreated pavilion and its authors. The recreated pavilion became thus a fully-fledged part of the exposition.

Information pavilion of "Zaryadye" Park. Photo by Ilia Ivanov.

Everything looks as much - from the outside, the digital "Pantheon" looks like a valuable exhibit, it is encased into a glass-and-metal-casing that looks a bit like the Reichstag dome - the modern semi-transparent structure, supported from the inside by the powerful metallic ribs.

Information pavilion of "Zaryadye" Park. Photo by Ilia Ivanov.

The outside casing considerably "stands back" from the walls of the inner "Venetian" hall - and this results in a spacious circular walkway that in fact serves as a second expo hall (which was not the case in Venice). The inside walls display a short history of Zaryadye, and the outside wall is pasted with semi-transparent film that displays the park, visualized by Diller&Scofidio. Backlit by sunlight, the picture looks almost like the real thing (especially when watched from the very center, through one of the three doors) - and comes into the accurately calculated game with its real surroundings: above the Saint Basil Cathedral, through the glass band, one can see the domes and the turrets of the real cathedral, the painted trees are continued by the branches of the living ones, and in the far perspective some surrealistic twist is added by the fact that half of the painted park is winter, half summer, and it's actually spring outside. If for no other reason, one must visit this pavilion to feel this play if meanings, superimposed on one another like onion peals. On the outside, incidentally, the play of reflections carries on: this is enhanced by the glittering surroundings where the glass facets reflect sometimes the cathedral, sometimes the St. Barbara Church, sometimes the Kremlin Tower, and sometimes just a photograph.

Information pavilion of "Zaryadye" Park. Photo by Ilia Ivanov.

Before the pavilion, there is a small park with flower beds and benches that enhances the impression of a "beginning park".

The pavilion is designed to be a temporary structure but at its inauguration Sergey Kuznetsov expressed his hope that, possibly, his architecture will fit in the future park and will remain there forever. We asked Sergey Kuznetsov, the prime mover of the idea of restoring the Venetian pavilion within the framework of Zaryadye, a few questions.

***

Sergey Kuznetsov,

Chief architect of Moscow:

Sergey Kuznetsov at the inauguration of the pavilion in Zaryadye. Photo by Julia Tarabarina

- How was the idea born of recreating the Venetian pavilion 2012? Why specifically here and now?

- The idea occurred to me in 2013, when I, celebrating my birthday (I generally try to find myself in Venice on my birthdays) was doing a picture of the San-Marco domes. They are really dramatic; it was at that moment that I thought that such a shape would look great in Zaryadye. A dome has a great feature to it: it never conflicts with its surroundings. In relation to the outside space it is pretty universal, and inside it is dramatic... I continued working with this idea and soon came to a conclusion that if I place one dome inside of another, the way Brunelleschi did in Santa-Maria del Fiore, it will be an interesting idea. It took me about a year to implement it. The first pavilion of 2012, as is known, was developed by a fairly large team, and I was only a member of it: I was the co-curator and the co-author of the Venetian pavilion.

Back then, the prime mover behind the whole idea was Sergey Tchoban: Gregory Revzin, Konstantin Chernozatonsky - lots of people participated in this project, to whom I want to say thank you for making thus whole thing possible.

Recreating the pavilion on this particular spot, however, was proposed by me because at this stage I am responsible for the implementation of "Zaryadye" project.

- Isn't there a risk that the classic idea of the dome will conflict the modernist vision of the park proposed by Diller&Scofidio?

- The way I see it, this dome is a totally today's structure. I firmly believe that the best examples of contemporary architecture bear the mark of classicism.

- As the co-author of the first pavilion, do you have any problems with the very fact if repeating, or even cloning your creation?

- We do everything in our power to honor the history of this project and the continuity of the 2012 pavilion. One of the fifteen information sections is in fact dedicated to the Venetian pavilion. I would even say that we use the success of the Russian pavilion at the Biennale to build the new success of "Zaryadye" park. I think this is the right thing to do because history gets stored in layers - just like in Rome.

Basically, I view the recreation of the Venetian pavilion more like carrying it over here from Venice to Moscow. Otherwise it would only have been kept on pictures and in books, not to be seen with one' sown eyes. It can be put on a par with the Montreal pavilion at the All-Russia Exhibition Center or the "Worker and a Woman Farmer" sculpture by Vera Mukhina. Now it was our turn and we recreated the Venetian pavilion 2012.

- As a co-author of the pavilion and the author of the idea of its recreation, what would you think of its further copies? Does today's replica presuppose any further replication or does it not?

- Theoretically, you can put the "Worker and a Woman Farmer" next to the already existing one and then copy-paste them to infinity. Still, nobody would do it, of course, because this would not make any sense. Same thing here. For me, this is a one-time recreation of a specific piece of architecture. And this particular piece of architecture has every right to be considered original because all its authors are good and well, and they took part in its recreation. Should this become necessary, will will be able to use the QR-codes in a different way but the dome itself is a unique work of art, and it cannot be repeated. It's just that for some time it stood in another country and now it will stand here.

***

Information:

The international contest for design project of the architectural concept of "Zaryadye" park was closed in November 2013. The contest was won by the consortium headed by the company Diller Scofidio + Renfro (USA), and including the landscape architects Нargreaves Associates (USA), and Russian urbanists Citymakers (Russia-Denmark).

The information pavilion in which one can find out more about the "Zaryadye" project, as well as see for himself or herself the main part of the Venetian pavilion 2012, is open on the weekdays 11 am - 8 pm, and on the weekend 10 am - 7 pm.

zooming — Information pavilion of "Zaryadye" Park. Photo by Ilia Ivanov.

30 April 2014

Headlines now

Object

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.

Object

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.

Report

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”.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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?

Object

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 memoriam

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.

Report

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

News

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”.

Object

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.

Overview

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.

Object

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.

Interview

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.

Object

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.

View

“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?

Interview

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.

Interview

MB-PROJECT: “Every new project is a challenge”

In this issue, we speak with Dmitry and Oleg Shurygin, founders of the company MV-PROJECT, which has extensive experience in designing theater and entertainment buildings as well as working with cultural heritage sites.

Object

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.

Report

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

The Amber Gate

The Amber City residential complex is one of the redevelopment projects in the former industrial area located beyond Moscow’s Third Ring Road near Begovaya metro station. Alexey Ilyin’s studio proposed an original master plan that transformed two clusters of towers into ceremonial propylaea, gave the complex a recognizable silhouette, and established visual connections with new high-rise developments on both right and left – thus integrating it into the scale of the growing metropolis. It is also marked by its own futuristic stylistic language, based on a reinterpreted streamline aesthetic.