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City of Suburbs

Until the end of this summer, the Museum of Architecture features the show "Corod Architecturium" ("Architecturium City") dedicated to the studio's tenth anniversary.

09 July 2014
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The team of the studio at the exhibition "Architecturium City" © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov

The anniversary exposition is unfolded in the Aptekarsky Prikaz but is bears a very remote likeness to the format of the traditional "reporting parade". Sharing about their ten years' work is done by Vladimir Bindeman and his team in the form of a master plan of an imaginary city that is formed by the blocks and quarters built by the company over the past decade. And, even though "Architecturium" is predominantly known for its townhouse settlements, over these years its portfolio has accumulated projects of varying magnitude: from small separate houses to large-scale residential districts that are now usually described as "multi-format". 


 "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov

"When we came to the idea of a master plan covering all of our projects, and actually started drawing it, it turned out that all the 50 projects perfectly match one another" - shares Vladimir Bindeman. For "deploying" their city, "Architecturium" used the real topographic underlay of one of remote Moscow area districts, the only geographic "allowance" being the river that willfully crosses the territory at a few places. As the architect himself playfully says, the Skhodnya River smoothly flows into the Desna River: on the banks of the former, we will remind you at thus point, the constellation of settlements "Olympian Village of Novogorsk" is now under construction, and the latter has hosted the low-rise quarter of "Andersen"


 "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov

Just as a real city should have it, its outskirts are less densely built, while, as one gets closer to the city center, the quarter grid grows ever denser and more rigorous. The studio also found a project worthy of being the center of the imaginary megalopolis - this is the contest project of the new building of Mariborskaya Art Gallery that the architects treated as a gigantic glass ellipse, carefully inscribed into the quarter created from scratch. We see a city with a thought-out system and hierarchy of roadways and a colorful palette of public territories that make this city look really sustainable and comfortable to live in. "Of course, not all of the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle were designed and implemented in real life - Vladimir Bindeman admits - some of these projects were only hope to develop in the future". 

Still, though, the main meaning of making such a master plan was showing the possible prospects of future development of the suburbs of large Russian cities, that have been filled, since the early 1990's, with closed settlements, surrounded by fences with checkpoints and completely isolated from one another. "What we are proposing is a positive scenario of the future development of suburbia, when the suburbs are united into a single space, comfortable to live in and move around" - say the architects. 

The exposition, whose ideological and visual center is the gigantic master plan, is formed by the ten projects that are the most important for the studio. Located in the chronological order, they line up into an imposing retrospective chain that demonstrates the gradual evolution of the studio's approaches to the integrated improvement of the territories and turning them into comfortable residential clusters that sport a recognizable image. Besides the boards with the drawing, renders, and photographs, each object is represented by an elegant snow-white miniature, made specially for this exhibition, in the spirit of the white walls and vaults of the Aptekarsky Prikaz. 


 Nikolai Shumakov and Vladimir Bindeman at the inauguration of "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov


Alexander Asadov and Vladimir Bindeman at the inauguration of "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov

Many famous architects came to the Museum of Architecture to congratulate the team of Vladimir Bindeman on their tenth anniversary. Alexander Asadov wished "Architecturium City " self-realization and growing, and Mikhail Khazanov called this exhibition a great study guide for the young designers, for whom it is high time to stop designing for Moscow and its surrounding area "the 35-story villages". Nikolai Shumakov thanked the architects for the beautiful and "high-quality" environment that they increase with their every project, and Sergey Melnichenko noted that Vladimir Bindeman and his colleagues perform the most important social mission cultivating the taste for living in the country at one with the nature. 


Irene Korobyina and Vladimir Bindeman at the inauguration of "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov


Birthday cake from the company Velux © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov


At the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Architecturium City" © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
The team of the studio at the exhibition "Architecturium City" © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
"Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
"Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
Nikolai Shumakov and Vladimir Bindeman at the inauguration of "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
Alexander Asadov and Vladimir Bindeman at the inauguration of "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
Irene Korobyina and Vladimir Bindeman at the inauguration of "Architecturium City" Exhibition © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
Birthday cake from the company Velux © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov
At the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Architecturium City" © "Architecturium"/ Yuri Pankratov


09 July 2014

Headlines now
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.
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.
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”.
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”.
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.
The “Snake” Mountain
The competition project for the seaside resort complex “Serpentine” combines several typologies: apartments of different classes, villas, and hotel rooms. For each of these typologies, the KPLN architects employ one of the images that are drawn from the natural environment – a serpentine road, a mountain stream, and rolling waves.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
​Rays of the Desert
A school for 1750 students is going to be built in Dubai, designed by IND Architects. The architects took into account the local specifics, and proposed a radial layout and spaces, in which the children will be comfortable throughout the day.
The Dairy Theme
The concept of an office of a cheese-making company, designed for the enclosed area of a dairy factory, at least partially refers to industrial architecture. Perhaps that is why this concept is very simple, which seems the appropriate thing to do here. The building is enlivened by literally a couple of “master strokes”: the turning of the corner accentuates the entrance, and the shade of glass responds to the theme of “milk rivers” from Russian fairy tales.
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.
​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.
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.
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.
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.
Three-Part Task: St. Petersburg’s Mytny Dvor
The so-called “Mytny Dvor” area lying just behind Moscow Railway Station – the market rows with a complex history – will be transformed into a premium residential complex by Studio 44. The project consists of three parts: the restoration of historical buildings, the reconstruction of the lost part of the historical contour, and new houses. All of them are harmonized with each other and with the city; axes and “beams of light” were found, cozy corners and scenic viewpoints were carefully thought out. We had a chat with the authors of the historical buildings’ restoration project, and we are telling you about all the different tasks that have been solved here.
The Color of the City, or Reflections on the Slope of an Urban Settlement
In 2022, Ostozhenka Architects won a competition, and in 2023, they developed and received all the necessary approvals for a master plan for the development of Chernigovskaya Street for the developer GloraX. The project takes into account a 10-year history of previous developments; it was done in collaboration with architects from Nizhny Novgorod, and it continues to evolve now. We carefully examined it, talked to everyone, and learned a lot of interesting things.
A Single-Industry Town
Kola MMC and Nornickel are building a residential neighborhood in Monchegorsk for their future employees. It is based on a project by an international team that won the 2021 competition. The project offers a number of solutions meant to combat the main “demons” of any northern city: wind, grayness and boredom.
A New Age Portico
At the beginning of the year, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport opened Terminal C. The large-scale and transparent entrance hall with luminous columns inside successfully combines laconism with a bright and photogenic WOW-effect. The terminal is both the new façade of the whole complex and the starting point of the planned reconstruction, upon completion of which Tolmachevo will become the largest regional airport in Russia. In this article, we are examining the building in the context of modernist prototypes of both Novosibirsk and Leningrad: like puzzle pieces, they come together to form their individual history, not devoid of curious nuances and details.
A New Starting Point
We’ve been wanting to examine the RuArts Foundation space, designed by ATRIUM for quite a long time, and we finally got round to it. This building looks appropriate and impressive; it amazingly combines tradition – represented in our case by galleries – and innovation. In this article, we delve into details and study the building’s historical background as well.
Molding Perspectives
Stepan Liphart introduces “schematic Art Deco” on the outskirts of Kazan – his houses are executed in green color, with a glassy “iced” finish on the facades. The main merits of the project lie in his meticulous arrangement of viewing angles – the architect is striving to create in a challenging environment the embryo of a city not only in terms of pedestrian accessibility but also in a sculptural sense. He works with silhouettes, proposing intriguing triangular terraces. The entire project is structured like a crystal, following two grids, orthogonal and diagonal. In this article, we are examining what worked, and what eventually didn’t.
An Educational Experiment for the North
City-Arch continues to work on the projects that can be termed as “experimental public preschools”: private kindergartens and schools can envy such facilities in many respects. This time around, the project is done for the city of Gubkinsky, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. A diverse educational and play environment, including a winter garden, awaits future students, while the teachers will have abundant opportunities to implement new practices.
Alexandra Kuzmina: “Working is easy when the rules are the same for everyone”
The subject matter of Moscow Region’s booth and presentations at Zodchestvo Festival was the concept of “Integrated Land Development”, and for a good reason: this task is very challenging, very relevant, and Moscow Region has already accumulated quite a formidable experience in this regard. In this article, we are speaking to the main architect of the region: about master plans and who makes them, about where you obtain resources for creating a comfortable environment, about her favorite projects, about why there are so few good architects, and what we should do with the bad ones.
The Cemetery: Inside and Outside
The workshop organized by the Genplan Institute of Moscow scored one of the two first places at the “Open City” festival. Its subject is reorganization of municipal cemeteries. Two action plans were proposed, diametrically opposite: one for the downtown and one for the suburbs.
Our Everything
Who is Alexey Shchusev? In the last couple of weeks, since the architect’s 150th birthday, different individuals have answered this question differently. The most detailed, illustrated, and elegantly presented response is an exhibition held in two buildings of the Museum of Architecture on Vozdvizhenka. Four curators, a year and a half of work performed by the entire museum, and exhibition design by Sergey Tchoban and Alexandra Sheiner – in this article, we take you on a tour of the exhibition and show what’s what in it.
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?
Gold Embroidery
A five-story housing complex designed by Stepan Liphart in Kazan, responds to the stylistically diverse context with its form, both integral and agile, and as for the vicinity of the “Ekiyat” movie theater, the complex responds to it with a semblance of theater curtain folds, and active plastique of its balconies, that bear some resemblance to theater boxes. Even if excessively pompous a little bit, the complex does look fresh and modern. One will have a hard time finding Art Deco elements in it, even though the spirit of the 1930s, run through the filter of neo-modernism, is still clearly felt, just as a twist of the Occident.