Sergey Estrin: "Challenging tasks stimulate unconventional solutions".

The founders and co-owners of AMSE Bureau Sergey Estrin and Konstantin Levin share about their drive, growth, the customer's feelings about the architectural plastics and their unwillingness to work in the classic genres, and how they feel about participating in contests.

Interviewed by:
Julia Tarabarina
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

04 September 2014

Interview

Sergey Estrin Architects is twelve years old: it is still too early to think of marking the end but one can already reflect on what has been achieved, sum up the results and make future forecasts. We asked Sergey Estrin and his partner and the co-founder of the company Konstantin Levin a few questions.

Sergey Estrin; Konstantin Levin © AMSE

Archi.ru:
- Twelve years of work for your studio is a long enough time to start dividing your history into phases. What phase are you going through now?

Sergey Estrin:
- The first phase was the time when we worked with the nouveau riche clients, each of them wanting to make a bold statement, to make a parade of his or her accomplishments, to show his or her unlimited financial possibilities and to live his or her architectural fantasies. And we readily got into the swing of things. From the professional standpoint, it was an unbelievably exciting time; in terms of creativity, sky was the limit.

Then there was a time of working with corporate clients and international customers - the phase of professional and organized work: steady commissions and steady revenue streams from them. Our studio "grew" its own Chief Project Architects and project managers. Their knowledge of the market, as well as their knowledge of manufactures of building materials, contractors and suppliers enables us to deal with practically any challenge and meet virtually any time constraints. A vivid example of that is our work for Russian Railways Group: 22000 square meters - from the schematic design that included almost 70 visualizations to the detailed project with all the engineering communications in five weeks!

Now we want to go even further: besides continuing doing the interior designs, we are also going to do more volumes keeping the vector aimed at the imagery and emotions that are inherent to our projects. And - such movement delivers results: right now a residential complex in the city of Novorossiysk is ready to be built, it already was awarded in London the prize "Best Architecture Multiple Residence Russia"; we also recently did a concept of a residential complex in Astana and a very unusual concept of a city district in Novorossiysk. The work on residential houses in Moscow area in the south of Russia is also underway.

Residential complex in Novorossiysk, 2011 © Sergey Estrin Architecs

Multi-functional complex in Astana © Sergey Estrin Architecs

Private residence in the town of Gorky © Sergey Estrin Architecs

Town-plannung concept, Kaluga region; 2013. Administrative building © Sergey Estrin Architecs

Town-plannung concept, Kaluga region; 2013. Top view © Sergey Estrin Architecs

Konstantin Levin:

- Over the twelve years, we made progress, the market became more professional, and the customer that grew with it became more experienced. On the one side, today's customer is hard to please because he has already seen a lot, on the other side, he is no longer afraid of unconventional solutions, he knows exactly what he wants but, curiously enough, he trusts his architect more. And, because of this trust, he gets a project that is tailored to precisely answer his personal needs.

- Your portfolio seems to include ever more large-scale projects - buildings, proposals, and concepts. Is this a result of your deliberate intention to expand your circle of competence or is it just happening by chance?

Sergey Estrin: This is our deliberate intention to keep up the customers' interest to the work of our studio. This is what makes us move forward. It has always been this way: we designed private houses, interiors, a synagogue, a research center, an eye clinic, an entertainment complex with a casino, and even the interior design of the cabin of a private jet. And practically each project had a lot of special details about it: from the mandatory certification of the project (this was the case with the eye clinic) or certification of the materials (this was the case with the jet) - to the physical impossibility to complete the project within the given budget and the time constraints (each of our penthouses, actually). And besides, we had to constantly keep in mind the most various factors, even such exotic ones, for example, as the effect from selling apartments in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan. Seemingly, it had no direct reference to our work but we still had to consider it, and it influenced our design. However, all these conditions and limitations only did us good... Over the years if our work, we could see many times that there are no unsolvable problems, and challenging tasks stimulate ingenious and unconventional solutions.

- Meanwhile, the number of large-scale corporate interiors that you do does not grow any smaller. Where do you find the time?

Sergey Estrin: Our ranks have grown, just as our ambitious chief architects of the project did... As for the time, we always wish we had more of it. You lack the time even when you have little work on your hands and you are actually looking for work, and all the more so when you have found work and you have to go ahead and do it.

Offices of Nord Star Development © Sergey Estrin Architects

Representation office of Diageo Company © Sergey Estrin Architects

- Sergey, it it you who sets the main theme in each given project? Or do you already have co-authors, chief architects of the projects whom you can trust to "whistle a tune"? Just how "monophonic" is your studio?

Sergey Estrin: I take part in the development of ideas for each project. I often come up with an idea and make a detailed sketch of it myself.

Konstantin Levin: We have an "author studio", so it is Sergey who defines just what the project will be like. After that, I come into play. We have a set routine for the implementation of a project: each phase requires the work of some particular people and/or their interaction. All the members of our team that take part in the design process must get into the swing of things at this or that point. Any negligence can lead to financial losses. And we work with large-scale investments, that's why we cannot just operate on the principle of free trust: well, you have worked here for six years, we trust you, you can have it your way from now on.

Sergey Estrin: Nevertheless, I always give my architects an opportunity to come forward with their proposals. And, of course, every interesting idea gets implemented.

- In what phase is the construction of the residential complex in Novorossiysk? Have you been able to find the materials and technologies fit for its implementation?

Sergey Estrin: This is one of our favorite and most interesting projects over the last few years. We already got all the necessary approvals, we already have all the detailed designs and plans, and we are waiting for the construction to begin. I would not like to mention the political situation and the world crisis but they definitely influence our work - how can it be otherwise? We only hope that the complex, despite the situation, will still be built and will still be in demand. We are all entering the period of shifting the priorities. I could even predict that people are going to hide inside their shells and they will stop spending their money at all. On the other hand, I can easily envisage that this country will switch its attention back to its royal self, and we will be faced with the necessity to create the symbols of pride within Russia...

- You are definitely not afraid of complex and sophisticated shapes - suffice it to mention your "Vortex" in the atrium at the 1st Brestskaya Street or the wave-shaped aquarium in the apartment of your customer Sh; the reception desk executed in the shape of a human eye in Johnson&Johnson Visual Care Institute... What are you trying to get across by experimenting with the texture and shape?

Sergey Estrin: Our principle of working in the interiors is finding an image that is vivid and bright from the plastic and sculptural viewpoint, and at the same time is custom-designed for this particular client - like a gift for him or her. Getting something that is personalized, something that you will love for years to come, is something that the customer really values nowadays. Today's interior design is all about creating a space that is emotionally charged. We are not speaking about decoration work here - we are speaking about the interior solutions achieved by architectural means. And, if, creating our "wave", we used the modern form, asymmetric composition and today's technologies, then in the "Vortex" at the Brestskaya Street we employed a classical composition, columns of gothic section, and even the material that we used was very conservative - armored plaster.

"Best design of private residence interior", penthouse of Mr.Sh in "Moscow City" © Sergey Estrin Architects

Public territories of a tower in Moscow City, Section 12. 2014 © Sergey Estrin Architects

Johnson&Johnson Visual Care Institute 2. 2013 © Sergey Estrin Architects

Interior of the entrance group of the office center of "Capital Tower" © Sergey Estrin Architects

- Your portfolio also has in it examples of projects designed in the spirit of the classic architecture: Zhukovka 2007, Krasnodar 2011. Later on, however, you did no develop in this direction - why?

Sergey Estrin: We deliberately refrain from designing in the spirit of classical architecture. All the classics that we did, we did at the customer's order that we just were in no position to turn down. What we really enjoy doing for our customers is the contemporary architecture. It is important that you keep your integrity with the customer. We lead him - sometimes to the place where we have never been. The utmost pleasure for us is working with the customer when the customer is himself is into the project, he cannot wait to see what we are about to show him, then he sees something that he did not expect to see and he says that he's got to think about it... And then he gets back to us looking as if he already crossed the line inside himself, looking as if he is ready to take the plunge. And then the drives sets in - the type that leads to great results. This was the case with Astana and Novorossiysk. When the customer, on the other hand, starts telling us that "he is used to classical style" (When DID he have the time to "get used" to it, for crying out loud? Did he grow up in a palace or something?), and we need to collect our architecture for our Majesty the Customer, we can hardly believe into his aristocratic roots and his very need in the classical surroundings. And coming up with the architecture for the "noble" customers and creating fake "family estates" is not the most exciting experience for me...

But then again, when I travel around the world, I enjoy seeing the fine pieces of old architecture. People have built so many things - wise and wonderful!

- You design a lot for the city of Novorossiysk: your portfolio includes a house of 2007, then this sophisticated volume encased in the curvilinear "grid", and a whole neighborhood of low-rise blocks. Why that city?

Sergey Estrin: All these projects go back to one customer. We just like his plans and ideas. And, I hope, we appeal to him because of our experience in business architecture and our creative method. That is exactly the case I shared about: the person has the drive in them, he lives on these projects, he gains the design momentum and comes up with new ideas, and we take our work to a new level. This is a certain chemistry: business calculations, ambitions, the passion to explore and discover, the technical interest, and, ultimately, the philosophical approach behind it all.

A city district in Novorossiysk © Sergey Estrin Architects

A city district in Novorossiysk © Sergey Estrin Architects

- Recently, it has become a popular trend to work with public territories, do the landscaping, facade-painting, and other "architectural molding". You had an experience of such work back in 2011 for Vedis-Group, where you drew a lightening on the facade of a panel house. And now you don't seem to do landscaping at all... Why?

Sergey Estrin: Landscaping is a self-sufficient and very interesting topic. Besides the work that we did for Vedis Group, we reconstructed facades for Lanit. We also worked on the facade "image sign" for the projects built by Capital Group. We will be happy to do the landscaping part in our Astana project. But we do not consider landscaping as a fully-fledged branch of our studio.

Facade proposal for a Vedis Group residential complex © Sergey Estrin Architects

Facade proposal for a Vedis Group residential complex © Sergey Estrin Architects

Lanit - facade proposal in the Murmansky Driveway 2011 © Sergey Estrin Architects

Residential building for Capital Group 2011 © Sergey Estrin Architects

- What are your impressions of taking part in National Center for Contemporary Arts contest? Do you plan on continuing with this practice? Because participating in contests, though interesting, is pretty expensive!

Sergey Estrin: Both expensive and emotionally draining. Doing a contest without a great and brilliant idea is a waste of time, and the development of such an idea is more often than not a painstaking process that takes you out of life for a certain period of time. You need the ultimate concentration. And you just cannot concentrate amidst your day-to-day work with its constant issues and challenges. But we will still do contests. It's just that you must have some big idea to take part in one. As far as our contest at National Center for Contemporary Arts is concerned, I am satisfied with the result. It was honest - that was our attitude to the stated theme of Russian modern art - a museum located next to the loading bay of a large shopping center. Both the image and the resulting surroundings were quite a success, to my mind.

National Center for Contemporary Arts. Contest proposal © Sergey Estrin Architects

04 September 2014

Headlines now

Interview

Julius Borisov: “The “Island” housing complex is a unique project – we took it on with...

One of the largest housing projects of today’s Moscow – the “Ostrov” (“Island”) housing complex built by Donstroy – is now being actively built in the Mnevniky Floodplain. They are planning to build about 1.5M square meters of housing on an area of almost 40 hectares. We are beginning to examine this project– first of all, we are talking to Julius Borisov, the head of the architectural company UNK, which works with most of the residential blocks in this grand-scale project, as well as with the landscaping part; the company even proposed a single design code for the entire territory.

Object

A Balanced Solution

The residential complex “Balance” on Moscow’s Ryazansky Prospekt is one of the large-scale, and relatively economical (again, by Moscow standards) housing projects. Its first phase has already been built and landscaped; the work on the others is in progress. Nevertheless, it has an integral internal logic, which is based on the balance of functions, height, and even image and space composition. The proposed solutions are recognizable and laconic, so that each of them was reduced by the authors to a graphic “logo”. To see everything, you have to flip through the pages and look through to the end.

Object

Horror Vacui

In the city of Omsk, ASADOV architects took on a very challenging task: they are developing a concept of a public and residential complex, which involves reconstructing the city’s first thermal power station standing right next to Omsk’s first fortress. This territory has already seen a lot of projects designed for it, and the residential function of this land site has been the subject of heated debate. In this article, we are examining the project in question, aimed at developing a mid-scale city fabric suited for the historical center. We also examine the above-mentioned debate. Seriously, will this project save this place or will it bring it to ruin?

Object

A Multi-Faced Grotto

This building, seemingly small, unremarkable, semi-ruined, and not even very ancient – the Grotto in the Bauman Garden – was restored by the “People’s Architect” architectural company with all the care applicable to a heritage monument. They preserved the romantic appeal of the ruins, added multimedia content, and explored the cascading fountain, which, as it turned out, was completely preserved. Brace yourself for a long story!

Object

First among Equals

The building of a kindergarten in the town of Beloyarsky is more than just another example of a modern educational space. Its design began a long time ago; it is located in Russia’s Far North; it is also a state-owned facility that is subject to regulations, and had to cut costs during construction (as usual). However, the design is contemporary, the layout is modern, and the building feels very fresh. The project is planned to be replicated.

Review

Gustave Falconnier

In the “ruin” wing of Moscow’s Museum of Architecture, an exhibition of “glass bricks” by Gustave Falconnier is open. These “bricks” are essentially the predecessors of glass blocks, but more complex and beautiful. The exhibition shows genuine “bricks”, buildings composed of them, the history of the destruction of Falconnier windows in the building of the State Archives, and it also became one of the reasons to revive this unique production technology.

Object

Streamline for City Canyons

Stepan Liphart has designed two houses for two small land sites situated in the area surrounding the Varshavsky Railway Station, which is being intensively developed now. The sites are situated close but not next to each other, and they are different, yet similar: the theme is the same but it is interpreted in different ways. In this issue, we are examining and comparing both projects.

Object

The Eastern Frontier

“The Eastern Arc” is one of the main land resources of Kazan’s development, concentrated in the hands of a single owner. The Genplan Institute of Moscow has developed a concept for the integrated development of this territory based on an analytical transport model that will create a comfortable living environment, new centers of attraction, and new workplaces as well.

Object

A School of Our Time

On the eve of the presentation of the new book by ATRIUM, dedicated to the design of schools and other educational facilities, based on the architects’ considerable experience, as well as expert judgments, we are examining the Quantum STEM school building, constructed according to their project in Astana. Furthermore, this building is planned to be the first one to start a new chain. The architects designed it in full accordance with modern standards but sometimes they did break away from them – only to confirm the general development rules. For example, there are two amphitheaters in the atrium, and there is an artificial hill in the yard that is meant to make the flat terrain of the Kazakhstan steppe more eventful.

Object

The Fluffy Space

Designing the passenger terminal of the Orenburg airport, ASADOV architects continue to explore the space theme that they first introduced in Saratov and Kemerovo airports. At the same time, the architects again combine the global and the local, reflecting topics inspired by the local conceptual context. In this case, the building is “covered” by an Orenburg downy shawl – an analogy that is recognizable enough, yet not literal; some will see the reference and some won’t.

Object

The White Fitness Center

The white health and fitness center, designed by Futura Architects at the entrance to St. Petersburg’s New Piter residential complex, provides the developing area not only with functional but also with sculptural diversity, livening up the rows of the brick city blocks with the whiteness of its seamless facades, cantilevered structures, and dynamic inclined lines.

Contest Results

The New Dawn

In their project of a technology park to be built on the grounds of “Integrated Home-Building Factory 500” in Tyumen Oblast – the biggest in Russia – the HADAA architects preserve not just the industrial function of the giant hangar built in the late 1980s and 90% of its structures, but also respond to its imagery. They also propose a “gradient” approach to developing the available areas: from open public ones to staff-only professional spaces. The goal of this approach is to turn the technology park into the driver for developing the business function between the industrial zones and the future residential area in accordance with the Integrated Land Development program.

News

Tame Hills for New Residents

T+T Architects have reported that they have completed the landscaping project for the yard of the first stage of Alexandrovsky Garden housing complex in Ekaterinburg – the landscape complements the contextual architecture, tailored for the buyers’ preferences and downtown standards, with bold neo modernist master strokes and lush and diverse vegetation.

Object

The Crystal of the City Block

The typology and plastique of large housing complexes move with the times, and you can sometimes find new subtleties in the scope of seemingly familiar solutions. The Sky Garden complex combines two well-known themes, forming a giant residential area consisting of tall slender towers, placed at the perimeter of a large yard, in which a crossroads of two pedestrian promenades is “dissolved”.

Object

Sunshine, Air, and Water

The construction of the “Solnechny” (“Sunny”) summer camp, designed by ARENA project institute, has been completed, the largest summer camp within the legendary Artek seaside resort for children. It was conceived still in Soviet time, but it was not implemented. The modern version surprises you with sophisticated engineering solutions that are combined with a clear-cut structure: together, they generate Asher-esque spaces.

Object

Art Deco at the Edge of Space

The competition project by Stepan Liphart – a high-end residential complex executed in a reserved classicist style in close proximity to the Kaluga Space Museum – responds equally well to the context and to the client’s brief. It is moderately respectable, moderately mobile and transparent, and it even digs a little into the ground to comply with strict height restrictions, without losing proportions and scale.

Object

A Hill behind the Wall

The master plan of a new residential area in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, developed by the Genplan Institute of Moscow with the participation of Kengo Kuma & Associates, is based on the complexities and advantages of the relief of the foothills: the houses are arranged in cascades, and multi-level improvement penetrates all the blocks, continuing in forest trails.

Object

Going, Going, Gone!

The housing complex “Composers’ Residences” has been built in accordance with the project by Sergey Skuratov, who won the international competition back in 2011. It all began from the image search and “cutting off all spare”, and then implementing the recognizable Skuratov architecture. It all ended, however, in tearing down the buildings of the Schlichterman factory, whose conservation was stipulated by all the appropriate agencies prior to approving Skuratov’s project. This story seems to be educational and important for understanding the history of all the eleven years, during which the complex was designed and built.

Object

The Life of Iron

The building of the Vyksa Metallurgy Museum, designed by Nikita Yavein and Sergey Padalko, provides for the natural aging of metal – it is planned that the iron will gradually rust – at the same time utilizing the advanced type of construction, based on metal’s ability to stretch. The building will be constructed from pipes and rolled steel supplied by OMK company, as well as from recycled bricks.

Object

And the Brook is Flowing

ASADOV Architects have designed a master plan for developing a residential area at the outskirts of Kaliningrad: a regular grid of housing blocks is enriched by large-scale public facilities, the main “artery” of the new area being the fortification channel that regains its original function.

Object

Off We Go!

The new terminal of the Tomsk airport is being designed by ASADOV bureau. The architects keep on developing its identity, building the imagery upon the inventions of Nikolai Kamov, whose name the airport bears. The result is laconic, light, and, as always, levitating.

Object

Maximum Flexibility

The Multispace Dinamo, which recently opened within the Arena business center, is an example of a project that is entirely based upon cutting-edge approaches and technologies. It is managed via a mobile application, special software was created for it, and the spaces are not just multifunctional but carefully mixed up, like some kind of jigsaw puzzle that allows the office workers to mix their working routine for better efficiency.

Object

A Factory’s Path

Last week, the new center for constructivist studies “Zotov” hosted its first exhibition named “1922. Constructivism. The Inception”. The idea of creating this center belongs to Sergey Tchoban, while the project of the nearest houses and adjusting the building of the bread factory for the new museum function was done by the architect in collaboration with his colleagues from SPEECH. We decided that such a complex project should be examined in its entirety – and this is how we came up with this long-read about constructivism on Presnya, conservation, innovation, multilayered approach, and hope.

Object

The Savelovsky Axis

The business center, situated right in the middle of a large city junction next to the Savelovsky Railway Station takes on the role of a spatial axis, upon which the entire place hinges: it spins like a spiral, alternating perfect glass of the tiers and deep recessions of inter-tier floors that conceal little windows invented by the architects. It is sculptural, and it claims the role of a new city landmark, in spite of its relatively small height of nine floors.

Overview

Parametric Waves

In the housing complex Sydney City, which FSK Group is building in the area of Shelepikhinskaya Embankment, Genpro designed the central city block, combining parametric facades and modular technology within its architecture.

Object

The Multitone

The new interior of the Action Development headquarters can be regarded as an attempt to design the perfect “home” for the company – not just comfortable but broadcasting the values of modern development. It responds to the context, yet it is built on contrast, it is fresh but cozy, it is dynamic, yet it invites you to relax – everything of this coexists here quite harmoniously, probably because the architects found an appropriate place for each of the themes.

View

Refinement No Longer Relevant

A few days ago journalists were shown the building of Bread Factory #5, renovated upon the project by Sergey Tchoban. In this issue, we are publishing Grigory Revzin’s thoughts about this project.

Object

The Comb of Strelna

In this issue, we are taking a close look at the project that won the “Crystal Daedalus” award – the “Veren Village” housing complex in Strelna, designed by Ostozhenka. Its low-rise format became a trigger for typological and morphological experiments – seemingly, we are seeing recognizable trends, yet at the same time there are a multitude of subtleties that are a pleasure to go into. Having studied this project in detail, we think that the award is well-deserved.

Object

A Tectonic Shift

For several years now, Futura Architects have been working with the “New Peter” residential area in the south of St. Petersburg. In this article, we are covering their most recent project – a house, in which the architects’ architectural ideas peacefully coexist with the limitations of comfort-class housing, producing a “multilayered” effect that looks very attractive for this typology.

Report

Three “Green” Stories

In this issue, we are examining three environmental urban projects showcased by the Genplan Institute of Moscow at the Zodchestvo festival. The scale of the projects is really diverse: from gathering information and suggestions from the residents on a city scale to growing meadow grass between houses to paintings, which, as it turned out, possess power to cure trees, healing their wounded bark. + a list of kinds of plants natural for Moscow to help the developer.