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Factory Renovation

Six projects competing for the reconstruction of Confectionery and Bakery Factory “Prostor” in the district Cheremushki

26 September 2014
Contest Results
mainImg
Architect:
Alexey Goryainov
Mikhail Krymov
Firm:
Arch Group
DNK Architectural Group
Arkhstroydesign ASD
Mosproekt-2
Object:
The architectural concept for the reconstruction of the Baking Factory «Prostor» in Moscow
Russia, Moscow

Project Team:
Architects: Mikhail Krymov, Alexey Goryainov, Irina Kochuk, Diana Zhegulina

5.2014 — 6.2014
The factory is situated at the crossing of Akademika Skryabina and Ferganskaya streets in the south-east of Moscow. The factory was built in 1987 and it now consists of three buildings: the production building, the “domestic” building, and the office-and-academic building. Now it is an unsightly construction a la the 1980’s – the horizontal segmentation, typical for the industrial buildings, in combination with low-quality building materials make up the usual coloring for the outlying districts. The renovation must turn the factory into the architectural centerpiece of the area. Its main feature, however, is the fact that it does not withdraw its enterprise in order to give place to residential facilities and offices – the factory is being modernized instead. In the last few years, it is the first reconstruction without function altering.

On September 25, the judging panel of the competition selected the winners. The first prize is shared by two consortiums “Mosproject-2” and “Progress” – and Alexey Ivanov’s studio “Arkhstroydesign ASD” – working with MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE. So the second place was not assigned to anyone. The third place was awarded to “Arch Group”, the forth place – to DNK Architectural Group, the fifth place – to Polyansky’s  Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design and sixth – to the A2OM + Spectrum duet. The designer has been chosen after some talks with the client.
***

First place
“Mosproject-2” and architectural bureau “Progress”.
Pyotr Anurin, Anna Kopeina, Nataljya Mastelerzh, Ivan Sakara, Nata Tatunashvili, Anastasiya Tikhomirova, Polina Filippova

Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»



The authors consider the 80s architecture to be substandard, at the same time respectfully appreciating the strong special-volume construction, the calibrated rhythms of the facades and the recognizable architectural style. The problem, according to the architects, is the low quality of the construction work and materials. All this creates the impression of “fatigue” of the buildings that have lived up to our time with shabby or hastily remodeled facades all covered with ACs, cellular antennas and random signboards.

Thus, the architects suggested no changes in the facades or the buildings themselves. Instead, they decided to bring about the original intentions of their creators – CNIIEP n. a. B.S. Mezentsev.


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»

In the meantime, new volumes will be added to the old buildings. They will be veneered with glass and aluminum (solid structural glazing, divided by vertical aluminum frames at five feet intervals) neatly built in the existing modernistic composition mainly due to the 1980’s proportions. One floor will be added to the “domestic” building. Formed by the late Soviet tessellated panels, the current facades  will be replaced by the new, similar ones, only without any visible joints.

Special attention is paid to the territory development and reorganization. The highest priority is given to common areas. The entrance from the Ferganskaya Street, accentuated by a canopy, leads to a shop, a café on the first floor of the domestic building and to the main factory gangways. The technology and the logistics of the factory work will not be changed. The exits and entrances will remain in the same places, as well as the existing parking lots that are to be planted with trees. The architects have also thought over the illumination and intentionally made it even, without accented spots.


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Mosproject-2» + «Progress»
***
 
Yet another first place 
Alexey Ivanov’s studio “Arkhstroydesign ASD” + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE

Unlike the authors of the previous project, in this case the architects do not see the factory buildings as bearing a “sensible image”, except for the memory of building culture and typology of that time. That is why they suggest a significant change in the appearance of the buildings, their facades in particular. The basic element of the new facades are fiber-reinforced cement panels (4 ft * 4 ft * 0,3 in) with carved symbols of working processes in the factory buildings. Each block gets its “own” color. There are no panels here – the walls get painted.

The convergence of the factory territory with the surrounding buildings, getting rid of the barriers, has become the main idea of the land improvement. Both the inside part of the factory and the adjacent urban territory will be organized.


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 1st and 2nd places © «Archstroydesign ASD» + MANIPULAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE

 
***
 
Third place
Arch Group


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 

The office block is turned into a glass tower. The rest buildings are masked behind the new facades. Their texture indicates the confectionery specialization of the factory, in that way or another. The largest façade is made of special fabric with the texture of dough and the fingerprints reminding of the bakers’ manual labor. The semitransparent façade material lets the light easily into the building. From the outside, however, it does not seem transparent at all and creates an illusion of a solid surface. Another façade type is made of a perforated material, reminding the texture of sliced bread. 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 3rd place © "Arch Group" 
***

Fourth place
DNK Architectural Group


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group" 

The domestic block was enlarged by two floors. A bit extended, alike to the “mountain peak”, this angle becomes the spatial landmark – it can be easily seen from the crossroads. In order to unite the factory complex with the city the authors suggest the outside modernized park be broadened up to the crossroads opening up the facades the administrative and domestic buildings and providing direct access to the complex from the Akademika Skryabina Street. The first floors of the blocks are glazed. The main entrance in the domestic block is being shifted closed to the center of the vestibule inside. The entrance to the shop is planned to be made at the end-wall of the administrative building, so that it would lead out to an open space of the parking lot, where the main entrance is.

There will be a park with lanes and platforms between the street and the production building. The enterprise territory is separated from the park with a transparent fence of vertical steel profiles – so that the façade of the production block would be open to the park.


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 4th place © "DNK Architectural Group"
***
 
Fifth place
Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design

The territory of the factory is being significantly enlarged with outbuildings and superstructures in this project. A baker’s shop is added to the structure of the incoming group. New entrances and parking lots for personnel and visitors are being made. The existing parking lot is being planted with trees. The modernization includes causeways, minor architectural forms and illumination. The authors are also working on a new transit pedestrian path, connecting Akademika Skryabina and Ferganskaya streets.

Perforated metal sheets and structural glass are proposed as the two main materials. The facades are being winterized.


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place © Polyansky Moscow Institute of Art and Architecture Design


Contest project for the reconstruction of the Confectionary and Bakery Factory "Prostor" 5th place ©&
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Architect:
Alexey Goryainov
Mikhail Krymov
Firm:
Arch Group
DNK Architectural Group
Arkhstroydesign ASD
Mosproekt-2
Object:
The architectural concept for the reconstruction of the Baking Factory «Prostor» in Moscow
Russia, Moscow

Project Team:
Architects: Mikhail Krymov, Alexey Goryainov, Irina Kochuk, Diana Zhegulina

5.2014 — 6.2014

26 September 2014

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Object
Gold in the Sands
A new office for a transcontinental company specializing in resource extraction and processing has opened in Dubai. Designed by T+T Architects, masters of creating spaces that are contemporary, diverse, flexible, and original, this project exemplifies their expertise. On the executive floor, a massive brass-clad partition dominates, while layered textures of compressed earth create a contextually resonant backdrop.
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Layers and Levels of Flight
This project goes way back – Reserve Union won this architectural competition at the end of 2011, and the building was completed in 2018, so it’s practically “archival”. However, despite being relatively unknown, the building can hardly be considered “dated” and remains a prime example of architectural expression, particularly in the headquarters genre. And it’s especially fitting for an aviation company office. In some ways, it resembles the Aeroflot headquarters at Sheremetyevo but with its own unique identity, following the signature style of Vladimir Plotkin. In this article, we take an in-depth look at the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) headquarters in the Moscow agglomeration town of Zhukovsky, supplemented by recent photographs from Alexey Naroditsky – a shoot that became only recently possible due to the fact that improvements were finally made in the surrounding area.
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Light and Shadow
In this article, we delve into the architectural design of the “Chaika” house by DNK ag architects, which was recently completed in 2023 as part of the collection of signature designs at ZILArt. As is well-known, all the buildings in this complex follow a design code, yet each one is distinct. This particular building stands out not only for its whiteness and minimalism but also for the refined use of a limited number of techniques that, together, create what can confidently be called synergy.
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Casus Novae
A master plan was developed for a large residential area with a name of “DNS City”, but now that its implementation began, the plan has been arbitrarily reformatted and replaced with something that, while similar on the surface, is actually quite different. This is not the first time such a thing happens, but it’s always frustrating. With permission from the author, we are sharing Maria Elkina’s post.
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Treasure Hunting
The GAFA bureau, in collaboration with Tegola and Arkhitail, organized an expedition to the island of Kilpola in Karelia as part of Moskomarkhitektura’s “Open City” festival. There, amidst moss and rocks, the students sought answers to questions like: what is the sacred, where does it dwell, and what sustains it? Assisting the participants in this quest were landscape engineer Evgeny Levin, artist Nicholas Roerich, a moose, and the lack of cellular connection. Here’s how the story unfolded.
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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.
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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.
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​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”.
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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.
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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”.
Interview
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.
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​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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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”.