The concept of Russia’s pavilion at the Venice biennale has been announced

At the press conference held today there has been announced the idea of the exposition of Russia’s pavilion at the 11th Venice bienalle. The author of the idea is Gregory Revzin, for the first time he decided to show modern architecture at biennale, actual constructions and projects that will be realized

Written by:
Julia Tarabarina

13 May 2008

Report

Modern architecture – constructions and projects by Russian and foreign architects will be presented in the Russia’s pavilion at the 11th bienalle in Venice. It might seem there is nothing simplier than presenting what is being constructed at the moment in the country. For the 28 year history of the Venice biennale Russia have never done that. As a rule, trying to be in character with the prestigious international exhibition, in Russia’s pavilion there were conceptual expositions – mostly presenting all we had: visionary architecture, probably, most delicate and favorite of the critics. At the last biennale Russia was presented by Alexander Brodsky’s installation, and in 2004 by a student studio Workshop Russia.

This year the curators for the first time decided to break the tradition and show not the past or future, not dreams, not hopes, not recollections, but most possibly – the reality. The author of the idea, Gregory Revzin, one of the two curators of the Russian pavilion of the 11th architectural biennale in Venice, famous Russian architectural critic, told about that at today’s press-conference.

15 Russian and 10 foreign architects take part in the main exposition of the pavilion. Gregory Revzin picked the participators regarding how they popular in media, he invited the architects who are most talked about in press. Each one will be presented by a prototype of one construction or a project. Remarkably, the exposition presents together Russian and foreign architects, famous and not, equaling them all. One of the Gregory Revzin’s aims is to compare the art of “varangians” and “our” architects visually, the curator says he imagined that many times. Gregory Revzin is sure the Russian architects will not lose but probably will be the best.

The curator talked about one of the peculiarities in Russia at the press-conference. The Russian architects have more realized constructions. But in the process of building they change considerably – the project must be approved; they improve and ruin, and change it. To save anything an author has to strive for their project. Russian architects think of this strive as a part of their job, natural part of the profession. Foreigners do not want to strive, build. So foreign projects more often remain as concept, and so they look more impressive.

Gregory Revzin showed a clear example: the two architects, Sergey Skuratov and Erick van Egeraat have designed two different residential skyscrapers based on the common idea of a spiral-like twirl of the building’s volume. Such buildings are expensive, and the both architects had problems with developers. But Sergey Skuratov made changes in the project achieving the effect of a twirl of the carcass through the more simple method. Erick van Egeraat has legal proceedings. The first has almost finished construction of his building, the other one has just recovered. So, the curator resumed the positions changed – before Russian visionary architects used to picture beautiful fantasies, and foreign architects were striving with practice, and today foreigners in Russia got the role of visionary architects who draw nice pictures and Russians (also for former visionary architects) realize their dreams most possibly.

Well, the main exposition is the profile of architectural process, a kind of photofinish of the situation of 2008 through the eyes of a famous Russian critic. Along with prototypes, art of each exposition participant will be more closely illustrated on screens and in electronic catalogue.

This concept, for the first time in history of Russian architectural exhibitions in Venice, is focused on displaying reality, and does not totally tune to the slogan of 11th Biennale, announced by its curator, Aaron Betsky, a famous American architectural critic. The words are: «Out there. Architecture beyond the building». In the Russia’s pavilion they will show buildings, quite lot of buildings, risking not to develop the idea.

Though it is true that as a rule mottos of biennale are not so fine for demonstrating buildings as such, leading thoughts somewhere beyond. Betsky’s idea seems to be a quintessence of this tendency, but before there were Bardette’s “cities”, Foster’s “metamorphoses”, Fuksas’ “ethics”. In short, it was decided not to change the main idea of the pavilion.

Must add Gregory Revzin becomes curator of Russia’s pavilion for the second time. First, in 2000, he worked not holding to the main idea, but against it. Massimiliano Fuksas asked to think over the “ethics instead of aesthetics”, in Russia’s pavilion there was aesthetic stairs to the sky by Mikhail Filippov and aesthetic photographs by Ilya Utkin, he was given a special award for them. This was the only time when Russia’s pavilion was awarded at biennale in Venice. So, looking back, we see that this is not the first time when Gregory Revzin does not develop the idea of biennale.

He does not consider this as a principal. At the conference someone said the idea to show “true architecture” had appeared before Betsky announced it. National pavilions of other countries responded the motto differently. Trying to go somewhere beyond, Germany made tender for the most ecological project, American pavilion will probably present some student projects. Exposition of the Russia’s pavilion decided not to fully stick to the main idea, but make it differently. Gregory Revzin invited Nikolay Polissky, a famous landscape architect-artist, an anchoret of Nikola-Lenivets, a village in Kaluzhsk, the author of army of snowmen, ziggurat made of hay, imperial border of wood supports and so on.

He greatly explains his way of thoughts – he explained it as one critic to another. The author of the motto, Aaron Betsky, has also the book named “Architecture beyond the building”. The book says that each territory is the space that wants to be built over. So, reasons Revzin, Russia is the huge and mostly vacant space that wants to be developed. Nikolay Polissky in his giant landscape fancies shows desire of Russian land to be built over – his objects are not architecture, but images and buds that look like towers, walls, houses. But they all beyond a building, no one can say that Polissky constructs buildings. Here Polissky is an artist-medium, who lives back in the country and catches that desire of the vacant territory to be built over. In Russia there is much of such territory, so, the Russian vacancy – as largest in the world – is the answer for Betsky reasonings of architecture beyond a building.

This part of the exhibition – from one side is conceptual, from the other it is artistic – will be in the lower storey and will be an art and theory basis of the exposition. Upper, on the second storey, there will be a “buildover” – result of vacancy’s whish to be filled. There comes out the building boom. Architecture comes out of that building boom. We show it.

The concept is neat, it begins with Betsky’s theory, applies them to Russia, finds there a proper medium, brings all that to reality he wants to show. The concept explains everything logically, if one reads and thinks carefully. There is one undeveloped issue left – will anyone ever think carefully. Well, this directly depends on creativity of the exhibition. Yet design of the exposition is secret, Pavel Khoroshilov, the second curator of the pavilion said so.

Below there is a list of participants of the exposition in Russia’s pavilion:

Alexander Asadov
Architectural studio of A. Asadov
Multi-use complex in the place of Cheremushkinsky market
A. R. Asadov, K. Saprichyan, E. Vdovin (chief project architect), A. A. Asadov, O. Grigoreva, A. Dmitriev, A. Polischuk, A. Astashov, A. Shtanuk (A. Asadov’s studio), U. Ravkin (Tvorchesky centre [artistic centre] of U. Ravkina); engineers: T. Novoselova (chief project engineer) (AO "Promstroiproekt"), P. Rafelson , G. Karklo (A. Asadov’s studio)

Alexey Bavykin
Studio of the architect Bavykin
Office complex on Mozhaiskoe highway
A. Bavykin, M. Marek, D. Chistov, D. Gumenuk in participation of N. Bavykina; chief constructor: K. Kabanov; chief project engineer: L. Sluckovskaya; fire safety: S. Tomin

Mikhail Belov
Residential building in Filippovsky pereulok in Moscow
Detailed design: OAO “Stroiproekt”
Facing work: “BGS” company
Making and fixing elements of décor: “Gorod bogov” company

Andrey Bokov
Mosproekt-4
Ice palace in Moscow
A. Bokov, D. Bush, S. Chuklov, V. Valuiskih, L. Romanova, Z. Burchuladze, O. Gak, A. Zolotova, A. Timohov
constructors: M. Livshin, P. Eremeev, M. Kelman, E. Bekmuhamedov, O. Starikov
architect-technologist: A. Shabaidash

Yury Grigoryan
Project by Meganom
Multi-use centre on Cvetnoy boulevard
U. Grigoryan, A. Pavlova, T. Shabaev, U. Kuznecov

Sergey Kiselev
Multi-use centre Miraks-plaza in Moscow
S. Kiselev, A. Nikiforov, A. Breslavcev, A. Busalov, G. Holopov, E. Klueva engineers: I. Shvarcman, K. Spiridonov

Boris Levyant
ABD architects
Multi-use high-rise building in Novosibirsk
B. Levyant, B. Stuchebrukov, L. Mikishev, A. Feoktistova, O. Rutkovsky, D.Spivak, I. Levyant, A.Gorovoy, M.Gulieva, M.Stepura, A.Volyncev (3D)

Nikolay Lyzlov
Architectural studio of Lyzlov
Residential building «Gorod Yaht» in Moscow
N. Lyzlov, M. Kaplenkova, E. Kaprova, N. Lipilina, A. Podemwikov in participation of A. Krohin, O. Avramets, A. Yankova

Vladimir Plotkin
TPO «Rezerv»
Retail complex “Chetyre sezona” [four seasons]
V. Plotkin, I. Deeva, Borodushkin, Kazakov, Romanova, Logvinova

Aleksander Skokan
AB «Ostozhenka»
«Posolsky dom» in Borisoglebsky pereulok in Moscow architects: A. Skokan, A. Gnezdilov, E. Kopytova, M. Elizarova, M. Matveenko, O. Soboleva, constructor: M. Mitukov

Sergey Skuratoy
Sergey Skuratov architects
Sky-scrapers on Mosfilmovskaya in Moscow
S. Skuratov, S. Nekrasov - chief project architect, I.Il’in, P. Karpovsky

Sergey Tkachenko
OOO «Arka»
Residential building on Mashkova street in Moscow
Architects: S. Tkachenko, O. Dubrovsky, S. Anufriev, V. Belsky, S. Belyanina, I. Voznesensky, E. Kapalina, A. Kononenko, M. Leikin, G. Nikolashina, V. Chulkova
Chief engineer: E. Spivak
constructors: V. Gnedin, E. Skachkova, A. Litvinova, N. Kosmina

Mihail Filippov
Mikhail Filippov’s studio
Residential building in Kazachy pereulok in Moscow
M. Filippov, M. Leonov, T. Filippova, A. Filippov, O. Mranova, E. Mihailova

Mihail Hazanov
Kurortproekt
Multi-use centre of the Government of Moscow oblast
architects: M. Hazanov, D. Razmahnin, T. Serebrennikova, E. Mil, V. Mihajlov, N. Schedrova, L. Borisova, A. Zinchuk, A. Krohin, E. Petushkova, D. Elfimov, D. Nasyrova, A. Kosheleva, V. Vedenyapin, K. Kuzmenko, D. Degtyarev, E. Akulova, M. Kalashnikova, R. Grigorevsky, O. Gulneva, A. Filimonov, V. Klassen, A. Odud, R. Belov, D. Spivak, V. Klassen, M. Chistyakov

Nikita Yavein
Studio 44
Development concept by Ladozhsky vokzal in St.Petersburg
N. Yavein, N. Arhipova, U. Ashmeteva, V. Zenkevich (chief project architect)

***

Norman Foster, UK
Foster and Partners
“Russia” tower in the City

Dominique Perrault, France
DPA
Dominique Perrault Architecture
Project of the new building of Mariinsky theatre in St. Petersburg

Peter Schweger, Sergey Tchoban, Germany
SCHWEGER ASSOZIIERTE Gesamtplanung GmbH
NPS Tchoban Voss
“Federacia” tower in the City, Moscow

Erick van Egeraat, Holland
Erick van Egeraat associated architects
National library in Kazan

Zaha Hadid, UK
Zaha Hadid Architects
Private residential building, near Moscow

Thomas Leeser, USA
Leeser Architecture
Museum of mammoth in Yakutia

David Adjaye, London
Adjaye/Associates
Business-school in Skolkovo

Ricardo Bofill, Spain
Taller de Arquitectura
The 75th block. Welton park

Jean Nouvel, France
SOM, USA

13 May 2008

Headlines now

The Mirror of Your Soul

We continue to publish projects from the competition for the design of the Russian Pavilion at EXPO in Osaka 2025. We are reminding you that the results of the competition have not been announced, and hardly will ever be. The pavilion designed by ASADOV Architects combines a forest log cabin, the image of a hyper transition, and sculptures made of glowing threads – it focuses primarily on the scenography of the exhibition, which the pavilion builds sequentially like a string of impressions, dedicating it to the paradoxes of the Russian soul.

Part of the Ideal

In 2025, another World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan, in which Russia will not participate. However, a competition for the Russian pavilion was indeed held, with six projects participating. The results were never announced as Russia’s participation was canceled; the competition has no winners. Nevertheless, Expo pavilion projects are typically designed for a bold and interesting architectural statement, so we’ve gathered all the six projects and will be publishing articles about them in random order. The first one is the project by Vladimir Plotkin and Reserve Union, which is distinguished by the clarity of its stereometric shape, the boldness of its structure, and the multiplicity of possible interpretations.

Object

The Fortress by the River

ASADOV Architects have developed a concept for a new residential district in the center of Kemerovo. To combat the harsh climate and monotonous everyday life, the architects proposed a block type of development with dominant towers, good insolation, facades detailed at eye level, and event programming.

Object

In the Rhombus Grid

Construction has begun on the building of the OMK (United Metallurgical Company) Corporate University in Nizhny Novgorod’s town of Vyksa, designed by Ostozhenka Architects. The most interesting aspect of the project is how the architects immersed it in the context: “extracting” a diagonal motif from the planning grid of Vyksa, they aligned the building, the square, and the park to match it. A truly masterful work with urban planning context on several different levels of perception has long since become the signature technique of Ostozhenka.

Object

Generational Connection

Another modern estate, designed by Roman Leonidov, is located in the Moscow region and brings together three generations of one family under one roof. To fit on a narrow plot without depriving anyone of personal space, the architects opted for a zigzag plan. The main volume in the house structure is accentuated by mezzanines with a reverse-sloped roof and ceilings featuring exposed beams.

Object

Three Dimensions of the City

We began to delve into the project by Sergey Skuratov, the residential complex “Depo” in Minsk, located at Victory Square, and it fascinated us completely. The project has at least several dimensions to it: historical – at some point, the developer decided to discontinue further collaboration with Sergey Skuratov Architects, but the concept was approved, and its implementation continues, mostly in accordance with the proposed ideas. The spatial and urban planning dimension – the architects both argue with the city and play along with it, deciphering nuances, and finding axes. And, finally, the tactile dimension – the constructed buildings also have their own intriguing features. Thus, this article also has two parts: it dwells on what has been built and what was conceived

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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”.

Overview

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”.

Object

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.

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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.

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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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

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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.

Object

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.

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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.

Object

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.

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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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

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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.

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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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.