Cut Banks, Low Banks

“Euroquarter” or the M-8 micro district forms a part of a residential district “Sky Seven” – one of the ambitious projects of a large Tatarstan development company “Ak Bars Development”. For quite a long time now architects have been working on the design concepts for “Sky Seven”, whose territory surrounds the new hippodrome of Kazan on three sides; Asadov Architectural Bureau and a number of other workshops worked on the district in 2008; the before-crisis ideas were left on paper. Now “Ak Bars Development” is building a second stage of the micro district “Kazan XXI Vek” in the Eastern part of “Sky Seven”: twenty eight-storey buildings out of panels of the KDSK, former KPD-3 – the plant bought out and modernized by the developer was inaugurated in July.

The territory of “Euroquarter” is situated on the other, Western side of the hippodrome, in place of the old airport – whose building of the Stalin period is planned to be preserved, and near as of yet the only skyscraper in Kazan – the tower “Azure Skies” (460ft high). “Euroquarter” will also be built using the resources of KDSK but architecturally – let’s say – more personified. In 2014 “Ak Bars Develpment” considered holding an international tender, but having dropped this idea it decided in favour of Sergey Skuratov’s bureau upon the recommendation of the adviser of the company on architecture and urban planning – Dmitriy Puzyryov; and so the architects received an order for a design concept of the new district M-8. The work was done by the beginning of 2005. Now the concept has been seen and approved by the Chief Architect of Kazan – Tatyana Prokofyeva, the mayor and the interim president of Tatarstan; the project has also been shown to the Minister of Construction of the Russian Federation, Michael Men.

It is planned that during two years the architects will be thoroughly working with the project for launching several new production lines at the plant – so that when the construction begins it goes fast: as Head of “Ak Bars Development” says, this way the company wants to “reach the western practice”. At the moment the facades are not yet elaborated, but in the future Sergey Skuratov plans to expand the number of individual variants up to a hundred. “We are planning to offer a kind of LEGO, – says the architect. – A construction set that could develop afterwards”. The new production lines, more precisely – the new type of production and relationship between an architect and a house-building plant established by the project – could trigger a development of a completely different kind of panel construction in Kazan: flexibly variable and suited for multiple architectural choices. Since the project suggested by Sergey Skuratov is by no means a “typical” one in the traditional sense.

zooming — Project of building Kazan's "Sedmoye Nebo" ("Seventh Heaven") residential district. Bird' height view © Sergey Skuratov Architects

The main theme of “Euroquarter” is the image of the Volga and in general contemplation about the bordering location of Kazan between East and West. The lengthwise park located almost at the spot of the former takeoff strip, with a small man-made winding river has become the axis of the district. The water will be taken from an artesian well and “wound up” in a closed cycle: the river comes out under the office tower (somewhat taller than its former neighbor – 492ft), runs along the site following the variation of the relief (82ft), then goes under the ground where the pumps bring it back. The banks are cut in some places and low in the others, the river flows from North to South winding and forming a couple of small islands. In a word, this little “Volga” divides the assumed West and East that in the mind of Sergey Skuratov associate with two basic materials: brick and stone respectively. In the presentation sketch-book of the concept the figural poles are defined with two towers of Kazan Kremlin: the white Spasskaya Tower and Söyembikä Tower. The division is evident but conditional: the white-stone of the Spasskaya Tower actually refers only to its lower part, built under Ivan the Terrible (was he a man of the East or the West? He did not know it for sure himself. Probably, a man of West at the beginning of his reign, when he conquered Kazan). The same in the residential complex of Sergey Skuratov – the banks are not divided literally, white and brick facades are mixing, meeting and facing each other. Only the embankments are defined literally: the western is made of brick and the eastern is white-stone, and their “meeting” takes place on a footbridge in the form of a striped gradient with stone transiting into brick. In other words, the inexhaustible topic of East vs. West is shown but not imposed: one may contemplate it or not, being limited to observing the curious plastic effects of juxtaposing brick and stone. Apparently, the stone in the lower floors of the houses will be natural, and in the upper floors – concrete, man-made; the authors are considering adding oriental ornaments into the décor, that will emphasize the cultural difference between the houses and accent the intrigue of the project.

And in truth, it is not so much about the Volga and the formal division of Europe and Asia. The whole Russia is made up of the transfusion of East and West, the idea that has been frequently put in words but never actually found its bottom line. This transfusion becomes noticeable suddenly, sometimes as something beautiful, inexplicable. Such is the “national” Russian architecture of the 17th century, as defined by the late romanticists, and it includes the Söyembikä Tower, the belltower of the Spasskaya – its stem is western and it looks curious, oriental, but the mixture of red and white is attractive. This is the way Sergey Skuratov mixes white and red houses: both for the sake of the idea and beauty. On the other hand, in our time Kazan managed to implement the western idea of an innovation centre earlier than Moscow, and so a European residential district with all the features of modern planning can appear in the near future.

However, the game of cultural East-West contraposition was basically invented by the European culture. In this project Sergey Skuratov stays more than a European – rational, subtle and aware of the latest trends. The network of the quarters is an orthogonal gridiron plan, strictly oriented to cardinal points. The authors suggest their own module for the quarter – twice as shorter than in Manhattan, but not as squared as in Barcelona, to be exact – 3261x2181 feet. Skuratov explains that this size is a result of calculations and is accounted for by a number of causes. The houses are not too high: the average number of floors is 8 or 9 – something in between the houses of Stalin’s time and commercial apartment buildings of the 19th century; closer to the 490 feet high office tower the height of buildings increases up to 12 floors. The yards are shut off from cars (gathered in the underground parking lot), lifted above the pavement, quiet and green. The ground floors are allocated for cafes and shops – coming out by the river they turn into galleries similar to Rue de Rivoli.

One of the characteristic features of the “Euroquarter” is the large area allocated for various, including public, infrastructure. It is a complete little town, much like an ancient middle-sized polis – it is to be populated by about five thousand people. No wonder that the authors intend to make a theatre with an attached outdoor performance stage here, as well as an amphitheater in the river bend, a small museum and a shopping and sporting centre with a square – “agora” in front of them. Two rectangles of the quarter amid the residential development are allocated for kindergartens, and two more kindergartens are built into residential houses.

But the most impressive thing is the school: its gigantic volume spread along the ground – bionic and calligraphic at the same time – reminds the twirls of the Arabic script. Covered with an ornament of triangular street lamps and flexible, it develops the “oriental theme” (the school is white), and begins a new line of thoughts – about the incursion of modern architecture into the relatively conservative quarter development and their coexistence. According to the rules of the popular nowadays architectural game of historical reconstruction of the city, we see a small, sooner a European, or bordering (we shall not forget the main theme) town with all the components: with small, rationally planned and conservative quarters of the “new urbanism”, with inserts of bionic plastics, with its “City” – the office tower, with a river, etc.

On the other hand, and especially looking at the school – one may say that the little town also becomes similar to an ancient polis: it also contains everything, or almost everything, considered essential in these in its way perfect cities. For example, the school – that with a gentle motion inarms the stadium with lines of benches – does not at all look like a box from the Stalin period or, for instance, a Victorian educational institution. But it does remind an ancient gymnasium, a place where people with strong spirits and bodies were raised – an inherent part of Roman and Greek cities. This excellently goes into resonance with the neighboring city hippodrome, the street network and the amphitheater. The theme is emphasized by the small motifs of thin Chipperfield porches glimpsing amid the temporary facades: the white-stone air of the East is shifted somewhere towards Asia Minor, building a bridge back to about two thousand years ago and indicating the relation of modern care for public areas with its original. Which is also subtle: you can count the semantic levels, or you can just stay by the one you like – for example, the European quality of life promised by the project.

Among the facades suggested by Sergey Skuratov at the stage of designing, and according to the author – subject to further development and individualization, there are many examples that give away his master touch: asymmetric slants of windows, thin network, various textures, bold consoles. There are also some fresh ideas that – as you may assume – will stay. For instance, knowing that there is still one of Shukhov Towers remaining on the Volga, Skuratov suggests his interpretation of this motif – a diagonal net of the truss supporting the façade is decorated with brick. “There have been similar solutions in metal and wood, but not yet in brick, as far as I know” – says the author. This Shukhov truss spread along the facades becomes another contextual “Volga” accent, and on the other hand – an engineering one, very Europe-like, it does not appear in the brick part for nothing.

There are many subtle details and apparently not quite polished ideas in this developing project. And yet the most interesting fact is that it is planned to be built with panel technology. In this case the merger of East and West looks like a cultural dressing to the other, more important process: having made manifold, artistic architecture of residential houses his specialization – few architects work with residential buildings so artistically – Sergey Skuratov applies his experience to prefabricated architecture, factory-built housing, vaccinating the renewed Kazan plant. This is not the first experience of Russian architects working with panel constructing, but each following example gives hope for gradual change of typical panel construction – so boring for everyone now – towards individual, reasonable and, on the other hand – relatively cheap. This process is akin to evolution of species – the architect must get inside the area of responsibility of the plant, put the production under his control and transform it, so that it does not repeat the history of the 70s – the other way around.

31 August 2015

Written by:
Julia Tarabarina
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

Headlines now

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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Black and White

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The “Snake” Mountain

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Opal from Anna Mons’ Ring

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Cut Banks, Low Banks

Sergey Skuratov has suggested Kazan an architectural concept of a residential district that is not only filled with multiple cultural meanings and provided with public functions, but also suited for panel construction.