Brickwork Reconstruction

About the project developed by "City-Arch" bureau headed by Valery Lukomsky - the project became the basis for the reconstruction of the "Meshcherin" building of the Danilovskaya Manufactura.

28 June 2016

Object

Architect:

Firm:

City-Arch http://city-arch.com

Valery Lukomsky and the architects of "City-Arch" studio are sharing about the central ideas of their project of renovating Building PK-7, now known under its historical name of "Meshcherin", part of the Danilovskaya Manufactura. We are giving the floor to the architects:

"A few years ago, back in 2008, our company "City-Arch" did a reconstruction project of the building of the former Danilovskaya "Manufactura" ("Textile Factory") on the Novodanilovskaya Embankment. The first weaving mill belonging to the company called "Danilovskaya Manufactura" was founded by the Moscow top-guild merchant Basil Meshcherin but as early as in the first half of the XVIII century, this area of Moscow, at the time known as "Danilovskaya Sloboda", was the place where craftsmen worked, and some small-scale machine production appeared. What Meshcherin did was create a full-cycle factory: here yarn was spun, fabrics were woven and dyed, and the printed patterns were applied on them. The convenient factory premises for 250 workers contributed to the factory soon getting a reputation for being a model enterprise by the standards of those days.

Later on, in the early XX century, when it was managed by Baron Ludwig Von Knop, the factory got a foundry which provided an opportunity to manufacture weaver looms of its own. By that time, there were already 1200 employees working at the factory.

In the soviet time, the factory became state-owned, and it the late XX century it was abandoned. Now the building hosted a flea market. Nobody maintained either its infrastructure or its communications; the beautiful brick walls were literally falling apart. The new milestone in the history of the factory was brought by the Moscow program of reorganization of its industrial territories: it was decided to reconstruct the factory buildings and create a block of lofts. By the moment the construction began, which was in 2006, there was little expertise of such work in Moscow, and the talented developer KE Properties was using the successfully reorganized and unique in their atmosphere loft quarters of London and New York as a model to follow.

The projects of the buildings were developed by different architectural firms, including our "City-Arch"; the result turned out to be a success - we came up with glass overpasses, metallic additions, and massive steel constructions. We replaced all the communication lines with new ones but left them open and visible.

The large buildings were named after the founders of the factory: "Meshcherin", "Knop", then there is also a building named after the hero pilot Gastello, and one named after the entrepreneur Soldatenkov. The minor buildings are called "Flannel", "Sateen", "Calico", and "Batiste". The whole complex of the buildings is a classic example of the red-brick architecture of the XIX century Moscow which in itself was enough to define the direction of the reconstruction.

zooming — Reconstruction project of "Danilovskaya Manufactura" Factory into a LOFT business center © City-Arch

In 2014, we continued our work on the complex, and this time around we got down to the largest building of Danilovskaya Manufactura, Building PK-7, again, employing the loft aesthetics. Later on, the building got named "Meshcherin", after the main founder of the factory. We were faced with a challenging task of preserving the historical image of the building keeping it at the same time from looking too bulky, and, believe it or not, increasing the number of floors, and widening the sidewalk from the side of the Novodanilovskaya Embankment. From the functional standpoint, we were to divide the building into three zones: a food court for the employees on the first floor, the showroom zone, and the office zone.

There were also new conditions to occur: the densely overbuilt urban area around, the presence of pre-developed sketches and plans created by other architectural firms, specifically, ADM, and other decisions that the customer had made earlier. Some conditions were also set by the fire safety rules, the cramped conditions of the passage of fire engines, and doing reconstruction in general. The story of the engineering lines of PK-7 deserves a special mention. In order to remove the water from the basement during the seasonal flood, a brick collector was used that is now in a flooded dilapidated state.

One of the most important solutions of the project was the open air gallery on the first floor running parallel to the embankment - this was done in order to broaden the sidewalk and improve the quality of the pedestrian environment. The showrooms are turned to the gallery with panoramic stained glass windows; all put together refers us back to the typology of the antique urban street but, first of all, Paris's famous rue de Rivoli. The arcade must become a cozy and at the same time busy urban territory, the catalyst of the local social life, and an important atmospheric accent of the complex.

The building itself is rectangular, it stretches along the embankment, while in its bottom part it is divided into two almost equal parts by an arch that connects the sidewalk of the "rue de Rivoli" to the inner yard. On each side of the arch, there is an individual entrance lobby. The top floors are fractured into large office lofts, each of which is connected to either of the two lobbies, and has an extra emergency exit. The two-story annex with a mansard that adjoins the building on the left was divided between the offices in its main part and a restaurant on the first and second floors, the top level being occupied by a common metallic staircase.

The walls were restored and repaired with artificially aged bricks. The architects also preserved the height vaulted ceilings, the intermediate lofts, and the cast-iron and concrete columns. What got dismantled was only the inside partitions and the roof that got replaced by the loft floor. They also restored the fireplaces, and the large windows with arched links. The engineering lines were completely replaced with new ones but, in the loft spirit, left open and viewable. The texture of the buildings dictated the use of wood and black metal. Yet another success, in our opinion, was our solving the problem of keeping the right proportions and our using, in the build-up floors and the warm roof, the material that is radically different from the red-brick historical walls - the dark metallic Reinzink roof sheets. This was also enhanced by the steep slant of the gable roof of the mansard.

One of the important uniting elements of the project is a massive steel double-L beam, the core of the bearing structure of the historical building. The double-L beams used in the interior were meant to remind one of the fact that this place belongs to the class of industrial facilities. The design of the lights hanging from the ceiling uses thick ropes that remind us of the "weaving" essence of the mill. "A window to the past" is also provided by the tile pattern that repeats the ornament of the fabric that was manufactured at this mill in the late XIX century.

Currently, the work on renovating the "Meshcherin" building is drawing to a close, and we hope that the developer will create a modern urban territory, at the same time preserving the unique architectural spirit of the time of the industrial revolution of the late XIX century, while the building itself will adorn the Novodanilovskaya Embankment".

Architect:

Firm:

City-Arch http://city-arch.com

28 June 2016

Headlines now

Object

A Unique Representative

The recently concluded year 2024 can be considered the year of completion for the “Garden Quarters” residential complex in Moscow’s Khamovniki. This project is well-known and, in many ways, iconic. Rarely does one manage to preserve such a number of original ideas, achieving in the end a kind of urban planning Gesamtkunstwerk. Here is a subjective view from an architecture journalist, with an interview with Sergey Skuratov soon to follow.

Object

Field of Life

The new project by the architectural company PNKB (an acronym for “Design, Research, and Advisory Bureau”), led by Sergey Gnedovsky and Anton Lyubimkin, for the Kulikovo Field Museum is dedicated to the field as a concept in its own right. The field has long been a focus of the museum’s thorough and successful research. Accordingly, the exterior of the new museum building is gentler than that of its predecessor, which was also designed by PNKB and dedicated specifically to the historic battle. Inside, however, the building confidently guides the visitor from a luminous atrium along a spiral path to the field – interpreted here as a field of life.

Object

A Paper Clip above the River

In this article, we talk with Vitaly Lutz from the Genplan Institute of Moscow about the design and unique features of the pedestrian bridge that now links the two banks of the Yauza River in the new cluster of Bauman Moscow State Technical University (MSTU). The bridge’s form and functionality – particularly the inclusion of an amphitheater suspended over the river – were conceived during the planning phase of the territory’s development. Typically, this approach is not standard practice, but the architects advocate for it, referring to this intermediate project phase as the “pre-AGR” stage (AGR stands for Architectural and Urban Planning Approval). Such a practice, they argue, helps define key parameters of future projects and bridge the gap between urban planning and architectural design.

Review

Living in the Architecture of One’s Own Making

Do architects design houses for themselves? You bet! In this article, we are examining a new book by TATLIN publishing house. This book – unprecedented for Russia – features 52 private homes designed and built by contemporary architects for themselves. It includes houses that are famous, even iconic, as well as lesser-known ones; large and small, stylish and eccentric. To some extent, the book reflects the history of Russian architecture over the past 30 years.

Object

A City Block Isoline

Another competition project for a residential complex on the banks of the Volga in Nizhny Novgorod has been prepared by Studio 44. A team of architects led by Ivan Kozhin concluded that using a regular block layout in such a location would be inappropriate and developed a “custom design” approach: a chain of parceled multi-section buildings stretching along the entire embankment. Let’s explore the features and advantages of this unconventional method.

Report

Competition: The Price of Creativity?

Any day now, we’re expecting the results of a competition held by the “Samolet” development group for a plot in Kommunarka. In the meantime, we share the impressions of Editor-in-Chief Julia Tarabarina, who managed to conduct a public talk. Though technically focused on the interaction between developers and architects, the public talk turned into a discussion about the pros and cons of architectural competitions.

Object

Terraced Design

The “River Park” residential complex has confidently and securely shaped the Nagatinsky Backwater shoreline. Featuring a public embankment, elevated courtyards connected by pedestrian bridges, and brick façades, the development invites exploration of its nuanced response to the surrounding context, as well as hints of the architects’ megalithic design thinking.

A Kremlin’s Core and Meteorite Fragments

We continue our coverage of the competition projects for the residential district that the development company GloraX plans to build along the embankment of the Rowing Channel in Nizhny Novgorod. ASADOV Architects approached the concept through a deep dive into local identity, using storytelling to pinpoint a central idea for the design: the master plan and composition are imagined as if a meteorite had struck a “proto-Kremlin”. Sounds weird? Find more details below!

Contest Results

The Volga Regatta

GloraX plans to develop a residential complex spanning 14 hectares along the Volga River in Nizhny Novgorod. The winning design in a closed-door competition, created by GORA Architects, features housing typologies ranging from townhouses to terraced high-rise slabs, a balance of functions, diverse ways of engaging with the water, and even a dedicated island (no less!) for the city residents.

Object

Life Plans

The master plan for the residential district “Prityazheniye” (“Gravity”) in Naberezhnye Chelny was developed by the architectural company A.Len, taking into account the specific urban planning context and partially implemented solutions of the first phase. However, the master plan prioritized its own values: a green framework, a system of focal points, a hierarchy of spaces, and pedestrian priority. After this, the question of what residents will do in their neighborhood simply doesn’t arise.

Object

A New Track

We took a thorough look at D_Station, a railcar repair depot dating back to 1906, recently reconstructed while preserving its century-old industrial structure, upon the project by Sergey Trukhanov and T+T Architects. Though work on the interiors – set to house restaurants and public spaces – is still underway, the building’s exterior already offers plenty to see. Visitors can explore the blend of old and new brickwork, appreciate the architect’s unique interpretation of ruin aesthetics, and enjoy the newly built pedestrian route that connects the Citydel Business Center’s arches to Kazakova Street.

Report

Four Different Surveys

The “Explore the City” competition, organized this year by the Genplan Institute of Moscow, stands out as a pretty unconventional one for the architectural field but aligns perfectly well with the character of urban planning work. The winning project analyzed contemporary residential complexes, combining urban planning insights with a realtor’s perspective to propose a hybrid approach. Other entries explored public centers, motivations for car ownership, and housing vacancy rates. A fifth participant withdrew. Here’s a closer look at the four completed works.

Report

Scheduled Evolution

ASADOV Architects unveiled the EvyCenter pavilion, a microcultural hub for fostering personal growth, organizing workshops, and doing gymnastics. Additionally, this pavilion serves as a prototype for a scalable country house, drawing inspiration from the “Loskutok” project, and constructed from CLT panels in a factory. This marks the beginning of a developer project initiated by the architectural firm (sic!), which is seeking partners to expand both small Evy settlements and even larger Evy cities, which are, according to Andrey Asadov, aimed at fostering the “evolutionary” development of the people who will inhabit them.

Object

The Golden Crown

The concept for a dental clinic in Yekaterinburg, developed by CNTR Studio, revolves around the idea of a “mouth full of gold”: pristine white porcelain stoneware walls are complemented by matte brass details. To avoid an overly literal interpretation, the architects focused on the building’s proportions, skillfully navigating between sunlight requirements and fire safety regulations.

News

Flexibility and Integration

Not long ago, we covered the project for the fourth phase of the ÁLIA residential complex, designed by APEX. Now, we’ve been shown different fence concepts they developed to enclose the complex’s private courtyards, incorporating a variety of public functions. We believe that the sheer fact that the complex’s architects were involved in such a detail as fencing speaks volumes.

Object

A Step Forward

The HIDE residential complex represents a major milestone for ADM architects and their leaders Andrey Romanov and Ekaterina Kuznetsova in their quest for a fresh high-rise aesthetic – one that is flexible and layered, capable of bringing vibrancy to mass and silhouette while shaping form. Over recent years, this approach has become ADM’s “signature style”, with the golden HIDE tower playing a pivotal role in its evolution. Here, we delve into the project’s story, explore the details of the complex’s design, and uncover its core essence.

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

View

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.

Report

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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”.

Report

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.