Along the Beach

In the city of Gelendzhik, “Ginsburg Architects” have designed a house over 250 meters long, making it at the same time visually discrete and putting an interesting spin on a few volumetric “resort” narratives connected with contemplation, sunbathing, and going for walks.

Written by:
Julia Tarabarina
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

03 November 2017

Object

The bottom floor of the building of the western unit of the apartment hotel “Torik”, which is situated on the Tonky Cape in the city of Gelendzhik, is already cast in concrete and is essentially a very long – about 260 meters – foundation that stretches along the first line of a leveed beach which slightly encroaches on the sea with its promenade running along the very edge of water.

zooming — The project of an apratment hotel in Gelendzhik. Perspective view. The central south entrance © Ginsburg Architects

The house will command a great seaside view; the airport is relatively near; the place is surrounded by seaside resorts and privately owned cottages; the nearest settlement bears the same name of “Torik”, having been built by the owners of the apartment hotel slightly earlier. The place is quiet: the Naberezhnaya Street, which runs on the inner side of the apartment hotel, leads to a cedar forest. Next to the unfinished building, there is an orange three-story block of the hotel; it has been finished and already put into operation. The builders have yet to finish the eastern part that froze at the zero mark in concrete. While the east block consists of two sections, the west one, designed by Aleksey Ginsburg on the existing foundation, consists of five.

At this point, we will allow ourselves to suppose that if Aleksey Ginsburg had designed the west building of the apart-hotel from the very start, he would have probably proposed a different plan of the building, for example, one that would have been broken into several volumes. However, the architect was required to work with the pre-built foundation, which defined his main task of making the building visually lighter and discrete and taking away as much as possible of its likeness to “the Great Wall of China” – all the more so, because the west unit, unlike the three-story east one, has five stories in it.

The architects proposed a section-and-corridor type of floor planning. Small studio apartments are lined up in two rows on either side of a corridor which runs through the building from end to end. From the side of the sea, the architects placed 42-square meter “pencil-box” apartments, their structure being simple: a large 10.5 square meter stanza commands a sea view; behind it, there is a living room, a kitchen, and the entrance door. From the opposite (the city) side, the architects placed smaller apartments 33.9 square meters each, oriented not crosswise but lengthwise along the axis of the building. Among these, there are apartments (one in each section) with a rectangular ledge 2x3 meters, each of them boasting a large window the size of the wall. Such ledges (they are turned northward) might nicely house some sort of studies – there is little direct sunlight there but the ambient light will be enough.

On the outside, the ledges form white tower-like verticals that break the “city façade” of each of the sections in two. This secondary fracturing is made by the staircases and elevators that are also brought slightly forward but are coated with wood and covered by the thin verticals of the grilles. This way, it turns out that from the city side the five sections are divided into 11 smaller fragments which makes one perceive the building not as a “beam” or a “slab” or a 260-meter snake but rather as a row of houses rhythmically similar to a street, which further enhances the “city” nature of the rear façade. At the same time, the main material of the north façade is brown wood; it is planned that it will be covered with natural veneer sheet.

The seaside façade is designed in a different manner, in large masses: the continuous pattern of deep white stanzas is divided by six large wooden inserts matching the same number of section entrances, plus the main atrium. What is interesting is the fact that the wooden verticals of the entrances – and this is plainly visible from above – grow wider as they get closer to the sea; while on the north side the entrances only take up one module, their “shadows” on the “sea” side of the hotel correspond to three apartments, and at the same time on the beach side the wooden inserts no longer mark the entrances but only become their coloristic continuation. Thus, both south and north façades are essentially the inversions of each other to a certain degree. From the sea side, white, or, rather, a light shade of gray prevails: textured stucco with fragments of stone, and the ribs of the stanzas that make up the entire seaside façade will resemble a layered cut-off of calcareous rock – a stone wall that stretches almost the entire length of the Black Sea shore, if one is to walk along the water’s edge. From the floor side, on the other hand, the façade will put one in the mind of forests in which we will find ourselves when we climb up the limy slope. The two material constituent parts of the building – imitation stone and natural wood – put an interesting spin on the two main themes of the seaside nature, while the sea and the sand (in this case, leveed) also come with the package.

At about two thirds of its length, the “slab” building makes a slight bend, following the direction of the Naberezhnaya (“Waterfront”) Street – this is where the central lobby will be situated, which will be widening in the direction of the beach in a trumpet-shaped opening, literally “opening up” the sea view for those who will enter it.

It will also include the “main” elevator and staircase, a direct passage to the sea, and an atrium with inside balconies on the second floor: the balconies are strung upon the corridors of each floor, for which the point of crossing with the atrium will become some sort of a special climax – this place commands both sea and mountain views, upwards and downwards. The walls of the atriums on both sides are stained glass. The roofs of the two central sections on either side of the atrium will be usable – these landscaped roofs will support terraces with parasols for sunbathing; thus, here up in the roof, the surroundings of the atrium also play the climax role.

The main end-to-end passage to the sea, which runs through the atrium, is complemented by two others that run through the extreme left and right units (third and seventh) – this way, the building becomes permeable, and people will not need to find their way around it in order to get to the beach. From the side of the sea, there is a little green park stretching along the building on the ground floor level, and then, parallel to the greenery, there runs a two-tier promenade, its top terrace sunlit, and its bottom terrace in the shade; it is lit by a few skylights. What is interesting is the fact that the level of greenery and the sea-facing terrace is two meters higher than the level of the city side driveway – at this point, the terrain makes a peculiar zigzag, going up between the sea and the building, which is plain to see on the section view. The basement, whose floor lies but a meter and a half higher than the sea level – meaning, it can hardly be even called “basement” because of that – will house 32 car stalls and a rather large number of storage cells, one for each apartment, at the same time the basement of all the four central sections is essentially a public space.

The resulting space turned out to be of a double-tier kind thanks to the 4-meter height difference; from the top gallery, one can get to the sea by five evenly spaced staircases. The sixth staircase, which is situated in front of the main entrance, is more complex – this is the point where the earthen berm stops short, and the building gets yet another three-flight staircase that makes a turn. On the evening promenade, there are four latticed gazebos, and, above the edge, there are pergolas of the same kind that mark the boundary between the sunny and the shady part – this is a quite frequently used technique of resort architecture that puts one in the mind of the parterre terraces of the Arkhangelskoe and the Sochi health centers designed by Zholtovsky; in this particular case, it makes the entire composition more sophisticated, and the walks that people will take more eventful. If watched from the beach, the hotel grows up in distinct tiers: sand, then a strip of granite of the lower waterfront, the pergolas of the upper promenade, then the greenery, and, finally, the stanzas of the apartments. The whole thing looks consequent, spacious, and even ethereal; the building does not in the least distance itself from its surroundings but, rather, opens up to the sea like a sponge.

Thus, in spite of their being a lot of “givens”, including the pre-built foundation, Aleksey Ginsburg was still able to fill the house with a few meaningful nuances: from the space pivot of the atrium that forms in the center of each corridor a public nucleus that commands fine views on all cardinal points to a солярия on the roof and a two-tier promenade; at the same time, the architect did not for a second forget about the permeability of the inner space and its connection to the building’s outward appearance. All of this livens up the rather habitual task and endows the seaside resort with a highlight that it so desperately needed.

03 November 2017

Headlines now

Birds and Streams

For the competition to design the Omsk airport, DNK ag formed a consortium, inviting VOX architects and Sila Sveta. Their project focuses on intersections, journeys, and flights – both of people and birds – as Omsk is known as a “transfer point” for bird migrations. The educational component is also carefully considered, and the building itself is filled with light, which seems to deconstruct the copper circle of the central entrance portal, spreading it into fantastic hyper-spatial “slices”.

Faraday Grid

The project of the Omsk airport by ASADOV Architects is another concept among the 14 finalists of a recent competition. It is called “The Bridge” and is inspired by both the West Siberian Exhibition of 1911 and the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge over the Irtysh River, built in 1896. On one hand, it carries a steampunk vibe, while on the other, there’s almost a sense of nostalgia for the heyday of 1913. However, the concept offers two variants, the second one devoid of nostalgia but featuring a parabola.

Review

Midway upon the Journey of Our Life

Recently, Tatlin Publishing House released a book entitled “Architect Sergey Oreshkin. Selected Projects”. This book is not just a traditional book of the architectural company’s achievements, but rather a monograph of a more personal nature. The book includes 43 buildings as well as a section with architectural drawings. In this article, we reflect on the book as a way to take stock of an architect’s accomplishments.

Inverted Fortress

This year, there has been no shortage of intriguing architectural ideas around the Omsk airport. The project developed by the architectural company KPLN appeals to Omsk’s history as a wooden fortress that it was back in the day, but transforms the concept of a fortress beyond recognition: it “shaves off” the conical ends of “wooden logs”, then enlarges them, and then flips them over. The result is a hypostyle – a forest of conical columns on point supports, with skylights on top.

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Transformation of Annenkirche

For Annenkirche (St. Anna Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg), Sergey Kuznetsov and the Kamen bureau have prepared a project that relies on the principles of the Venice Charter: the building is not restored to a specific date, historical layers are preserved, and modern elements do not mimic the authentic ones. Let’s delve into the details of these solutions.

The Paradox of the Temporary

The concept of the Russian pavilion for EXPO 2025 in Osaka, proposed by the Wowhaus architects, is the last of the six projects we gathered from the 2022 competition. It is again worth noting that the results of this competition were not finalized due to the cancellation of Russia’s participation in World Expo 2025. It should be mentioned that Wowhaus created three versions for this competition, but only one is being presented, and it can’t be said that this version is thoroughly developed – rather, it is done in the spirit of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, the project is interesting in its paradoxical nature: the architects emphasized the temporary character of the pavilion, and in its bubble-like forms sought to reflect the paradoxes of space and time.

The Forum of Time

The competition project for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka designed by Aleksey Orlov and Arena Project Institute consists of cones and conical funnels connected into a non-trivial composition, where one can feel the hand of architects who have worked extensively with stadiums and other sports facilities. It’s very interesting to delve into its logic, structurally built on the theme of clocks, hourglasses and even sundials. Additionally, the architects have turned the exhibition pavilion into a series of interconnected amphitheaters, which is also highly relevant for world exhibitions. We are reminding you that the competition results were never announced.

Mirrors Everywhere

The project by Sergey Nebotov, Anastasia Gritskova, and the architectural company “Novoe” was created for the Russian pavilion at EXPO 2025, but within the framework of another competition, which, as we learned, took place even earlier, in 2021. At that time, the competition theme was “digital twins”, and there was minimal time for work, so the project, according to the architect himself, was more of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, this project is interesting for its plan bordering on similarity with Baroque projects and the emblem of the exhibition, as well as its diverse and comprehensive reflectiveness.

Report

The Steppe Is Full of Beauty and Freedom

The goal of the exhibition “Dikoe Pole” (“Wild Field”) at the State Historical Museum was to move away from the archaeological listing of valuable items and to create an image of the steppe and nomads that was multidirectional and emotional – in other words, artistic. To achieve this goal, it was important to include works of contemporary art. One such work is the scenography of the exhibition space developed by CHART studio.

The Snowstorm Fish

The next project from the unfinished competition for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025, which will be held in Osaka, Japan, is by Dashi Namdakov and Parsec Architects. The pavilion describes itself as an “architectural/sculptural” one, with its shape clearly reminiscent of abstract sculpture of the 1970s. It complements its program with a meditative hall named “Mendeleev’s Dreams”, and offers its visitors to slide from its roof at the end of the tour.

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.

News

Arch, Pearl, Wing, Wind

In the social media of the governor of the Omsk region, voting was conducted for the best project for the city’s new airport. We asked the finalists to send over their projects and are now showcasing them. The projects are quite interesting: the client requested that the building be visually permeable throughout, and the images that the architects are working with include arches, wings, gusts of wind, and even the “Pearl” painting by Vrubel, who was actually born in Omsk.

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.