Re-cultivation of the City Center

The project of reorganizing the embankment in the center of Tula helps the city to recover the hundred-year-old complex that has been revised with regard to the principles of modern urban planning.

Written by:
Alla Pavlikova, Julia Tarabarina
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

11 September 2017

Object

Architect:

Firm:

WOWHAUS http://wowhaus.ru/

North of the Tula Kremlin, there is an island that looks very much like Moscow’s Sadovniki, only slightly smaller: a little over a kilometer long. It was upon this island that the first Tula’s fortress was founded, which is proven by the old maps. Ivan III carried it over to the left bank of the Upa River, i.e. to the mainland, and Basil III rebuilt it in brick; currently, this is the city’s main heritage site. 200 years after the island was “vacated”, Peter the Great founded the Royal Small Arms Factory here, which has been successfully operating ever since. In the XX century, its buildings occupied the whole island, and the factory annexed the Kazanskaya Embankment – the left bank of the Upa River next to the Kremlin. The boundary of the plant locked on with the wall of the Kremlin – arguably, this is the closest vicinity ever of a medieval fortress and an industrial park.

The Tula Small Arms Factory gave up to the city 12 hectares of its land but the project provides for the riverbed of the Upa as well. It was planned that the riverbed would be cleaned, deepened and filled with water, thus turning into a channel about 10 meters wide with an adjustable intake of water. The strip of land that for decades accumulated the industrial waste was to be re-cultivated and turned into a recreational area. All of this must make a positive difference to the ecology of the city center.

zooming — The project of renovating the Tula embankment © WOWHAUS

The Kremlin wall steps away from the river the furthest at this point – 46 meters; in front of it, the architects were able to find a place for a cherry garden and other perennial plants that blossom all through the summer, as well as a series of little sightseeing bridges with deep cantilevers of sightseeing platforms resting on supports on the slope of the bank – the architects also included into their network two already-existing pedestrian bridges over the river. Left of the lilac garden, two small factory buildings will be preserved: they will mark the city square, and it will be possible to make shops and restaurants in them. Behind the mini-square, at the joint with the Kremlin wall, and next to the Myasnitskaya tower, the architects are planning to make an open-air concert stage, while the slope of the bank will get an open-air amphitheater. To the east, in the direction of the Proletarsky Bridge, there are two playgrounds designed for children of two different age brackets, and a sports field – the latter was designed with the consulting input from the local sports communities – it includes bicycle tracks, jogging tracks, and a skate park. The architects also designed a bicycle track running alongside the embankment and proposed to extend it, wherever possible, to other streets of Tula’s downtown area. It must be said that generally the architects worked on the whole project based on the participation principle: they also consulted the local business community, students of local lore and local preservation activists: based on the accumulated data, the would constantly fine-tuned their project.

From the opposite side, i.e. from the Kremlin to the Zarechensky Bridge, stretches a boulevard with three fountains. The curls of the boskets are meant to divide its territory into private zones. Closer to the Spassky streets, a fragment of the embankment grows into a “Park of Tula Honey-Cake”, while the existing park with a monument to the inventor of the three eighths of an inch caliber rifle, Sergey Mosin, is enlarged and additionally landscaped. There are also plans for opening the Kremlin’s riverside gate, which had stood shut for almost a century.

Possibly, the city will be able to use the false river as a big skating rink in the wintertime. But then again, a filled-out skating rink with a new year tree is also made on the main city square at the Kremlin wall.

The river and its embankment are two important parts of the concept but they are not the only ones: the architects’ scope of attention also covered the Metallistov Street, the former Pyatnitskaya, stretching parallel to the river in the west part of the city center. Currently, this street is essentially a part of the drive-thru before the Kremlin from the Mosina Street to the Mendeleevskaya Street. Wowhaus proposed to plant the Metallistov Street with trees and turn it into a pedestrian promenade. It is planned that all the monuments will be restored, a few public buildings will be built in the depth of the city blocks to replace old dilapidated buildings, one of the new buildings being a theater. The yards will be open for end-to-end passage, which will provide an extra connection to the embankment.

Apart from the habitual set of the public life, the region administration and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation also have plans for turning the Metallistov Street into a “museum quarter” – by placing a whole string of museums in the historical buildings: a museum of Tula weaponry, a museum of Tula Honey-Cake, a Cossacks museum, an expo hall of РВИО, as week as affiliate branches of Yasnaya Polyana, Kulikovo Field, and Polenovo. It is planned that the yards will become a venue for lectures, concerts and exhibitions. Some of the mansions, however, will be remodeled to become hotels and educational institutions. The ground floors will be occupied by shops and cafés with summer terraces – this neighborhood must become, on the one hand, a cultural center, and, on the other hand, an example and a driver for the development of the postindustrial economy of the city, a place for the concentrated eye walking.

The round Krestovozdvizhenskaya Square at the corner of the Kremlin will also partly become pedestrian-only – a sort of “finale” of the walking route. It will get new trees, paving, and a small fountain. In addition, the Kremlin entrance, which is there on the square, will be made more convenient.

The driveway before the south wall of the Kremlin, however, will be kept intact. According to Oleg Shapiro, the transport experts are sure that if the Metallistov Street becomes pedestrian-only, the city traffic will not suffer, the automobile streams being switched to alternative routes. Besides, it is planned that after a new bridge over the Ula is launched in 2019, the city center’s transport load will be relieved. On the other hand, the new pedestrian route will dramatically change the city center turning it into a cohesive transparent space and one of the main event hubs of the city.

Architect:

Firm:

WOWHAUS http://wowhaus.ru/

11 September 2017

Headlines now

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.

Object

Urban Dunes

The XSA Ramps team designed and built a three-part sports hub for a park in Rostov-on-Don, welcoming people of all ages and fitness levels. The skate plaza, pump track, and playground are all meticulously crafted with details that attract a diverse range of visitors. The technical execution of the shapes and slopes transforms this space into a kind of sculptural composition.

Object

Proportional Growth

The project for the fourth phase of the ÁLIA residential area has been announced. The buildings are situated on an elongated plot – almost a “ray” that shoots out from the center of the area towards the river. Their layout reflects both a response to Moscow’s architectural preferences over the past 15 years, shifting “from blocks to towers”, and an interpretation of the neighboring business park designed by SOM. Additionally, the best apartments here are not located at the very top but closer to the middle, forming a glowing “waistline”.

Object

The “Staircase” Building

In designing the “Details” residential complex in New Moscow, Rais Baishev spiced up the now-popular Moscow theme of a “courtyard” building with an idea drawn from the surrealist drawings by Maurits Escher. He envisioned the stepped silhouettes and descending slopes as a metaphysical mega-staircase, creating a key void within the courtyard that gave the project an internal “spine”. This concept is felt both in the building’s silhouette and on its façades.

Object

Projection of the Quarter

No one doubted that the building that Vladimir Plotkin designed as part of the “Garden Quarters” would be the most modernist of all. And it turned out just that way: while adhering to the common design code, the building successfully combines brick and white stone, rhythmically responding to the neighboring building designed by Ostozhenka, yet tactfully and persistently making a few statements of its own. This includes the projection of the ideal urban development composition “14–9–6”, which can be found right next door, mathematical calculations, including those for various types of terraces (and perhaps the only reminder of the Soviet past of the Kauchuk rubber factory!), and the white “cross-stitch” pattern of the façade grid.

Object

Domus Aurea

In this issue, we examine the “Tessinsky-1” house, designed by Sergey Skuratov and completed in 2023. Located in the middle of the Serebryanicheskaya Embankment district, at the intersection of its main streets, this house assumes a sort of “nodal” role: it not only responds to everything around it and preserves many memories of the former EMA factory within itself, but it weaves all this into a newly directed pattern, reconciling bright “gold” and dark-colored brick, largely with the help of the new, modern-yet-archaic Columba brick, which, come to think about it, is the most precious element here.

send.project

The Chimney of Nikola-Lenivets

In this issue, we are examining the “Obelisk House” designed by KATARSIS and built for the Arkhstoyanie 2023 festival. However, it was only finished later on, and this is why we are examining it now. It seems to us that after the “Obelisk House” appeared in Nikola-Lenivets, a dialogue and a few inner connections appeared between the temporary structures built here. These houses no longer look like “accidental neighbors”, more of which below.

Periscope by the Bay

The jury awarded the second place in the competition for a public and cultural center in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the companies GORA (“Mountain”) and M4. In the consortium’s proposal, the building resembles a sperm whale with a calf swimming next to it or a periscope, whose lenses capture the most spectacular views from the surrounding landscape.

Contest Results

From Arcs to Dolmens

While working on the competition project for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, ASADOV Architects prioritized the value of the natural and urban environment, aiming to preserve the balance of the location while minimizing the resemblance of the volume that they designed to a “traditional building”. The task was challenging, and the architects created three versions, one of which having been developed after the competition, where their main proposal took third place. However, the point of interest here is not the competition result but the continuity of creative thinking.

Object

Hide and Seek

The ID Moskovskiy house, designed by Stepan Liphart in St. Petersburg, in the courtyards near Moskovskiy Avenue beyond the Obvodny Canal and recently completed, is notable for several reasons. Firstly, it has been realized with considerable accuracy, which is particularly significant as this is the first building where the architect was responsible not only for the facades but also for the layouts, allowing for better integration between the two. On the other hand, this building is interesting as an example of the “germination” of new architecture in the city: it draws on the best examples from the neighborhood and becomes an improved and developed sum of ideas found by the architect in the surrounding context.

The Big Twelve

Yesterday, the winners of the Moscow Mayor’s Architecture Award were announced and honored. Let’s take a look at what was awarded and, in some cases, even critique this esteemed award. After all, there is always room for improvement, right?

Object

Above the Golden Horn

The residential complex “Philosophy” designed by T+T architects in Vladivostok, is one of the new projects in the “Golubinaya Pad” area, changing its development philosophy (pun intended) from single houses to a comprehensive approach. The buildings are organized along public streets, varying in height and format, with one house even executed in gallery typology, featuring a cantilever leaning on an art object.

Report

Nuanced Alternative

How can you rhyme a square and space? Easily! But to do so, you need to rhyme everything you can possibly think of: weave everything together, like in a tensegrity structure, and find your own optics too. The new exhibition at GES-2 does just that, offering its visitor a new perspective on the history of art spanning 150 years, infused with the hope for endless multiplicity of worlds and art histories. Read on to see how this is achieved and how the exhibition design by Evgeny Ace contributes to it.

Object

Blinds for Ice

An ice arena has been constructed in Domodedovo based on a project by Yuri Vissarionov Architects. To prevent the long façade, a technical requirement for winter sports facilities, from appearing monotonous, the architects proposed the use of suspended structures with multidirectional slats. This design protects the ice from direct sunlight while giving the wall texture and detail.

​Re-cultivation of the City Center

The project of reorganizing the embankment in the center of Tula helps the city to recover the hundred-year-old complex that has been revised with regard to the principles of modern urban planning.

Re-cultivation of the City Center