About Love

The winner of the competition for the best renovation project for the complex of buildings of the “First Exemplary Printing Works” became Kleinewelt Architekten with a project that can arguably be considered a breakthrough to a whole new level of material and emotional comfort.

Written by:
Lilya Aronova
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

11 December 2017

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About the competition and the venue of the “First Exemplary Printing Works”

“The end game of this project is fairly ambitious – says one of the partners of Kleinewelt Architekten, Nikolai Pereslegin – Our goal was to create perhaps the most comfortable living environment and a top-class residential complex of unparalleled quality here in Moscow”. The grounds for such serious ambition do not lie in the material sphere alone. In the former building of the Sytin printing house, the authors of the project saw the architectural embodiment of the Russian culture in all of its “blossoming complexity” (Konstantin Leontyev), one could say, its ultimate concentration. This gave them the right to add to all the “premium class” factors of an expensive residential complex with a great location yet another one – the factor of “emotional comfort”.

This way, defining the “seed” of the concept of their project, the authors consistently implement this scenario in every element of its structure, from the façades plastique to the music carefully chosen for every building unit, and the signature lines from a literary work for every apartment. The buildings of the complex – in accordance with their character, time of construction, and specific location – got their names after the giants of the Russian literature. Leo Tolstoy, Gogol, Mayakovski, Blok, Esenin – almost all of the members of this venerable Areopagus visited this place at one time or another, and Esenin even worked there as a corrector for a while. In his honor, the architects named the building where once used to be the young poet’s workplace – the building that opens up to the Valovaya Street, incidentally, the earliest of the historical buildings and the only one which was designed not by Erichson but by Fedor Rybinsky and Flegont Voskresensky. Just like all the other contestants, the authors of this project make minimal intrusions to the existing architecture, leaving virtually intact the façade and the structure of the tenement house of the brink of the XIX-XX century, enhancing its beauty by careful restoration, and only slightly increasing the volume of the mansard to create full-fledged penthouses from the side of the yard. “For us, such an approach fits in with our perception of Esenin as a poet, whom I greatly value for his subtle ability to see the seemingly unimportant fragments of the surrounding reality and uncover their inner beauty” – says Nikolai Pereslegin.

zooming — Competition project for renovating the Sytin Printworks into a premium-class apartment and housing complex. Sytin Printworks Museum © Kleinewelt Architekten

The name of arguably most powerful figure in the Russian literature – Leo Tolstoy – was, of course, bestowed on the main building of the former printing house. The architects are proposing to dismantle part of the yard annex, where “Tolstoy” adjoins the renewed building standing along the Monetchikovsky Alley. Such a solution allows them to, first of all, get the materials for authentic revival of the historical street façade, and, second, vacate the space for creating the museum of the Sytin printing house, conceptually vital for the authors’ project. The free space that appeared above the single-story volume of the museum, gives an opportunity to open extra window blocks for the apartments in both buildings.

In accordance with the technical specifications, the “soviet” buildup, which forms today the fifth floor of the main building of the complex, was to be dismantled, and a new story was to be built in its stead, answering the new typology and the new requirements to the outward appearance of the building. The authors of the project are planning to build here spacious penthouses with exits to terraces, shading the floor-to-ceiling glazing of the façades with pull-out panels of punctured copper. Here, on the corner of the Pyatnitskaya Street and the 2nd Monetchikovsky Alley, they are proposing to place the most luxurious apartment of the complex, also, by the way, with a name of its own – “Pierre”.

In the fourth building, which is the most “intimate” one here, standing inside the yard, the architects saw a touching “provincial” quality that put them in the mind of Nikolai Gogol – not the kind of Gogol who wrote “The Government Inspector” and “Dead Souls”, but the romantic Gogol of the times of “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka”. One can recognize a distant reference to the Ukrainian mud huts in the coating of the mansard that is designed above the today’s roof: the sophisticated surface of the chopped limestone is combined with analogous in color but contrastive in shape smooth slabs of the intermediate floors and the roof, and echoes white horizontal breaks and window frames on the historical façade. At the same time, from the plastique standpoint, the mansard is designed in the simplest way one could think of – it is just a rectangular volume with vertically stretched windows whose rhythm corresponds to the fracturing of the window apertures of the bottom floors.

It is hard to think of a more controversial literary proximity as Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Mayakovski – but, nevertheless, in the Kleinewelt Architekten project they stand literally side by side. The name of the “singer of the revolution” was bestowed upon the building in the 2nd Monetchikovsky Alley that is being built on the basis of the historical framework. The rhythm of the window niches that fractures the monotony of the long building can indeed put one in the mind of the following “staircase” poetry by Mayakovski.

The light-colored stone used for coating the façade, contrasts with the “Tolstoy” brick, but the next building, one that is connected to “Mayakovski” with a two-story overpass, is obviously kin to it, although the latter is darker, more austere and “disciplined”. This is “Blok” – the newly-built unit that completes the city block from the north side, on the corner of the 2nd and 3rd Monetchikovsky alleys. In order to avoid the obvious and trivial metaphors of “exuding mists and secret fragrances” (a line from “The Stranger”, a popular poem by Blok – translator’s note), the authors in this case deliberately define the work of the poet that inspired them: not just Alexander Blok, but his poem “The Twelve”, a thing that is rugged and controversial, devoid of any longhair spinelessness. At the same time, the architects also proceeded from the poet’s outward appearance – a long aristocratic face, a buttoned-up frock coat with the inevitable bow-tie or a scarf... Speaking about the latter, its role in the project is played by slender copper-zinc alloy inserts which accentuate the syncopated rhythm of the large basalt blocks.

As far as the yard territory is concerned, in this area the commonwealth of literature, music, and architecture is joined by dance. The landscaping concept is dedicated to Diaghilev Russian Seasons, while the four yard spaces, which flow into one another, are dedicated to their corresponding seasons of the year. The narrative produced by the authors of the project provides for a lot of diverse scenarios for the in-yard activities, from noisy team games to secluded recreation in the shade of the trees, and the architects came up with a lot of interesting ideas as well - a creek whose bottom is adorned with silvery mosaic, an open-air movie theater, the ship from “Scarlet Sails”, and the promenade named “Natasha Rostova’s First Ball”...

Even from this last enumeration one can see how strongly the authors were into their project, and how much soul they wanted to pour into their architecture. “This project – it is indeed all about love – Nikolai Pereslegin shares – It is impossible to compare one’s love of different poets and writers, and what we wanted to do was give the residents of our complex an opportunity for choice – what atmosphere, what legend, and what lifestyle resonates with this or that person best of all. This is what we consider to be the ultimate degree of comfort accessible to modern people”.

11 December 2017

Written by:

Lilya Aronova
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

Headlines now

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.

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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.

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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

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.

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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.

​About Love

The winner of the competition for the best renovation project for the complex of buildings of the “First Exemplary Printing Works” became Kleinewelt Architekten with a project that can arguably be considered a breakthrough to a whole new level of material and emotional comfort.

About Love