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​Moscow Institute of Architecture: projects by Vsevolod Medvedev group

In this issue, we are reviewing the diploma projects of a group of bachelors from Moscow Architectural Institute working under the leadership of Vsevolod Medvedev, Mikhail Kanunnikov and Elizaveta Medvedeva.

28 October 2020
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Below, we are reviewing the project by the bachelors of the “Prom” department, developed during the lockdown, presented in the spring of 2020, and selected, according to our tradition, by the students’ architectural advisers. The curators of the group were Vsevolod Medvedev, Mikhail Kanunnikov, and Elizaveta Medvedeva.

This year, a group of bachelors graduated from Moscow Institute of Architecture. For the first time in history, a large part of the design process and the presentations took place remotely. This was quite a challenge, both for us and for our students. Unfortunately, the institute was unable to organize videoconferences for the defense of thesis projects, and all works were accepted virtually without any authors’ comments. I cannot quite get what it has to do with – maybe, our obsolete technical base or the conservative policy of our management. Moscow Institute of Architecture, just like many other creative higher educational institutions in this country, turned out to be unable to tackle such a challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the lack of live meetings and discussions, the projects have a high level of elaboration and are in no way inferior to the works of their predecessors.

The choice of the topic of the project is not limited to a single concept. The students chose the direction independently, based on their personal interests and issues that they wanted to address. The scope of topics was quite diverse: from small-scale projects amidst dense city construction to grand-scale planning solutions on the territories of Russia, Europe, and the USA.

We tried not to impose our opinion, but to support and help develop individual innovative ideas. It was important to create a meaningful architectural design based on preliminary research and solving the identified problems. Most of the students’ time, however, was still devoted to developing architectural and imagery solutions. Interesting research became an excellent basis for further creativity, which eventually led to non-standard approaches, and this is the most important thing.

Creative ideas, individuality, and the ability to think out of the box is something that we have been trying to foster in our students for years. As always, we are happy with the result. The whole group is characterized by a unique architectural vision, the ability to defend their point of view and a serious attitude to the profession.


The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
Evgenia Chumachenko

In addition to the cultural and educational archaeology center, situated in the Crimea, this project offers an example of developing public city spaces.

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The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko


“Archaeological research can be likened to studying tree rings, by which you can trace the growth, the history, and the development of a tree. With each new epoch, architecture and culture pile up new layers – something new comes around, but the old images and features linger on. The growth rings contain a lot of information; from their thickness and size one can judge about all the significant events that occurred during the tree’s life. It is this specific feature that is used as the basis for the town planning concept of the research and development institute.

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The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko


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The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko


The master plan of the land site is based on concentric growth rings – simple and complex architectural forms that reflect the evolution process that has been going for centuries in this city and this area. The rings are reflected in the structure of the pedestrian and cycling routes, by which one can go across the entire territory of the complex. Thanks to the rings formed on the master plan, one can single out the main plaza and divide the territory into zones: the institute, the museum, the residential part, and the pavilions, in which models of archaeological monuments are made.

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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman. Archaeological monuments in the southern part of the Crimea
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman. Location plan
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko


In addition to the tree rings, the age layers overlap, forming a “gradient of time” – the older matter lies deeper, while things that are newer lie closer to the surface. The gradient manifests itself in the town planning solution, helping to uncover the space. From the railroad side, the construction is denser; it gets sparser as we move towards the river, alternating with extended recreation areas.

The axis composition is meant to help people perceive the main cultural points of the city – the Kalamitu Fortress, the “cave town” on the Zagaitinskaya Cliff, and Chertova Balka. The main axis also includes the towers of the “ethno-center”, each of which symbolizes the cultures of people that lived on this land at different times. The second axis includes the complex of the museum and the institute.

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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman. The standard plan of a residential building
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman. Section view 1-1
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman. Section view 2-2
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko
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    The complex of Research and Development Institute of Archaeology in the city of Inkerman
    Copyright: © Evgenia Chumachenko


The institute itself is an elongated complex of three buildings, which are lined up along the second town planning axis, starting from the museum and ending in the second unit of the institute. The building of the museum was devised as an arch system that gradually “disintegrates”, bleeding into decorative columns in front of the museum building, and then into a bridge, visually connecting the museum from one bank of the river to the museum part in the institute. The facade of the main institute building also consists of arches that work not only on the facade but inside the building as well.

The project of the Research and Development Institute of Archaeology will become a large tourist and scientific center of the Crimean peninsula that will attract students and tourists alike. The complex is meant to liven up this land and improve the overall scientific and cultural standards in this area.”

The Moscow Film Laboratory
Anna Vorobyeva

“The goal of the project is to support and stimulate the development of cinematography by creating an experimental film laboratory – a place where new formats are created for further promotion and high-quality screening of films.

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The Moscow Film Laboratory
Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva


The project will be hosted in the already existing Gorky Film Studio that is situated next to an important center of city activity – the VDKKh park. Such a location makes it possible to reconsider the attitude of the film studio towards the city, at the same time creating a center that is all about the openness of the whole process of movie making, conveying the essence of experimental cinema.

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The Moscow Film Laboratory
Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva


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The Moscow Film Laboratory
Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva


To develop cinematography, you need to search for new facets of your creative activity, and you need to experiment. Therefore, the basis of the project is the environment capable of adapting to any needs of the creative process: format, attitude towards the viewer, various collaborations, etc. Creating something new and yet-unknown does not have criteria that can be applied to designing habitual structures, therefore, use scenarios are supported by different types of transformations for each of the stages in the life of the new cinema format in the laboratory. The stages correspond to functions: educational, production, and public, all of them complementing each other and providing the resources; at the intersection of the functions, the Experiment begins.

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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. The auditorium
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. The location
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. The context
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. Eductation, experiments, exhibitions, professional work
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva


1 . The creation stage. The “Tower” educational center

The towers consist of independent studios that are arranged in accordance with the stages of filmmaking. Each studio has a floor of its own. There is also a “universal floor”, a transformable space with boundless possibilities for lighting adjustments.

2 . The testing stage. A practicing space: the “Curtain Labyrinth”.

This is the core of the experiment, where the spaces are formed by curtains, or, should a noise-proof environment be needed, by partitions of cylindrical modules, which move from the first level to the second on guides.

3 . The application stage. The production complex “filmmaking promenade”.

The floors move on guides, opening backlots, widening the filming spaces, and forming the “Movie Promenade”. This is a walking area that consists of various fragments; like spectators, people move along the line of changing frames. This is a route where you edit a cultural space of your own, which will always have different scripts or action scenarios depending on the specific activity of the studio.

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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. The structure
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. The structure
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. The structure
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. Education
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva
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    The Moscow Film Laboratory. Education
    Copyright: © Anna Vorobyeva


4 . The movie's premier stage. The “FINISH PAVILION” auditorium.

The main public part of the complex is the auditorium adjoining the preexisting building. The auditorium can be adjusted to fit any specific format. The floor space is occupied by lifting and lowering platforms, and the outer walls open onto the festival square with a pedestrian bridge connecting the public space with the core of the educational center.”

The center for mental health in Moscow.
Yana Kurilova

“The modern world is rapidly developing, constantly changing things that we have grown used to. We live in a stressful environment. Every day the number of people with mental disorders is growing, including in Russia. The project offers a look at how new digital technologies, contextual design and architectural solutions can help society in the area of mental health viewed in the context of this crisis.

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The center for mental health in Moscow
Copyright: © Yana Kurilova


The mental health center operates based on a restorative approach. Most of the attention is paid to the employment of the rehabilitant and finding their strengths or talents, and not their illness and psychopathology. This approach builds self-confidence through self-help and self-reliance.

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The center for mental health in Moscow
Copyright: © Yana Kurilova


A special program will help to bridge the gap that is there in treatment methodology between diagnostics and urgent help or medication in-hospital treatment. It will also make checking one’s mental health more affordable for everyone. Also, this project can be considered as the basis of a design guide, which offers a possible alternative to urban mental health care in Russia.

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The center for mental health in Moscow
Copyright: © Yana Kurilova


The center is regarded as a testing ground for programs that are largely lacking in the current mental healthcare system. These programs will raise community awareness of the level of mental disorders, provide early diagnosis, and support mental health recovery.

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    The center for mental health in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    The center for mental health in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    The center for mental health in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow. Abandoned coach house converted into therapy studios
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    The center for mental health in Moscow. Location plan
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova


The building is a single volume that connects and enshrouds all the other structures on the land site. The pitched roofs of the houses that make up the complex are meant to evoke the traditional image of Home. The corrugated roof gives all the buildings certain lightness and unites all the blocks into a single whole. It also helps to solve the issues with lighting and possible overheating of the building; some of its parts conceal the utility lines.”

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    The center for mental health in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    The center for mental health in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova
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    Mental Health Center in Moscow
    Copyright: © Yana Kurilova


“Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment.
Denis Omelchenko

“The center is situated in Saint Petersburg, in the estuary of the Smolenka River on the Morskaya Embankment of the Vasilyevsky Island. The name of the center was determined by the historical past of the river. In the 18th century, the river had a well-established name of Mayakusha. In the first half of the 19th century, other names began to be used: Chernaya (“Black”) and Glukhaya (“Deaf”) rivers. In 1864, to eliminate confusion with the same name of another Chernaya River, it was named the Smolensk River after the nearby Smolensk Cemetery. Later on, the river got its current name.

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“Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko


The Morskaya Embankment has had a pretty complicated history. For years, the city planned to build here Alla Pugacheva Theater, yet, even after three different architectural proposals were considered, the construction never did begin. Due to the difficulties in coordinating the construction of a theater in Saint Petersburg, the idea of building a theater has now been abandoned. It is difficult to say with certainty what is currently planned for this part of the city. The most realistic option is a recreation park. In this regard, in my project, I focus on the preservation of the natural landscape and recreation areas commanding beautiful views on the Morskaya Embankment.

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“Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko


The “Mayakusha” center offers various educational programs, developed within the framework of extra education and meant for refresher courses for practicing artists, designers, and other creative groups.

The main goals of the project are:
  • Integration of cutting-edge technologies into modern art and media entertainment;
  • Accessibility of informational and technical resources for creative activities thanks to specially equipped studios for doing various kinds of art and graphic design
  • Creating a “point of attraction” due to landscaping and creating an interactive space for recreation in the river’s estuary.

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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment. Section view 1
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko


The territory of the center includes the project of a park, whose concept largely consists in the idea that intangible digital technologies can transform nature into art without harming it.

The Mayakusha Park is an interactive artistic space that changes due to people’s presence. It consists of overland and water-floating resonating lamps. If the wind blows or if somebody passes by such a lamp, it starts to glow and make sound. Light from one lamp is transmitted to neighboring ones, and so on until all the light passes through the entire mouth of the river. This light from the floating lamps transmits the same bright light to the ground lamps near trees and stones. When illuminated, the lamps emit a sound tone that matches a specific color. When the wind is not blowing and there are no people around, the lamps start to slowly go out.

The main pedestrian route leading to the center is the bridge that starts right next to the bus stop. The bridge features a small expo space for organizing art exhibitions in the warm season.

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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko
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    “Mayakusha”, the education and research center of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the area of modern art and media entertainment
    Copyright: © Denis Omelchenko


Also, the territory of Mayakusha includes an open-air exhibition hall. This space is designed for organizing temporary exhibitions and various events in the summertime (performances, happenings, etc.)

Sculpture Hall: a space for walking among permanently exhibited sculptures. Thanks to this concept of the entrance group, the cars that are driving by down the Korablestroitelei Street can see a very beautiful and unusual view opening up from the park. Still another place like this is situated next to the center, and is securely protected from the wind.”

An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
Lidia Kharcheva

“My diploma project is based on extensive research of the US suburbia, which identified problems that affect the quality of people’s life. The focus was on the Los Angeles suburbs and this is where I was looking for a site to design.

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An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva


West Covina is located 30 km from downtown Los Angeles and is connected to it by a highway. The river that runs through the city and the highway that crosses it are problem areas. The fact that suburbia relies so much on the car traffic makes the territories lying alongside the highways the busiest ones, while the residential areas are empty and lifeless. The concrete river bed runs through the central part of the city; it is an exclusion zone that has a solely utilitarian function.

The land site which I chose for design is situated at the crossing of these two “arteries”, making it possible to employ both of them, creating a construction that would interact both with the city and the highway, and begin landscaping the riverside area.

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An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva


Placing some of the projects above the highway and alongside it was conditioned by the planning structure of the suburbs, as well as by a need to create a high-profile project that would be read equally well by motorists and pedestrians alike in various parts of the city.

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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva


When I was considering the typology of the future construction, I saw my task in addressing such issues as construction monotony, lack of landmarks, lack of public spaces, parks, and lack of pedestrian connections. Vertical farming is becoming increasingly popular on a global scale. The ever-growing cities are consuming new territories, as more and more people leave the countryside. Traditional farming as we know it is dying out, and now it must adapt itself to the new reality. New methods of plant cultivation, such as aeroponics, hydroponics and aquaponics, allow you to get more crops in the shortest possible time, using several times less water, area, and manpower.

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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva
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    An urban agricultural complex in West Covina, USA
    Copyright: © Lidia Kharcheva


In the case of suburbia, the agricultural complex of such a type will boost the city’s activity and will draw an inflow of tourists, ensuring the autonomy of the surrounding area and providing jobs for the local residents, thus reducing the number of cars.

The complex has several functions: the public one with restaurants and a farmers market, the educational function with classrooms for schoolchildren and master class zones, and the research function with laboratories, while the main area will be occupied by cells for growing plants. Dividing the complex into cells gives city residents the opportunity to rent separate blocks for various purposes and simplifies their operation, as well as makes it possible to build similar centers in other places with the ability to change the configuration of their structure.” 

Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova

The existing buildings that are there on the territory of the former “Khimvolokno” plant are of no architectural value, but some of them are quite suitable for reconstruction, and can be remodeled to perform new and more relevant functions. Those buildings, which cannot be remodeled, will be taken down, and a bee art and technology park will be made here with a campus adjoining it.

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Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova


I divided the technology park into six thematic areas corresponding to six arts, which I regard in the order of transition from visual and tactile to aural perception: 
  • Zone 1 – the zone of architecture and design (fully visual perception, and even tactile) – is situated in the very beginning of the park if we are to proceed from the management office building, which marks the compositional beginning of moving around the park.
  • Zone 2 is the zone of graphic art (visual perception with almost no tactile).
  • Zone 3 is the zone of filmmaking, theater, and photography (both visual and aural perception).
  • Zone 4 is the zone of literature and dramaturgy (which can be expressed both in images and words, yet words are used to describe an image, and this still refers to visual perception).
  • Zone 5 is the zone of choreography and acrobatics (visual and aural perception).
  • Zone 6 – the last and the main one, occupying the central location directly at the intersection of the two design axes – is the zone of music.

Why main? Because only music refers to pure aural perception! Only music is something that you can perceive without so much as a tiny image in your head, which is symbolic of triumph of mind over matter (if we are to conditionally assume that sound is something that does not physically exist, and an image always has a physical embodiment). Highlighting the music zone as the key one also resonates with the branding of the city of Klin, which is also based on aural perception (the city’s motto is “Klin... Sounds good!”)

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Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova


The open-air music arena, designed in this area, can cater for 3000 people. The arena is elevated 45 meters above the ground; underneath the arena, there is a park with a swimming pool surrounding it. One can also get up to the arena by a spiral pedestrian ramp that circles it. Function-wise, this project may replace a classic city square.

Each of the six zones has everything that is necessary to study the art presented in it, and everything that you need to create, dreaming things up and making them a reality. I distinguish two types of spaces that are necessary to comprehend any of the existing talents.
  • The first type of spaces is meant for individual work on yourself and perfecting your skills, whatever they are. These spaces correspond to a square shape because, basically, what you need for studying or working is an adequately equipped square room with orthogonal walls, a floor, and a ceiling.
  • The second type of spaces is meant for communication / master classes / exhibitions / concerts. These spaces visually correspond to a circular shape because shows, lectures, or exhibitions lend themselves to more complex auditoriums: a circular exhibition, a round square, hemispheric arenas, and so on.

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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova


In my project, a typical building consists of multifunctional production studios, plugged in to water, sewage, and ventilation utility lines, which significantly widens the scope of activity in such a space. Also, the transformable partitions make it possible to join these studios together. In such rooms, you can make virtually any studio you may think of – a model studio, an art studio, or a mini workshop. The workshops are designed to cater for 300 people. Visually, the building and all the spaces inside of it have a square shape, which corresponds to the concept of form matching function.

A typical building of expo spaces includes different types of expo halls, including a 300-seat conference hall. Just like the studios, the expo spaces can be combined to form larger ones due to the removable partitions. According to the concept of the mutual dependence of form and function, the building and all the spaces in it have a round or ring shape.

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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova
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    Art and Technology park on the territory of the former synthetic fiber plan in the city of Klin
    Copyright: © Maria Cheltsova-Bebutova


28 October 2020

Headlines now
Object
In Orbit of Moscow City
The Orbital business center is both simple and complex. Simple in its minimalist form and optimal office layout solution: a central core, a light-filled façade, plenty of glass; and from the unusual side – a technical floor cleverly placed at the building’s side ends. Complex – well, if only because it resembles a celestial body hovering on metallic legs near Magistralnaya Street. Why this specific shape, what it consists of, and what makes this “boutique” office building (purchased immediately after its completion) so unique – all of this and more is covered in our story.
Object
The Altai Ornament
The architectural company Empate has developed the concept for an eco-settlement located on a remote site in Altai. The master plan, which resembles a traditional ornament or even a utopian city, forms a clear system of public and private spaces. The architects also designed six types of houses for the settlement, drawing inspiration from the region’s culture, folklore, and vernacular building practices.
Object
Pro Forma
Photos have emerged of the newly completed whisky distillery in Chernyakhovsk, designed by TOTEMENT / PAPER – a continuation of their earlier work on the nearby Cognac Museum. From what is, in essence, a merely technical and utilitarian volume and space, the architects have created a fully-fledged theatre of impressions. Let’s take a closer look. We highly recommend a visit to what may look like a factory, but is in fact an experiment in theatricalizing the process of strong spirit production – and not only that, but also of “pure art”, capable of evolving anywhere.
Object
The Arch and the Triangle
The new Stone Mnevniki business center by Kleinewelt Architekten – designed for the same client as their projects in Khodynka – bears certain similarities to those earlier developments, but not entirely. In Mnevniki, there are more angular elements, and the architects themselves describe the project as being built on contrast. Indeed, while the first phase contains subtle references to classical architecture – light touches like arches, both upright and inverted, evoking the spirit of the 1980s – the second phase draws more distantly on the modernism of the 1970s. What unites them is a boldly expressive public space design, a kaleidoscope of rays and triangles.
Object
Health Factory
While working on a wellness and tourist complex on the banks of the Yenisei River, the architects at Vissarionov Studio set out to create healing spaces that would amplify the benefits of nature and medical treatments for both body and soul. The spatial solutions are designed to encourage interaction between the guests and the landscape, as well as each other.
Object
The Blooming Mechanics of a Glass Forest
The Savvinskaya 27 apartment complex built by Level Group, currently nearing completion on an elongated riverfront site next to the Novodevichy Convent, boasts a form that’s daring even by modern Moscow standards. Visually, it resembles the collaborative creation of a glassblower and a sculptor: a kind of glass-and-concrete jungle, rhythmically structured yet growing energetically and vividly. Bringing such an idea to life was by no means an easy task. In this article, we discuss the concept by ODA and the methods used by APEX architects to implement it, along with a look at the building’s main units and detailing.
Object
Grace and Unity
Villa “Grace”, designed by Roman Leonidov’s studio and built in the Moscow suburbs, strikes a balance between elegant minimalism and the expansive gestures of the Russian soul. The main house is conceived as a sequence of four self-contained volumes – each could exist independently, yet it chooses to be part of a whole. Unity is achieved through color and a system of shared spaces, while the rich plasticity of the forms – refined throughout the construction process – compensates for the near-total absence of decorative elements.
Object
Daring Brilliance
In this article, we are exploring “New Vision”, the first school built in the past 25 years in Moscow’s Khamovniki. The building has three main features: it is designed in accordance with the universal principles of modern education, fostering learning through interaction and more; second, the façades combine structural molded glass and metallic glazed ceramics – expensive and technologically advanced materials. Third, this is the school of Garden Quarters, the latest addition to Moscow’s iconic Khamovniki district. Both a costly and, in its way, audacious acquisition, it carries a youthful boldness in its statement. Let’s explore how the school is designed and where the contrasts lie.
Object
A Twist of the Core
A clever and concise sculptural solution – rotating each floor by N degrees – has created an ensemble of “dancing” towers: similar yet different, simple yet complex. The designers meticulously refined a single structural node and spent considerable effort on the column construction – after that, “everything else was easy”. The architects also rotated the core walls on each floor to maximize the efficiency of the office spaces.
Object
The Sculpting of Spring Forest Matter
We’ve been observing this building for a couple of years now: seemingly simple, perhaps even unassuming, it fits in remarkably well with the micro-district context shaped by the Moscow MCD road junctions. This building sticks in the memory of everyone who drives along the highway, even occasionally. In our opinion, Sergey Nikeshkin, by blending popular architectural techniques and approaches of the 2010s, managed to turn a seemingly simple structure into a statement “on the theme of a house as such”. Let’s figure out how this happened.
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Water and Wind Whet the Stone
The Arisha Terraces residential complex, designed by Asadov Architects, will be built in a district of Dubai dedicated to film and television production. To create shaded spaces and an intriguing silhouette, the architects opted for a funnel-shaped composition and nature-inspired forms of erosion and weathering. The roofs, podium, and underground spaces extend leisure opportunities within the boundaries of a man-made “oasis”.
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Elevation 5642
The Genplan Institute of Moscow has developed a comprehensive development project for three ski resorts in the Caucasus, which have been designated as special economic zones of the tourism and recreation type. The first of these zones is Elbrus. The project includes the construction of new ski runs, cable cars, and hotels, as well as the modernization of stations and improvements to the Azau tourist meadow. To expand the audience and enhance year-round appeal, a network of eco-trails is also being developed. In this article, we provide a detailed breakdown of each stage.
Object
The IT Town
Taking the example of the first completed phase of the “U” district, we examine how the new neighborhood in Innopolis will be organized. T+T Architects and HADAA formed a well-balanced and ingenious master plan with different types of housing, a green artery, a system of squares, and a park in the town’s central part.
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The Heart Lies Within
The second-phase building of the Evgeny Primakov School already won multiple awards while still in the design stage. Now that it’s completed, some unfinished nuances remain – most notably, the exposed ceiling structures, which ideally should have been concealed. However, given the priority placed on the building’s volumetric composition, this does not seem critical. What matters more is the “Wow!” effect created by the space itself.
Object
Magnetic Forces
“Krylatskaya 33” is the first large-scale residential complex to appear amidst the 1980s “micro-districts” that harmoniously coexist with the forests, the river, the slopes, and the sports infrastructure. Despite its imposing scale, the architects of Ostozhenka managed to turn the complex into something that can be best described as a “graceful dominant”. First, they designed the complex with consideration for the style and height of the surrounding micro-districts. Second, by introducing a pause in its tallest section, they created compositional tension – right along the urban planning axis of the area.
Object
Orion’s Belt
The Stone Khodynka 2 office complex, designed by Kleinewelt Architekten for the company Stone, is built with an ergonomic layout following “healthy building” principles: natural light, ventilation, and all the necessary features for an efficient office environment. On the outside, it resembles – like many contemporary buildings – an iPhone: sleek, glowing, glass-and-metal, edges elegantly rounded. Yet, it responds sensitively to the Khodynka context, where the main theme is the contrast between vertical and horizontal lines. The key intrigue lies in the design of the “stylobate” as a suspended passage, leaving the space beneath it open for free pedestrian movement.
Interview
Grigory Revzin: “It Was a Bold Statement Made on the Sly. Something Won”
In this article, we discuss the debates surrounding the circus competition and the demolition of the CMEA building with the most renowned architectural critic of our time. A paradox emerges in the process: while nostalgia for the Brezhnev era seems to be in vogue in Russia, a landmark building – the “axis” of the Warsaw Pact – has been sentenced to demolition. Isn’t that strange? We also find out that wow-architecture has made a comeback as a post-COVID trend. However, to make a truly powerful statement, professionals still remain indispensable.
Object
Exposed Concrete
One of the stages of improving a small square in the town of Lermontov was the construction of a skatepark. Entrusting this part of the project to the XSA team, the city gained a 250-meter trick track whose features resemble those of land art objects – unparalleled in Russia in both scale and design. Here’s a look at how the experimental snake run in the foothills of the Caucasus was built.
Object
One Step Closer To the Dream
The challenges of getting all the mandatory approvals, an insufficient budget, and construction site difficulties did not prevent ASADOV Bureau from achieving its main goal in the realization of the school project in the town of Troitsk – taking another step away from outdated notions of educational spaces toward creating a fundamentally new academic environment.
Object
Chalet on the Rock
An Accor hotel in Arkhyz, designed by A.Len, will be situated at the gateway to the resort’s main tourist hubs. The architects reinterpreted the widely popular chalet style while adding an unexpected twist – an unfinished structure preserved on the site. The design team transformed this remnant into an exciting space featuring an open-air pool and a restaurant with panoramic views of the region’s highest mountain ridges.
Interview
Sergey Skuratov: “By and large, the project has been realized in line with the original ideas”
In this issue, we talk to the chief architect of Garden Quarters, looking back at the history and key moments of a project that took 18 years to develop and has now finally been completed. What interests us most are the transformations that the project underwent during construction, and the way the “necessary void” of public space was formed, which turned this remarkable complex into a fragment of a whole new type of urban fabric – not just at the horizontal “street” level but in its vertical structure as well.
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.