A Flyover in Watercolor

For the 100th anniversary of Vladimir Vasilkovsky, the architectural office of Evgeny Gerasimov is reflecting on the Ushakov Flyover, which was designed with input from this artist and architect. In this article, we are showing its watercolors and sketches, including the preliminary ones that were not included in the final project, as well as speaking about the importance of architectural drawing.

Written by:
Alyona Kuznetsova
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

11 June 2021

Object

Enginenriya

Architect:

Firm:

Evgeniy Gerasimov & partners http://www.egp.spb.ru/

The Ushakov Flyover has merged with the surrounding scenery so completely that it is hard to imagine that there was a time when it was not there. Just as hard is imagining the sheer scale of traffic jams that occurred on the Kamennoostrovsky and Primorsky avenues before this flyover was built – today, this is an important transportation hub with stoplight-free traffic, rare for this city, which makes it easier for the cars to leave from and get back to the Primorsky residential area during the week, and to get to gulf and the lakes of the Kurortny area on the weekend.

The city had long (since the late 1980s, most likely) planned to build a flyover in this place, also considering the tunnel option. The location of the flyover is not just strategic but semantic as well: it serves as the dividing line between the historical part of the city and the area of new construction. This is where the granite-clad waterfronts end, and lush parks, tenements and mansions give way to prefabricated houses and massive modern residential complexes. The view of the neoclassical building of the Maritime Academy, and the garden and mansion of Elizaveta Saltykova that the Ushakov Bridge commands is the last “historical” one in this direction, and this is why it was important for the architects to avoid ruining it by blocking the perspective by an engineering structure. Incidentally, when the flyover of the Kolomyazhsky passage was built, the city was not too scrupulous about it – it is just a highway made of asphalt and concrete, just like all of its surroundings.

The general designer of the flyover was Lengiproinzhproekt; the subcontractor was the Transport Institute, and it was the subcontractor that invited Evgeny Gerasimov to take part in the architectural part of the project. Evgeny Gerasimov, in turn, invited Vladimir Vasilkovsky, one of the authors of the Ushakov Bridge, an active architect, artist, and ceramist, who at that moment was already 78 years old.

The Ushakov Bridge was something that Vladimir Vasilkovsky designed half a century before he was invited to design the Ushakov Flyover: in the 1950s, the wooden bridge of the Bolshaya Nevka River (not to be confused with Neva) was replaced by a metallic one, with massive granite supports and a drawbridge span – the old drawbridge pavilion is currently occupied by the chapel of the Most Holy Mother of God icon at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The bridge, originally called “Stroganov”, was renamed into Ushakov, and decorated with columns with a magnificent completion of banners and bas-relief images of naval commanders; an ornament with a composition of an anchor, a star and a laurel was put on the cast-iron railings.

The task of Yevgeny Gerasimov's studio was to give the utilitarian construction an aesthetic embodiment – to find a memorable and appropriate image, which, at the same time, would not draw too much attention. Due to the fact that the flyover was to become a part of the already complete architectural ensemble, the architects had no doubts that they would have to develop the naval theme, which is present both in toponymy and the decoration of the Ushakov bridge and the Ushakov academy.

To make the construction lighter, the architects drew the trusses, referring to the landing stage of the Vitebsk railway station – they created a transparent and openwork look.

As for the highlights, there were many options. The chief architect of the project, Viktor Khivrich, shows sketches on which he drew rotundas, similar to those that can be seen on the Staro-Kalinkin bridge or the Lomonosov bridge – ranging from quite classical to Art Nouveau or very modern in the spirit of steampunk of the 2000s. On another sheet, the spars and rigging, combined with the fence balusters and structural elements of the floors, turn the flyover into a kind of shipyard. Dozens of options for street lights, steering wheels, anchors, masts and heraldic elements clearly demonstrate the creative search that future architects will probably be exempt from because they are planning to cancel the creative exam.

1 / 13
2 / 13
3 / 13
4 / 13
5 / 13
6 / 13
7 / 13
8 / 13
9 / 13
10 / 13
11 / 13
12 / 13
13 / 13

Evgeny Gerasimov, «Evgeniy Gerasimov & partners»

My belief is that an architect who cannot draw is not quite an architect. The computer itself cannot produce anything; it is just a tool. An architect must have a trained eye and a trained hand, which is something that can only be achieved by drawing. All working material for projects is born through drawing; the idea from the head is displayed by hand on a sheet of paper. If you have this skill, your eye and your hand become a single whole – and only then you achieve a result.

Most of the elements drawn by the architects were not included in the final project, which is only natural because the idea crystallizes only after a good deal of preparation work and a good deal of accumulated “texture”. The sketches are the underground part of the iceberg that the observer cannot see but can surely sense. The quality of execution, on the other hand, makes these drawings look like anything but “sketches” – these are fully-fledged works of architectural graphics. Particular awe in the spirit of “they don’t do such things anymore, the secret is lost” is caused by the presentations of Vladimir Vasilkovsky – with watercolors glazed and calligraphic signatures, even where the reason is quite common – like “I’ve gone on sick leave, here is my phone number”. Looking at these drawings, you see what pleasure the master took in his work, and the productiveness of this state when you don’t have to hurry anywhere.

1 / 10
2 / 10
3 / 10
4 / 10
5 / 10
6 / 10
7 / 10
8 / 10
9 / 10
10 / 10

At the insistence of the then chief architect of the city, Oleg Kharchenko, the abundance of ideas had to be “quieted down” somewhat: rotundas, masts and steles would have blocked the view of the Naval Academy. Then the idea was born to decorate the flyover with ship cannons – this is a small and calm element in outlines, but at the same time quite expressive. Parts for the cannons were made at the Vulkan factory – they are hollow inside, the prototype was the model can be seen in the Artillery Museum. The cannons stand on granite supports, the striping of which should resemble a sailor’s vest. The metal brackets supporting the pylons are decorated with scale ornaments. Flanking the central span of the flyover, the cannons and pillars became the main focus of the entire structure.

1 / 17
2 / 17
3 / 17
4 / 17
5 / 17
6 / 17
7 / 17
8 / 17
9 / 17
10 / 17
11 / 17
12 / 17
13 / 17
14 / 17
15 / 17
16 / 17
17 / 17

In accordance with the sketches by Vladimir Vasilkovsky, to decorate the dual street lights, they manufactured helmets and fish figures – a little bit fairy-tale-like and ironic, very much in the spirit of the master. According to the reminiscences of his contemporaries, Vladimir Vasilkovsky, even in his old age, remained “the fountain of ideas”, and retained an amazing strength of his hand and clarity of mind. Another thing that was not implemented was, for example, a round shield with an allegory of two elements that are eternally controversial in St Petersburg – earth and water. And the street lights became the main accent for those who drive on this flyover.

1 / 3
2 / 3
3 / 3

Compared to the sketches, the Ushakov Flyover looks more reserved, and it seems that few interesting details survived into the final project, but ultimately every constructive element got full artistic justification and “tied” the flyover to its surroundings so strongly that it became the flesh and blood of this place. The way we see it, dozens of sketches made the author focus and meditate on this place, thus transferring his genius on paper and making it form the new spirit of this city, just as native and animate as its caryatids and Mephistopheles.

Architect:

Firm:

Evgeniy Gerasimov & partners http://www.egp.spb.ru/

11 June 2021

Headlines now

Object

A Paper Clip above the River

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

Review

Living in the Architecture of One’s Own Making

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

Object

A City Block Isoline

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

Report

Competition: The Price of Creativity?

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

Object

Terraced Design

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

A Kremlin’s Core and Meteorite Fragments

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

Contest Results

The Volga Regatta

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

Object

Life Plans

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

Object

A New Track

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

Report

Four Different Surveys

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

Report

Scheduled Evolution

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

Object

The Golden Crown

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

News

Flexibility and Integration

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

Object

A Step Forward

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

Object

Gold in the Sands

A new office for a transcontinental company specializing in resource extraction and processing has opened in Dubai. Designed by T+T Architects, masters of creating spaces that are contemporary, diverse, flexible, and original, this project exemplifies their expertise. On the executive floor, a massive brass-clad partition dominates, while layered textures of compressed earth create a contextually resonant backdrop.

Object

Layers and Levels of Flight

This project goes way back – Reserve Union won this architectural competition at the end of 2011, and the building was completed in 2018, so it’s practically “archival”. However, despite being relatively unknown, the building can hardly be considered “dated” and remains a prime example of architectural expression, particularly in the headquarters genre. And it’s especially fitting for an aviation company office. In some ways, it resembles the Aeroflot headquarters at Sheremetyevo but with its own unique identity, following the signature style of Vladimir Plotkin. In this article, we take an in-depth look at the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) headquarters in the Moscow agglomeration town of Zhukovsky, supplemented by recent photographs from Alexey Naroditsky – a shoot that became only recently possible due to the fact that improvements were finally made in the surrounding area.

Object

Light and Shadow

In this article, we delve into the architectural design of the “Chaika” house by DNK ag architects, which was recently completed in 2023 as part of the collection of signature designs at ZILArt. As is well-known, all the buildings in this complex follow a design code, yet each one is distinct. This particular building stands out not only for its whiteness and minimalism but also for the refined use of a limited number of techniques that, together, create what can confidently be called synergy.

View

Casus Novae

A master plan was developed for a large residential area with a name of “DNS City”, but now that its implementation began, the plan has been arbitrarily reformatted and replaced with something that, while similar on the surface, is actually quite different. This is not the first time such a thing happens, but it’s always frustrating. With permission from the author, we are sharing Maria Elkina’s post.

Report

Treasure Hunting

The GAFA bureau, in collaboration with Tegola and Arkhitail, organized an expedition to the island of Kilpola in Karelia as part of Moskomarkhitektura’s “Open City” festival. There, amidst moss and rocks, the students sought answers to questions like: what is the sacred, where does it dwell, and what sustains it? Assisting the participants in this quest were landscape engineer Evgeny Levin, artist Nicholas Roerich, a moose, and the lack of cellular connection. Here’s how the story unfolded.

Object

Depths of the Earth, Streams of Water

In the Malaya Okhta district, the Akzent building, designed by Stepan Liphart, was constructed. It follows a classic tripartite structure, yet it’s what you might call “hand-drawn”: each façade is unique in its form and details, some of which aren’t immediately noticeable. In this article, we explore the context and, together with the architect, delve into how the form was developed.

Object

Fir Tree Dynamics

The “Airports of Region” holding is planning to build an airport in Karachay-Cherkessia, aiming to make the Arkhyz and Dombay resorts more accessible to travelers. The project that won in an invitation-only competition, submitted by Sergey Nikeshkin’s KPLN, blends natural imagery inspired by the shape of a conifer seed, open-air waiting spaces, majestic large trees, and a green roof elevated on needle-like columns. The result is both nature-inspired and WOW.

Object

A Brick Shell

In the process of designing a clubhouse situated among pine trees in a prestigious suburban area near Moscow, the architectural firm “A.Len” did the façade design part. The combination of different types of brick and masonry correlates with the volumetric and plastique solutions, further enhanced by the inclusion of wood-painted fragments and metal “glazing”.

Report

Word Forms

ATRIUM architects love ambitious challenges, and for the firm’s thirtieth anniversary, they boldly play a game of words with an exhibition that dives deep into a self-created vocabulary. They immerse their projects – especially art installations – into this glossary, as if plunging into a current of their own. You feel as if you’re flowing through the veins of pure art, immersed in a universe of vertical cities, educational spaces – of which the architects are true masters – and the cultural codes of various locations. But what truly captivates is the bold statement that Vera Butko and Anton Nadtochy make, both through their work and this exhibition: architecture, above all, is art – the art of working with form and space.

Object

Flexibility and Acuteness of Modernity

Luxurious, fluid, large “kokoshniks” and spiral barrel columns, as if made from colorful chewing gum: there seem to be no other mansion like this in Moscow, designed in the “Neo-Russian-Modern” style. And the “Teremok” on Malaya Kaluzhskaya, previously somewhat obscure, has “come alive with new colors” and gained visibility after its restoration for the office of the “architectural ecosystem” as the architects love to call themselves. It’s evident that Julius Borisov and the architects at UNK put their hearts into finding this new office and bringing it up to date. Let’s delve into the paradoxes of this mansion’s history and its plasticity. Spoiler: two versions of modernity meet here, both balancing on the razor’s edge of “what’s current”.

Interview

Yuri Vissarionov: “A modular house does not belong to the land”

It belongs to space, or to the air... It turns out that 3D printing is more effective when combined with a modular approach: the house is built in a workshop and then adapted to the site, including on uneven terrain. Yuri Vissarionov shares his latest experience in designing tourist complexes, both in central Russia and in the south. These include houseboats, homes printed from lightweight concrete using a 3D printer, and, of course, frame houses.

Object

Moscow’s First

“The quality of education largely depends on the quality of the educational environment”. This principle of the last decade has been realized by Sergey Skuratov in the project for the First Moscow Gymnasium on Rostovskaya Embankment in the Khamovniki district. The building seamlessly integrates into the complex urban landscape, responding both to the pedestrian flow of the city and the quiet alleyways. It skillfully takes advantage of the height differences and aligns with modern trends in educational space design. Let’s take a closer look.

Object

Looking at the Water

The site of Villa Sonata stretches from the road to the water’s edge, offering its own shoreline, pier, and a picturesque river panorama. To reveal these sweeping views, Roman Leonidov “cut” the façade diagonally parallel to the river, thus getting two main axes for the house and, consequently, “two heads”. The internal core – two double-height spaces, a living room and a conservatory, with a “bridge” above them – makes the house both “transparent” and filled with light.

Object

The White Wing

Well, it’s not exactly white. It’s more of a beige, white-stone structure that plays with the color of limestone – smoother surfaces are lighter, while rougher ones are darker. This wing unites various elements: it absorbs and interprets the surrounding themes. It responds to everything, yet maintains a cohesive expression – a challenging task! – while also incorporating recognizable features of its own, such as the dynamic cuts at the bottom, top, and middle.

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”.