По-русски

The White Fitness Center

The white health and fitness center, designed by Futura Architects at the entrance to St. Petersburg’s New Piter residential complex, provides the developing area not only with functional but also with sculptural diversity, livening up the rows of the brick city blocks with the whiteness of its seamless facades, cantilevered structures, and dynamic inclined lines.

08 February 2023
Object
mainImg
This health and fitness center is part of the public “agenda” of New Piter, more of which we covered here. Futura Architects, we will remind you, designed several buildings for it: a residential building, a business center, and finally the health and fitness center.

New Piter is a large residential area located just outside St. Petersburg’s Ring Road (technically, outside of the city), not far away from Strelna. At the same time, this is a comparatively rare, by the standards of suburban St. Petersburg, example of an all-rounded approach to land development: the “lots” of the houses are introduced here concurrently to the infrastructure and various public projects. Approximately in the middle, the area is crossed by the pedestrian White Nights “park” boulevard; it runs between the school and kindergarten, and, like some kind of central string, it holds greenery, artificial hills, a stadium, and playgrounds strung upon it. The boulevard was also designed by Oleg Manov.

Larger public infrastructure projects have been moved closer to the Krasnoselskoe Highway: this ensures better transport accessibility, while the residential buildings stand rather far away from the highway (about 80 meters), and are protected from the noise, all the more so because the string of public and commercial buildings is separated from the residential blocks by yet another linear park: a wavy pedestrian trail that allows pedestrians to cruise around New Piter, bypassing the highway.

The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex: location
Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS


The fitness center received the key site at the crossing of Krasnoselskoe Highway and Nevskaya Street. This point can be considered to be the main driving/pedestrian entrance to the area.

New Piter has been in construction for a few years already, and the original concept underwent a few changes. Specifically, the standard projects were replaced by “lots”, whose image solution was proposed by different architectural companies, which is definitely a plus.

Other changes can be interpreted in the key of adapting to the ever-changing reality. Originally, it was planned that between the business center (situated on the northwest corner of the complex, at the driving entrance from the Ring Road) and the fitness center (situated two hundred meters south), there would be more vacant space. For this reason, Futura Architects designed them as an ensemble of two noticeable volumes marking the presence of the complex in the city and welcoming the cars coming from the Krasnoselskoe Highway – like a “gate” or a “facade” of the new part of the city. At the first stage of design, both volumes had brick facades – just like the rest of the complex – but they sported an integral energetic shape, literally “shooting” north in the direction of the Ring Road and the Gulf of Finland. An important part in the composition was played by the business center with a powerful sidewall chamfer and a 12-meter cantilever.

The business center in Novoselye, in the northwest corner of New Piter housing complex
Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS


The health and fitness center, situated, as we remember, further south, before the crossing of the highway and Nevskaya Street, echoed the chamfer of the north cantilever and developed the related plastique of the large and dynamic form, but showed a slightly greater interest to diagonal and jagged lines.

The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS


Later on, it was decided to build two multilevel parking garages between the business center and the fitness center, and the town planning “rest” became blurred – but we must realize that the residents have to park their cars somewhere, so this decision is after all motivated. The “southward dash” also became a little less obvious: the parking garages were designed by a different company, and they are essentially static crystalline parallelepipeds, even though we must give them credit for their beautiful glitter.

The brick surface of the walls of the fitness center was also something that the architects had to sacrifice: the COVID pandemic got in the way, supply chains were disrupted, the budget was cut, and the walls became stucco. For economic reasons, the architects also sacrificed the deep jambs of the stained glass windows – they were partially replaced by thin metallic lamellae that trace the lines of the stained glass windows, the plastique is formed solely by cantilevers.

  • zooming
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS
  • zooming
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS


Nevertheless, after all the changes the building preserved the main thing about it, the purity of lines, and the whiteness of the facades made it even more noticeable, accentuating both the function and the town planning meaning of the sports complex against the background of the residential blocks. The bright pure color, the sloping lines, and the inclined lines and place do attract attention.

The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS


The volumes and contrastive glazing planes, which protrude from the building, mark the functional blocks. The central part of the building is occupied by the swimming pool, its grand-scale stained glass window turned in the direction of the Krasnoselskoe Highway. Closer to the end of the building, the stained glass window narrows down to a band, which makes a zigzag on the sidewall and ascends from the second floor to the third – to continue above the main entrance. This “band” marks the location of the spa zone and multifunctional gyms.

The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS


The inclined “monitor” of the cantilever turned in the direction of the gulf – as well as yet another smaller cantilever on the opposite side – both include training facilities and management offices. The entire fourth floor is occupied by gyms. This place also has an exit to the cantilever’s roof, where in good weather training sessions can be organized, or maybe just recreation: you cannot really see the Gulf of Finland from here but the roof does command sweeping views.

  • zooming
    1 / 3
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS
  • zooming
    2 / 3
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS
  • zooming
    3 / 3
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS


Since the building is not sunken in the ground, the basin, together with all the technical rooms and communications, occupies almost the entire ground floor.

It must be said that engineering communications always present a serious challenge for a building that aims at brilliant purity of dynamic forms. In this particular instance, the architects were able to hide as much of the ventilation system as possible on the roof, neatly arranging the “fifth facade”, keeping in mind that it would be visible from the higher floors of the buildings that surround the fitness center. Against this background, the cooling grids on white facades can be ignored – such inclusions are to be seen on many buildings, and our eyes are used to ignoring them. All the rest, even the pipes from the yard side, are agreed upon and inscribed into the general concept. As for the interiors, the utility lines remain literally exposed, or even exhibited, covered by glass and backlit.

The architects also provided on the facade a recession for the logo of the future operator – in the most noticeable point, from the side of the Krasnoselskoe Highway.

Thus, the health and fitness center, designed by Futura Architects, righteously occupies the key location at the entrance to this large residential complex at the outskirts of St. Petersburg. The building of the fitness center supports not just the multifunctional nature of the new area but also ensures architectural diversity. The brick city blocks, although not exactly “stylized”, bear a rather traditional look, just as the orthogonal plan. However, this light-colored and dynamic inclusion livens up the regular array of the houses with bold fresh spots. Not to mention the fact that the contrast of shape also emphasizes the difference of function, saving the building from “drowning” in the context of the new housing complex. In this sense, the plaster surface of the walls, a measure that initially appeared out of necessity, turned out to be the best solution – the plaster made it possible to make the facades seamless, and the color bright white.

One more thing: the building of the center also responds to a concrete object in the north part of the White Nights Boulevard – a sculptural bench, or, rather, a sign that the same architect, Oleg Manov, designed five or more years ago for this complex. Mind, you cannot see one object standing next to the other – they are about half a kilometer apart – but, come to think of it, both objects, big and small, charge the whole territory with some neo-modernist cheerfulness. And they also reveal the trademark style of Futura Architects just as vividly.

  • zooming
    1 / 5
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex. Plan of the 1 floor
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS
  • zooming
    2 / 5
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex. Plan of the 2 floor
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS
  • zooming
    3 / 5
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex. Plam of the 3 floor
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS
  • zooming
    4 / 5
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex. Plan of the 4 floor
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS
  • zooming
    5 / 5
    The health and fitness center in New Piter housing complex. Cross section view 1-1
    Copyright: © FUTURA-ARCHITECTS



08 February 2023

Headlines now
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.
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.
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”.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
​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.
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.
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.
​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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Color of the City, or Reflections on the Slope of an Urban Settlement
In 2022, Ostozhenka Architects won a competition, and in 2023, they developed and received all the necessary approvals for a master plan for the development of Chernigovskaya Street for the developer GloraX. The project takes into account a 10-year history of previous developments; it was done in collaboration with architects from Nizhny Novgorod, and it continues to evolve now. We carefully examined it, talked to everyone, and learned a lot of interesting things.
A Single-Industry Town
Kola MMC and Nornickel are building a residential neighborhood in Monchegorsk for their future employees. It is based on a project by an international team that won the 2021 competition. The project offers a number of solutions meant to combat the main “demons” of any northern city: wind, grayness and boredom.
A New Age Portico
At the beginning of the year, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport opened Terminal C. The large-scale and transparent entrance hall with luminous columns inside successfully combines laconism with a bright and photogenic WOW-effect. The terminal is both the new façade of the whole complex and the starting point of the planned reconstruction, upon completion of which Tolmachevo will become the largest regional airport in Russia. In this article, we are examining the building in the context of modernist prototypes of both Novosibirsk and Leningrad: like puzzle pieces, they come together to form their individual history, not devoid of curious nuances and details.
A New Starting Point
We’ve been wanting to examine the RuArts Foundation space, designed by ATRIUM for quite a long time, and we finally got round to it. This building looks appropriate and impressive; it amazingly combines tradition – represented in our case by galleries – and innovation. In this article, we delve into details and study the building’s historical background as well.
Molding Perspectives
Stepan Liphart introduces “schematic Art Deco” on the outskirts of Kazan – his houses are executed in green color, with a glassy “iced” finish on the facades. The main merits of the project lie in his meticulous arrangement of viewing angles – the architect is striving to create in a challenging environment the embryo of a city not only in terms of pedestrian accessibility but also in a sculptural sense. He works with silhouettes, proposing intriguing triangular terraces. The entire project is structured like a crystal, following two grids, orthogonal and diagonal. In this article, we are examining what worked, and what eventually didn’t.
An Educational Experiment for the North
City-Arch continues to work on the projects that can be termed as “experimental public preschools”: private kindergartens and schools can envy such facilities in many respects. This time around, the project is done for the city of Gubkinsky, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. A diverse educational and play environment, including a winter garden, awaits future students, while the teachers will have abundant opportunities to implement new practices.
Alexandra Kuzmina: “Working is easy when the rules are the same for everyone”
The subject matter of Moscow Region’s booth and presentations at Zodchestvo Festival was the concept of “Integrated Land Development”, and for a good reason: this task is very challenging, very relevant, and Moscow Region has already accumulated quite a formidable experience in this regard. In this article, we are speaking to the main architect of the region: about master plans and who makes them, about where you obtain resources for creating a comfortable environment, about her favorite projects, about why there are so few good architects, and what we should do with the bad ones.
The Cemetery: Inside and Outside
The workshop organized by the Genplan Institute of Moscow scored one of the two first places at the “Open City” festival. Its subject is reorganization of municipal cemeteries. Two action plans were proposed, diametrically opposite: one for the downtown and one for the suburbs.
Our Everything
Who is Alexey Shchusev? In the last couple of weeks, since the architect’s 150th birthday, different individuals have answered this question differently. The most detailed, illustrated, and elegantly presented response is an exhibition held in two buildings of the Museum of Architecture on Vozdvizhenka. Four curators, a year and a half of work performed by the entire museum, and exhibition design by Sergey Tchoban and Alexandra Sheiner – in this article, we take you on a tour of the exhibition and show what’s what in it.
For Mental Reboot
At the architectural competition held in 2023 in Novosibirsk, the project by GORA Architects – a pedestrian bridge leading to the town of Bor – was awarded the “Golden Capital” prize. In this country, more than a hundred pedestrian bridges are constructed each year. What makes the Bor bridge different?
Gold Embroidery
A five-story housing complex designed by Stepan Liphart in Kazan, responds to the stylistically diverse context with its form, both integral and agile, and as for the vicinity of the “Ekiyat” movie theater, the complex responds to it with a semblance of theater curtain folds, and active plastique of its balconies, that bear some resemblance to theater boxes. Even if excessively pompous a little bit, the complex does look fresh and modern. One will have a hard time finding Art Deco elements in it, even though the spirit of the 1930s, run through the filter of neo-modernism, is still clearly felt, just as a twist of the Occident.