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ArchiWOOD-14: Building Bridges

This season, the festival’s jury decided not to award a grand prize: judging by the fact that the shortlist included several projects that had not reached the award in previous years, and the “best house” was pronounced to be an undoubtedly beautiful but mass-produced model, the “harvest” of wooden buildings in 2023 was not too abundant. However, there were many unusual typologies among the finalists, and restoration and revitalization projects received their share of recognition. Let’s take a look at all the finalists.

15 September 2023
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This year, ArchiWOOD awarded the best structures made of wood for the fourteenth time. The competition gathered 203 entries, 65 of them being shortlisted, and the finalists were determined by nine experts – the lineup of the judging panel of the award, as we know, never repeats itself; this year it included Nikita Asadov, Ivan Kozhin, Artem Ukropov, Georgy Snezhkin, Peter Sovetnikov and Vera Stepanskaya, among others. The award ceremony was again held in Moscow’s Peredelkino, but this time in the renovated “House of Creativity”.

The award was curated by the permanent Nikolay Malinin, co-curated by Julia Shishalova, and organized by Rossa Rackenne SPb, which was also the title partner of the event. 

Jury’s Special Prize

Gallery Museum “Zavarka” (“Brew”) (Mashtakov House)
All-Russian Society for the Presentation of Historical and Cultural Monuments, Vega Group Region
Khramov Architectural Studio
Creative space concept: Dmitry Khramov, Armen Arutyunov, Nina Kazachkova, Maria Ionova, Anastasia Knor.
Interior design: Dmitry Khramov, Marina Krichanova, Elena Zagorodneva.
Restoration project: Vega Group Region (Alexander Vyazikov, head of the project).
Scientific advice: Andrei Bode (NIITAG).


There is quite an appalling number of beautiful houses of this kind burning and decaying all over Russia, but only a few of them are properly restored and given a new function. The case of the Mashtakov house in Samara is very beautiful: the restorers managed to preserve about 80% of the original structures, some of them becoming living exhibits in the gallery halls on the second floor. The first floor was adapted for a tea room. The revival took place thanks to the care of All-Russian Society for the Presentation of Historical and Cultural Monuments: in 2021, the local branch of the society won the competition of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives to create a museum gallery named “Zavarka” (“Brew”) in the house. Before that, the mansion by architect Alexander Scherbachev, who “built the better half of old Samara”, had stood behind a blank fence for almost three decades.

You can learn more about the history of the house in the book by Andrei Bode, the scientific director of the restoration project, available on the gallery’s website.

Zavarka Museum (Mashtakov House)
Copyright: Photograph © Dmitry Nedykhalov, Armen Arutyunov / provided by ArchiWOOD


Zavarka Museum (Mashtakov House)
Copyright: Photograph © Dmitry Nedykhalov, Armen Arutyunov / provided by ArchiWOOD


Zavarka Museum (Mashtakov House)
Copyright: Photograph © Dmitry Nedykhalov, Armen Arutyunov / provided by ArchiWOOD


Country house / jury

Delo House 4
Delo Design

On the one hand, it is surprising to see a serial production house chosen by the jury in one of the main nominations, but on the other hand, the house IS really good. The approach of St. Petersburg’s architectural company Delo Design is distinguished by its complexity and perfectionism: you go to the website, choose a model in the catalog, wait four months, and then what you see is what you get – the interiors and even the appliances have already been planned by the designers, everything is in its best place. And the furniture, textiles and tableware are also designed and made by Delo Design. Such a total look may seem impersonal to some, but to others it is a very convenient “package deal”. It is probably not too easy to scale it consistently: one thing is a micro-house, where everything started, and another is a respectable four-bedroom family nest, which has retained its clean lines and style.

Delo House 4
Copyright: Photograph © Viktor Yuliev / provided by Delo Design


Country House / popular vote

NEBO House
Woodbox 

The popular vote favored the more affordable and romantic option: its area is 100 m2 less, but everything you want to buy for your first house is in place – the space outside the window, the stars above your head, the stove – in short, “that’s happiness”. The small area of the room, which combines bedroom, kitchen and living room, is compensated by a spacious terrace with a pergola: why sit at home when you can have a great time outside? Oh, and by the way, if you do stay inside, it is still as if you stay outside – two panoramic windows dissolve the boundaries, and the ceiling window “works” even at night. The house is assembled according to the frame-modular technology on a pile foundation in just two days, together with finishing. The facades are clad with black pine.

NEBO House
Copyright: Photo © WOODBOX / provided by ArchiWOOD


NEBO House
Copyright: Photo © WOODBOX / provided by ArchiWOOD


Other shortlisted projects in the Country House category:
 
Matski House, Zrobim Architects
“Sunflower Seeds” Guest Houses, Vladimir Rusanov
Summer Patio, A4
Arkhsarai, Katya Svanidze design atelier
SWIDOM SW5, MAParchitects
DachaHouse, DK Architects
Guest house with a sauna, Elizaveta Portnova
Glued laminated timber house, Elizaveta Portnova
Trinity, ARCHIWOOD community

Public facilities / jury

Hotel “Igora. Vremena Goda” (The Four Seasons”)
Rhizome
Evgeny Reshetov, Tatiana Sinelnikova, Yana Demina, Ilya Belyakov, Karina Zimina, Olga Markina, Anna Chernoyarova

Rhizome’s projects are both stylish and photogenic: last year’s nomination included “Tochka na Karte” (“Point on the Map”) hotel in Lodeynoye Pole, the conceptual solutions of which the Igora project continues and develops. Just like in “Point on the Map”, the architects are assembling the complex from modules with glued wood construction, turning the blocks in such a way that each room commands a beautiful view of the spruce forest. In addition to 100 rooms, the hotel includes a reception block and a lobby bar. Production from scratch and assembly took nine months.

Igora. Vremena Goda (“The Four Seasons”) hotel
Copyright: Photo © Dmitry Chebanenko / provided by ArchiWOOD


Public facilities / popular vote

Forest club “Tern” (“Blackthorn”)
“Tern” Architectural and Production Studio 
Vladimir Lazbinov, Lyudmila Lazbinova

 
“Tern” is a venue for weddings, corporate parties with karaoke and parties with DJs, located on a forest glade. Half-timbered constructions are quite popular in this typology, but the architects managed to achieve a certain degree of elegance, at the same time creating an atmosphere of an open air event under the roof: from the pavilion and gazebo you can perfectly see the surrounding forest, which has become part of the “decor”. In the evenings, the green “wall” is spectacularly illuminated and adds to the festive mood. The bridge and terrace connect the pavilions and the bathrooms into a single “island” complex named “Winterfell” (sic!) for staff and “Portal” for guests.

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TERN forest club
Copyright: Photo © Aleksey Martynyuk / provided by ArchiWOOD


Other shortlisted projects in the Public Facilities category:
 
Skolkovo Fitness Club, A-Structura, Anna Ulyanova
Book Alleys, spirin architects, Evgeny Spirin, Ekaterina Argutina
Nomad Houses, ZROBIM architects
Botanical greenhouses on the territory of the Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum, Wowhaus

Urban Design / Jury

The nomination boasts the most representative shortlist this year. The projects are really spectacular and diverse: from an impressive park in Nizhny Novgorod to “pinpoint interventions” by Basis architectural studio. For some reason, two expo projects were also included.

Improvement of the historical center of Nikolo-Berezovka village
ANO Institute for the Development of Towns and Villages of Bashkortostan,
Novaya Zemlya LLC,
APRELarchitects,
Project Office LLC
Olga Sarapulova, Almaz Fatkullin, Alexandra Katasonova, Daria Efremova, Grigory Solomin, Almira Gaimaletdinova, Andrey Manakin, Alexander Dvuzhilov, Zhanna Sverchkova, Natalia Bavykina, Galina Volzhanskaya, Veronika Babenko, Olga Razumovskaya, Nikita Belyakov


The jury’s selection of the Nikolo-Berezovka improvement is interesting in terms of working with the lost heritage. Using wooden planks and a simple pavilion, the architects of the APRELarchitects and Novaya Zemlya consortium outline the dimensions of the barn, of which only a fragment of the wall remains. The ruin is accentuated in this way, and without violating the authenticity of the matter and the idea, a new functionality appears: the pavilion has a café, a toilet and shopping stalls. The wood of which the garden structures and decks are made has become the main material uniting the historical buildings strung along the Big Merchant Street, the main promenade of the village. The beauty of the pond near St. Nicholas Church was emphasized by a spectacular yet tasteful round bridge.

Improvement of the historical center of Nikolo-Berezovka village
Copyright: Photo © Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan / provided by ArchiWOOD


Urban Design / popular vote

Pavilions in Izumrudny Park
MDVAstudio
Dmitry Indyukov, Maxim Maksimenko, Evgeny Makarenko, Olesya Petukhova, Yulia Titova


The people’s choice, probably, reflects people’s fatigue from the mass improvement of recent years, made in the all-too familiar “stylish, fashionable, youthful” spirit. In Barnaul’s Izumrudny Park, however, the approach is almost the opposite: the new objects remind of dance floors, popsicles and schoolgirls in starched aprons, but look surprisingly charming and fresh. Although they noticeably echo, in color and lattice, the objects of the Switzerland Park in Nizhny Novgorod, designed by KOSMOS.

Pavilions in the Izumrudny City Park
Copyright: Photo © Dmitry Indyukov / provided by ArchiWOOD


Other shortlisted projects in the Urban Design category:

Exposition “Rays”, Vlad Savinkin
Central Park of Culture and Recreation in Istra, Basis architectural studio
Lipovaya Grove,
Basis architectural bureau
Territory of Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum, Wowhaus
Exhibition “Event Horizons”, Totan Kuzembaev architectural studio
Melnikoff/Melnikoff exhibition, Planet 9
Museum Quarter in Gorodets, Institute of Urban Environment Development of Nizhny Novgorod Region, Kurt studio
Park of the 800th Anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod, Institute of Urban Environment Development of Nizhny Novgorod Region, Arch Group

Small object / jury

Apex
Ad Hoc Architecture
Stanislav Subbotin, Daria Kirillova


The pavilion is installed at the beginning of the trail leading to the summit of the Northern Baseg, the highest point in the western Middle Urals. It provides the traveler with a place to rest and shelter from the rain, but it also sets the mood for the road and promises something special: not every trail gets such an expressive symbol. The outlines are reminiscent of ridges, and the boards have been artificially aged to better match the colors of the surroundings.

Improvement of the eco-path “To the top of the Northern Baseg”
Copyright: Photograph © Ad Hoc Architecture


Small object / popular vote

Pedestrian bridge over the Kazanka River
M2M3 architectural studio
Eduard Gubeev, Marsel Kayumov, Tansylu Khakimova (M2M3 architectural studio). Curator: Institute of Urban Development of the Republic of Tatarstan


The choice of the people is again great and seems more justified than that of the jury. The wooden bridge over the Kazanka River in Arsk restores the 19th century crossing and revitalizes the peripheral district. The structures are fascinating: the supports simultaneously resemble fragments of national ornaments and tree trunks.

Pedestrian bridge over the Kazanka River
Copyright: Photograph © Daniil Shvedov / предоставлена ArchiWOOD


Other shortlisted projects in the Small object category:
 
Tree House, ProstoDom
Besedki-Snopy, TM Design Studio
Radiant pavilion, Architectural studio LATOON
 
***

The Restoration nomination was not originally present  in the ArchiWOOD awards, and it is certainly different from all the others, as it is not dedicated to modern architecture and design, but to working with architectural heritage, which, as you know, is, firstly, poorly financed and therefore goes by the wayside, and if it is well financed, it often bears some poisonous fruit. Secondly, it requires not so much creative impulse and artistic freedom, but rather research, meticulousness, careful attitude to authenticity – completely different qualities.

Since it has been introduced, the nomination adorns the prize, but its life is complicated, just like the life of good restorers: the works are difficult to collect, and they must be judged according to different criteria.
 
In short, this year, based on the specifics of the material, the expert council of the prize decided to rename the nomination, expanding its genre boundaries – both reconstruction and recreation were added here. So they won: one reconstruction with adaptation and one recreation.
 
We cannot entirely rule out the possibility that next year “pure” restoration will be brought back – again based on the specifics of the material.

Restoration, reconstruction and re-creation / jury

Renovation of public buildings in Ferapontovo
APRELarchitects
Mikhail Razumovsky, Alexey Fatkin, Galina Volzhanskaya, Veronika Babenko, Anastasia Markina


Another work by APRELarchitects, made for an incredibly obliging location – the Ferapontov Monastery, which can be safely classified as one of those sights worth seeing at least once in your life. The village near the monastery somewhat smeared the impression of the harmony of the place, but now the environment is more integral: with the help of wooden lattice elements, the architects transform the main square into a unified ensemble. The landscaping is delicate and practical – the services it provides are important for both tourists and locals, who have an additional opportunity to earn a living and enjoy their leisure time here.

Renovation of public buildings in Ferapontovo
Copyright: Photo © APRELarchitects / provided by ArchiWOOD


Restoration, reconstruction and re-creation / popular vote

Saltykova House
VAIMA
Anton Myakishev, Evgeny Rakov (on-site work)


The “People” voted in favor of recreating the late 18th century Saltykova’s house, which burned down by vandals, located on the territory of the Shchelkovsky Khutor Museum of Wooden Architecture. The Vaima specialists used nails, hand-forged fittings, and hand planers for the complex profiles of the elements.

Saltykova House
Copyright: Photo © Anton Myakishev / provided by ArchiWOOD


Other shortlisted projects in the Restoration category:

Dome of Levashov bakery, Rus Corporation commissioned by RBI Group
Zavarka Museum and Gallery, All-Russian society for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments, Vega Group Region, Khramov Architectural Studio
Residential house of the 1880s on Volodarskogo Street, Architectural Restoration Workshop-10
Residential house of the early twentieth century on 64 Sedov Street, Architectural Restoration Workshop-10
Early 20th century manor house on Rabochego Shtaba Street, 4, Architectural Restoration Workshop-10

Wood in decoration / jury

Observation tower in Svyastroy
NTML Architects
Authors: Nikita Timonin, Maria Lyashko


Wood in decoration / popular vote

Administrative building on Novaya Naberezhnaya
Project Proposals Division of the Urban Design Department of the Architecture Committee of the Saratov City Municipal Administration.
Authors: Project Proposals Department of the Urban Design Department of the Committee for Architecture of the Administration of the Municipal Entity “Saratov City” (concept stage). MKU “Capital Construction” (project stage)


Sosnovy Bor Park in the town of Svyastroy
Copyright: Photo © Leningrad Region Competence Center / provided by NTML architects


Other shortlisted projects in the Wood in Decoration category:

Modernist villas near Nizhny Tagil, architectural company Gordeev-Demidov

Interior / jury

School in the Evrobereg district
SVESMI, Brusnika, Novascape

Administrative building on Novaya Naberezhnaya
Copyright: Photo © Dmitry Shvedov / provided by ArchiWOOD


Quite a famous school, designed in the spirit of modern trends, defined by everyone’s fatigue of the recently-popular garish design, as well as by attention to public spaces, where children communicate and socialize in an environment close to the natural one. The various features of the school building, such as the brick facade with stair towers at the corners, exposed concrete, and flowing light spaces, are subtly complemented by wood, one of the natural materials used here in the interior. The wooden beams of the atrium’s glass ceiling are a highlight. 

Interior / popular vote 
 
Wine bar
Daria Volkova Design
Author: Daria Volkova


Other shortlisted projects in the Interior category:

A house for granddaughter, ADK-studio
Capsule sleeping rooms for a children’s camp, Mera Makers
Interior of a children’s room, Alexey Rosenberg’s studio
Be.St.Be Smart House, PROEKTOR
Seven Stars Kindergarten, Unison Design Studio
Ryotei Restaurant in the Japanese Garden, RYMAR.studio

Object Design / Jury and the popular vote

The series “Ostov” (“Island”)
NODE, Alexander Frucht, Nikolay Bugrov

The school in “Evrobereg” district
Copyright: Photograph © Dmitry Chebanenko / provided by Brusnika


Other shortlisted projects in the Object Design category:

Tatami-Chair-Tatami, Ekaterina Solovieva
REBBIT table lamp, MDM-Light
Closet-bar, architectural studio LATOON
Hangers, Institute of Business and Design, Architectural Environment and Design Profile

Art object / jury

Antifurniture
Treivas
Authors: Olga Treivas, Fedor Pavlov-Andreevich, Elena Kornilova, Maya Rozhnovskaya, Lisa Narutskaya, Elena Kovalenko


Wine bar
Copyright: Photo © Dmitry Tsyrenshchikov / provided by ArchiWOOD


Art object / popular vote

Pasture
std group, Vladimir Grishin, Nikolay Gedevanishvili, Gor Hovsepyan, Ahmed Omarov, Ani Khachaturyan

The “Island” series from NODE
Copyright: Photo © NODE / provided by ArchiWOOD


Other shortlisted projects in the Art Object category:

The Gap – burning the fourth wall, NOYD
Cabin #29: Zavolzhsky Man camp site (homo flumen), TM Design Studio
Near and Far, 0806.studio
New Year’s tree, Institute of Business and Design,Vlad Savinkin.
Arctic Meadow, Chekharda, architects of Artemy Lebedev Studio
Archive, DoBuro
Ray, Inna Vlasova, Natalia Sorokina, Maria Bartel, Victoria Guskova
Fortress, VOSEM (“EIGHT”) Crew
Anti-furniture
Copyright: Photo by Dmitry Markin, Filipe Conde, Elissa Thiele / provided by Treivas
  • zooming
    Pasture
    Copyright: Photo © Nikolai Gedevanishvili / provided by ArchiWOOD
  • zooming
    Pasture
    Copyright: Photo © Nikolai Gedevanishvili / provided by ArchiWOOD


15 September 2023

Headlines now
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
​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”.
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.
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”.
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.
​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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
The “Staircase” Building
In designing the “Details” residential complex in New Moscow, Rais Baishev spiced up the now-popular Moscow theme of a “courtyard” building with an idea drawn from the surrealist drawings by Maurits Escher. He envisioned the stepped silhouettes and descending slopes as a metaphysical mega-staircase, creating a key void within the courtyard that gave the project an internal “spine”. This concept is felt both in the building’s silhouette and on its façades.
Projection of the Quarter
No one doubted that the building that Vladimir Plotkin designed as part of the “Garden Quarters” would be the most modernist of all. And it turned out just that way: while adhering to the common design code, the building successfully combines brick and white stone, rhythmically responding to the neighboring building designed by Ostozhenka, yet tactfully and persistently making a few statements of its own. This includes the projection of the ideal urban development composition “14–9–6”, which can be found right next door, mathematical calculations, including those for various types of terraces (and perhaps the only reminder of the Soviet past of the Kauchuk rubber factory!), and the white “cross-stitch” pattern of the façade grid.
Domus Aurea
In this issue, we examine the “Tessinsky-1” house, designed by Sergey Skuratov and completed in 2023. Located in the middle of the Serebryanicheskaya Embankment district, at the intersection of its main streets, this house assumes a sort of “nodal” role: it not only responds to everything around it and preserves many memories of the former EMA factory within itself, but it weaves all this into a newly directed pattern, reconciling bright “gold” and dark-colored brick, largely with the help of the new, modern-yet-archaic Columba brick, which, come to think about it, is the most precious element here.
The Chimney of Nikola-Lenivets
In this issue, we are examining the “Obelisk House” designed by KATARSIS and built for the Arkhstoyanie 2023 festival. However, it was only finished later on, and this is why we are examining it now. It seems to us that after the “Obelisk House” appeared in Nikola-Lenivets, a dialogue and a few inner connections appeared between the temporary structures built here. These houses no longer look like “accidental neighbors”, more of which below.
​Periscope by the Bay
The jury awarded the second place in the competition for a public and cultural center in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the companies GORA (“Mountain”) and M4. In the consortium’s proposal, the building resembles a sperm whale with a calf swimming next to it or a periscope, whose lenses capture the most spectacular views from the surrounding landscape.
From Arcs to Dolmens
While working on the competition project for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, ASADOV Architects prioritized the value of the natural and urban environment, aiming to preserve the balance of the location while minimizing the resemblance of the volume that they designed to a “traditional building”. The task was challenging, and the architects created three versions, one of which having been developed after the competition, where their main proposal took third place. However, the point of interest here is not the competition result but the continuity of creative thinking.
Hide and Seek
The ID Moskovskiy house, designed by Stepan Liphart in St. Petersburg, in the courtyards near Moskovskiy Avenue beyond the Obvodny Canal and recently completed, is notable for several reasons. Firstly, it has been realized with considerable accuracy, which is particularly significant as this is the first building where the architect was responsible not only for the facades but also for the layouts, allowing for better integration between the two. On the other hand, this building is interesting as an example of the “germination” of new architecture in the city: it draws on the best examples from the neighborhood and becomes an improved and developed sum of ideas found by the architect in the surrounding context.
The Big Twelve
Yesterday, the winners of the Moscow Mayor’s Architecture Award were announced and honored. Let’s take a look at what was awarded and, in some cases, even critique this esteemed award. After all, there is always room for improvement, right?
Above the Golden Horn
The residential complex “Philosophy” designed by T+T architects in Vladivostok, is one of the new projects in the “Golubinaya Pad” area, changing its development philosophy (pun intended) from single houses to a comprehensive approach. The buildings are organized along public streets, varying in height and format, with one house even executed in gallery typology, featuring a cantilever leaning on an art object.
Nuanced Alternative
How can you rhyme a square and space? Easily! But to do so, you need to rhyme everything you can possibly think of: weave everything together, like in a tensegrity structure, and find your own optics too. The new exhibition at GES-2 does just that, offering its visitor a new perspective on the history of art spanning 150 years, infused with the hope for endless multiplicity of worlds and art histories. Read on to see how this is achieved and how the exhibition design by Evgeny Ace contributes to it.
Blinds for Ice
An ice arena has been constructed in Domodedovo based on a project by Yuri Vissarionov Architects. To prevent the long façade, a technical requirement for winter sports facilities, from appearing monotonous, the architects proposed the use of suspended structures with multidirectional slats. This design protects the ice from direct sunlight while giving the wall texture and detail.