Little Green Yards of "Moscow"

The landscape design studio "Arteza" has developed a project of improving the territory of "Moscow" Hotel.

Written by:
Alla Pavlikova
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

03 February 2014

Object

The courtyard of the office area. The first option.

The project of improving the territory of the renovated "Moscow" Hotel has been developed by "Arteza" landscape design studio since August 2013. It was at that particular time that the customer turned to the architects with a request to landscape the then-bare courtyards and terraces of the hotel by turning them into green territories pleasant to walk and take recreation in. The project includes three inner courtyards located in the living apartment area, as well as in the office and hotel part of the building, and the terrace in front of the president suite.

The courtyard is situated on the level of the sixth floor of the building and has a regular rectangular form on the plan. It is already paved and it has on in four symmetric flower beds that the landscape architects were to put some spin on. "Arteza" came up with several options of landscaping this territory, preserving and augmenting the existing structure.

The courtyard of the office area. The present state.

The courtyard of the office area. The first option. Master plan.

In the first option, the image of the territory is based on the combination of white decorative pebbles and an artificial green lawn. At this point, it is important to know that initially the customer planned to use exclusively natural grass (and for this purpose, part of the soil had already been brought in), but, upon a closer investigation of all the circumstances, the "Arteza" specialists convinced him to give up this idea. As Aleksey Pertsukhov, one of the authors of the project, explains, one of the main reasons against the natural greenery was the fact that it was only possible to create in the courtyard a very thin, literally 3-inch layer of soil which would not have been capable of holding the watering and water disposal systems. Instead, the authors suggested opting for the artificial lawn that visually is practically no different from the natural one: with the help of pebble filling work set against the green blanket of the lawn, the architects set the minimalist pattern of horizontal and vertical stripes of trails.

The courtyard of the office area. The first option.

In each of the "islets", the architects make two rectangular extractions, positioning them diagonally in respect to each other. Along the edge of each of these "hollows", there are benches, and before these benches, there are square stone tables behind which people can have their coffee, work, or simply visit with one another. The other two corners are marked by white pebbles that emanate the "streams" of the so-called "light fountain". These streams are in fact lightbulbs executed from semi-transparent plastic that are so light and agile that at the slightest gust of wind they produce a light and realistic-looking wave, thanks to which the artificial fountain looks very much like a real one. Even the intensity of light can be controlled here - which provides the opportunity for creating the effect of smooth coming on and off and backlighting.

Yet another eye-catching plastic accent in each of the islets are the two vent pipes, deliberately routed into the courtyard. It is planned that they will be raised on a snow-white podium and turned into metallic sculptural elements glittering in the sun. And, as for the central part of the yard, it will be left free of any permanent objects because this area will be reserved for conducting various events including those that presuppose the mounting of a stage. At other times, this area can be decorated by various compositions of glittering white cache-pots with bright blossoming flowers. Cache-pots of this same kind will be placed along the perimeter of the courtyard. They serve not only the decorative function but also the backlighting one; in fact, the cache-pots and the "fountains" will become the main source of light in the yard in the nighttime.

The courtyard of the office area. The second option. Master plan.

The second option of designing the office yard is different from the first in but one thing - the absence of the filling work. In this particular solution, the pebble trails give way to green fences executed by means of shaping various plants, so the visitors will be able to walk directly on the lawn that will look as if it were dissected into separate segments.

The courtyard of the office area. The second option.

The last option that was proposed by "Arteza" architects is arguably the most free-looking of all. In this version, the authors again turn to the lights executed in the "jet" shape but this time they make from them a dynamic diagonal stroke, very much like a riverbed of a whitewater river. The bottom of the river is marked by white filling work, while the banks are marked by dark colored, almost black, pebbles. Interesting is the fact that there are actually two streams - one of them crosses the yard by an exact diagonal, and the other touches the upper islets in a smooth arc.

The courtyard of the office area. The third option.

The next area that needed improvement was the courtyard of the hotel itself. It also has a rectangular shape but its entire central part is occupied by the unusable roof of the swimming pool that rises a bit over the yard ground level. The guests of the hotel are not supposed to have access here, and thus the designers' main task was creating a beautiful view of the yard from the windows of the hotel rooms.

The courtyard of the hotel. The present state.

"When we first saw this place, it was an empty territory with half-dismantled paving stones - Aleksey Pertsukhov shares - It was at that particular moment that we had the idea of filling these "empty spaces" between the pavements stones and the green lawn so as to breathe new life into this place, and even some mischief along with it, if you like. Such a solution is really simple both to implement and to maintain later on". The stones, of course, had to be re-paved - thoroughly thinking out the location of each element of the paving order, the architects were able to create a harmonious and well balanced "pixel" pattern. Besides, there were designed the options for decorating walls surrounding the swimming pool roof. And the finishing touch of designing this territory became the already-familiar glittering cache-pots.

The courtyard of the hotel. Master plan.

The courtyard of the hotel

The courtyard of the hotel. Combination of paving and lawn fragments.

Courtyard of the hotel. Example of glowing cache-pots.

On the fifth floor, in the apartment section, there is yet another open atrium that is accessed from each of the apartments. "Arteza" proposed to treat its image as a union of cozy private little open-air yards separated by non-transparent walls from the rest of the courtyard. The architects were able to implement this idea by building a wooden framework with blind partitions. Made of wood-polymer composite, the floor boarding puts one in the mind of the terrace of a summer home, while, in order to eliminate the feel of a closed space, the authors of the project make imitation windows, clad in outdoor curtains. As a result, the atmosphere of the little yards is very close to that of an indoor space - even the furniture that architects selected for them, the kind that is capable of surviving the winter outdoors, looks intimate and warm, the type that would be able to fit even some luxury drawing room. The territory is planned out in such a way that it comfortably combines the dining area and the recreation area, the latter having in it, besides the wide armchairs, a bench swing. At the guests' request, living plants can also be brought in here, as well as designer interior objects - for example, giant green apples. A lot of thought was also given to the lighting system, as well to the scenario of operating these premises in the wintertime (all the structures are demountable).

Courtyard of the apartments. master plan of the improvement and overview of the apartments.

Courtyard of the apartments. The present state.

Courtyard of the apartments.

Commanding the view of the Kremlin and the Manezh Square, the grand terrace of the president suite is situated on the seventh floor of "Moscow" Hotel. It has connection to five large hotel rooms that, if necessary, can be united in a single whole. Accordingly, the terrace was also to get some "all-purpose" solution fit for using by one guest as well as several. The architects proposed to turn it into a transformable area that, very much like a Lego construction kit, can be assembled from the same elements. The zoning is done by green partitions and white openwork screens. Marked by wicker furniture and light-shade textile curtains, the dining and meeting zones are placed under broad awnings that provide protection from the wind and the rain. For heating and lighting the place, the architects propose to use open-fire gaslights. On the edge of the terrace, along the fence, there are also secluded places for the quiet contemplation of the views of historic Moscow.

Terrace of the president suite. Master plan. Layout for five guests.

Terrace of the president suite. Layout for five guests.

Terrace of the president suite. Master plan. Layout for two or three guests.

Terrace of the president suite. Layout for two or three guests.

Terrace of the president suite. Top view. Layout for two or three guests.

Terrace of the president suite. Master plan. Layout one guest.

Terrace of the president suite. Top view. Layout one guest.

The meticulously thought-out concept of improvement of the hotel territory also includes scenarios for using the open-air spaces in the wintertime: it provides for heating the pavements, and contains options of Christmas decoration.

Terrace of the president suite. The present state.

03 February 2014

Headlines now

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.

Object

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”.

Object

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.

Object

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.

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.