Arma: Uncovering the Territory

In this article, we give a detailed coverage of what was done in Moscow’s new creative cluster “Arma” – and how.

Written by:
Julia Tarabarina
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

08 April 2016

Object

The active phase of turning the “Arma” factory – located in the vicinity of the Kursky railway station – into a “creative cluster” started in 2011, although the remodeling work and the organization process started with the appearance of the first office renters as early as in the 2000’s. Currently, the territory is open to public – one can go through it from the pedestrian underpass leading to the Kurskaya metro station and towards the Vinzavod cultural center, the Mruzovsky alley and the Yauza River. The developer company “Bolshoi Gorod” (“Big City”) also organized and presented the city government on the City Day 2015 with the pedestrian part of the Nizhny Susalny side-street – a street that is daily walked by hundreds if not thousands people headed to and from the metro station. “Arma” was transformed a little bit later than its neighbors “Vinzavod” and “Artplay” but it naturally joined their venerable company making what contribution it can to the “art” reputation of the area lying behind the Kursky railway station. In addition to the four “gas holder” units, its territory includes nine remodeled buildings with shops and cafes at their bottom floors and office premises for rent at the top ones. Specifically, Boris Levyant’s ABD architects recently moved to this place. As a finished project of remodeling an industrial park into an art cluster, Arma is participating in CRE Awards-2016. Although one cannot help noticing that part of its territory closer to the edges is still to be completed and organized – for example, the entrance portals devised by the architects have not been built yet – the nucleus of the cluster is alive and one can safely say that the renovation work is all but complete here.

Renovation of the buildings and organization of the territory was done by the architectural company “AM Sergey Kiselev and Partners”, specifically by Vladimir Labutin and Aleksey Medvedev. “Initially, we were invited as a consultant on remodeling the gas holder units – shares the head of the company Igor Schwartzman – our input into their renovation was minimal; we only helped with planning and engineering issues. Then the clients invited us to work on another building, then on another, and so on. Ultimately, the master plan for developing this territory, the improvements, the projects of renovating the buildings and the interior designs of a few public zones were all done by our company. Renovation of industrial parks has long since become one of our specialties. Together with “Bolshoi Gorod”, we did a business center on the Polkovaya Street, and renovation of the baking factory on the Krasnoselskaya Street. “Arma” is by far the largest and most important project of all of these”.

zooming — Arma: the passage that opens up to the right of the metro tunnel exit. Photograph © Julia Tarabarina, 2016

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Initially known as Boukier Plant, the Moscow gas plant was built back 1860, and until 1931 it predominantly supplied to the street lights that later gave way to Moscow’s kitchens. What survived from the original plant are two buildings stretching along the Nizhny Susalny side-street – in fact, they have the numbers of Building 1 and Building 2 – the biggest pride of the current owners, the gas holders, thick towers for storing gas, that are different from their European counterparts, for example, the ones in Vienna, in the fact that in order to facilitate the feed of the gas and to make the process safer the floors in these towers were lowered below the ground level. Known for the fact that it allowed the city government of those days to cut in half the costs of maintaining the street lights, this plant was built by the famous architects of that time: the gas holders were handled by Moscow’s chief architect Rudolf Bengart – a mathematician, an engineer, and a devotee of the economical “brickwork style”, he came up with a special system of unsupported floor structures for the gas cisterns. The buildings with the workers’ apartments – the ones that are there on the Susalny side-street – were designed by Fyodor Dmitriev, the professor of the Imperial Technical School (now the Moscow State Technical University), and the author of the book about what the workers’ residences must be like. Then, in 1911, the plant was transferred into the city’s ownership, it was rebuilt and refurbished: the structures of the gas holders’ roofs were redesigned, as the historians believe, by another great Russian engineer, Vladimir Shukhov, while the plant itself, or, rather, its south wing, was taken apart and replaced with new buildings that stood independently in a stitching order, parallel to the Nizhny Susalny side-street, by the civil engineer Alexander Roop.

The plant increased its capacity and then made a great input into the WWI, manufacturing all sorts of ammunition from gas to hand grenades. It started losing its ground after 1931: at that time, Moscow built a new plant called “Neftegaz”, and this plant got a popular name of the “old” one, taking the role not so much of production as distribution. In 1946 the nation’s capital was plugged in to the Saratov gas pipeline, and the production of artificial gas stopped altogether. In the 1971 master plan the old gas plan was listed as a hazardous facility and was to be removed beyond the confines of the city but in the 1990’s, renamed into “Arma”, it reinvented itself as manufacturing equipment until 2002, when, yet again renamed into “Gasservice” it moved to another place. The southern part of the territory was handed over to “Arma” and became the working subject of “Bolshoi Gorod” developers.

If we are to take a look at the plan of the territory we will see that the renovation mostly covered the south part of the former factory located between the historical axis of the plant’s territory and the Gorky railroad line. The axis has survived; here lie the main driveway and the main pedestrian trail but all the renovated buildings are grouped to the right of the main entrance. To the left of the entrance, renovation work is only just beginning. So, practically, all the buildings in the southern part of the territory are now complete. The principles of this renovation can be described in the following nutshell. All the Soviet-era additions have been removed. The foundations have been reinforced. The pitches of the roofs got mansard windows and step-like terraces at an occasional spot.

Figuratively speaking, one can think about it like this: the old factory buildings have been saturated with a layer of mercury, somewhere silvery, and somewhere glittering and reflecting the historical brickwork. This historical brickwork has been repaired and covered with a protective varnish. “We consider ourselves to be coauthors of Berngart, Dmitriev, and Roop” - says the author of the reconstruction projects of the historical buildings, Vladimir Labutin.

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Buildings 1, 2

where:	Russia, Moscow
date	2012 — 2014 / 2014 — 2016
function:	Office & Civic / Office block
studio:	Sergey Kisselev & Partners http://www.sk-p.ru/
architect:	Vladimir Labutin

1 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 7
4 / 7
5 / 7
6 / 7
7 / 7

[More about the project]

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Building 3

where:	Russia, Moscow
date	2011 — 2013 / 2013 — 2015
function:	Office & Civic / Office block
studio:	Sergey Kisselev & Partners http://www.sk-p.ru/
architect:	Vladimir Labutin

1 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 7
4 / 7
5 / 7
6 / 7
7 / 7

[More about the project]

***

Buildings 4, 5, 5a

where:	Russia, Moscow
date	2011 — 2013 / 2014
function:	Office & Civic / Office block
studio:	Sergey Kisselev & Partners http://www.sk-p.ru/
architect:	Vladimir Labutin

1 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 7
4 / 7
5 / 7
6 / 7
7 / 7

[More about the project]

***

Building 6

where:	Russia, Moscow
date	2011 — 2013 / 2013 — 2015
function:	Office & Civic / Office block
studio:	Sergey Kisselev & Partners http://www.sk-p.ru/
architect:	Vladimir Labutin

1 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 7
4 / 7
5 / 7
6 / 7
7 / 7

[More about the project]

***

Building 7 (boiler)

where:	Russia, Moscow
date	2012 / 2012 — 2014
function:	Engineering and Industrial /
studio:	Sergey Kisselev & Partners http://www.sk-p.ru/
architect:	Alexey Medvedev

1 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 7
4 / 7
5 / 7
6 / 7
7 / 7

[More about the project]

***

Building 13

where:	Russia, Moscow
date	2012 — 2014 / 2014 — 2015
function:	Office & Civic / Office building
studio:	Sergey Kisselev & Partners http://www.sk-p.ru/
architect:	Alexey Medvedev

1 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 7
4 / 7
5 / 7
6 / 7
7 / 7

[More about the project]

***

Building 19

where:	Russia, Moscow
date	2011 — 2012 / 2012 — 2013
function:	Office & Civic / Office building
studio:	Sergey Kisselev & Partners http://www.sk-p.ru/
architect:	Alexey Medvedev

1 / 7
2 / 7
3 / 7
4 / 7
5 / 7
6 / 7
7 / 7

[More about the project]

***

08 April 2016

Headlines now

The Mirror of Your Soul

We continue to publish projects from the competition for the design of the Russian Pavilion at EXPO in Osaka 2025. We are reminding you that the results of the competition have not been announced, and hardly will ever be. The pavilion designed by ASADOV Architects combines a forest log cabin, the image of a hyper transition, and sculptures made of glowing threads – it focuses primarily on the scenography of the exhibition, which the pavilion builds sequentially like a string of impressions, dedicating it to the paradoxes of the Russian soul.

Part of the Ideal

In 2025, another World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan, in which Russia will not participate. However, a competition for the Russian pavilion was indeed held, with six projects participating. The results were never announced as Russia’s participation was canceled; the competition has no winners. Nevertheless, Expo pavilion projects are typically designed for a bold and interesting architectural statement, so we’ve gathered all the six projects and will be publishing articles about them in random order. The first one is the project by Vladimir Plotkin and Reserve Union, which is distinguished by the clarity of its stereometric shape, the boldness of its structure, and the multiplicity of possible interpretations.

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The Fortress by the River

ASADOV Architects have developed a concept for a new residential district in the center of Kemerovo. To combat the harsh climate and monotonous everyday life, the architects proposed a block type of development with dominant towers, good insolation, facades detailed at eye level, and event programming.

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In the Rhombus Grid

Construction has begun on the building of the OMK (United Metallurgical Company) Corporate University in Nizhny Novgorod’s town of Vyksa, designed by Ostozhenka Architects. The most interesting aspect of the project is how the architects immersed it in the context: “extracting” a diagonal motif from the planning grid of Vyksa, they aligned the building, the square, and the park to match it. A truly masterful work with urban planning context on several different levels of perception has long since become the signature technique of Ostozhenka.

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Generational Connection

Another modern estate, designed by Roman Leonidov, is located in the Moscow region and brings together three generations of one family under one roof. To fit on a narrow plot without depriving anyone of personal space, the architects opted for a zigzag plan. The main volume in the house structure is accentuated by mezzanines with a reverse-sloped roof and ceilings featuring exposed beams.

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Three Dimensions of the City

We began to delve into the project by Sergey Skuratov, the residential complex “Depo” in Minsk, located at Victory Square, and it fascinated us completely. The project has at least several dimensions to it: historical – at some point, the developer decided to discontinue further collaboration with Sergey Skuratov Architects, but the concept was approved, and its implementation continues, mostly in accordance with the proposed ideas. The spatial and urban planning dimension – the architects both argue with the city and play along with it, deciphering nuances, and finding axes. And, finally, the tactile dimension – the constructed buildings also have their own intriguing features. Thus, this article also has two parts: it dwells on what has been built and what was conceived

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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.

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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.

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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”.

Overview

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”.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.