Harmonization of Intentions

We met and talked with the chief architect of Genplan Institute of Moscow Grigory Mustafin and the chief architect of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Maxim Efanov – about how the master plan of the city is formed. The key to success: gathering data, digital simulation, working with the city people, thinking infrastructure, and presentation.

Interviewed by:
Alyona Kuznetsova
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

09 October 2023

Interview

Archi.ru
How long did you work on the master plan of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?

Grigory Mustafin,
Chief architect of Genplan Institute of Moscow:
We started in 2020, in July 2022 we made revisions based on the results of public hearings; and in September 2022 the document was approved. In parallel, in April 2022, we started working with the master plan for the first agglomeration belt. We combined and synchronized all the intentions for the development of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and as a result, the city received a comprehensive package of documentation for all its needs: urban planning, financing, and presentation of itself at the federal level.

The master plan was preceded by a spatial development strategy development stage, for which we engaged international companies and conducted comprehensive sociological research.

zooming — Long-term strategic projects

Copyright: © Image provided by Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Department of Architecture and Urban Planning

Maxim Efanov,
Chief Architect of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk:
In the spatial strategy, we tried out several projects: for example, we started to form land plots for the production of liquefied natural gas. We passed this stage within the framework of the Skolkovo program for training management personnel for the 100 largest Russian cities: we voiced our ideas in presentations and received feedback. And in the process of approving the master plan, we realized that we had additional local tasks and made adjustments. In a word, it is a living and breathing document. Quite large functional zoning gives us a lot of flexibility, and the land use and development rules allow us to fine-tune the details.

Grigory Mustafin: If we trace how the requirements for the development of master plans from the 10th order were implemented, we will see that the developers of master plans are gradually moving from a full classifier of functional zoning of 30 names to increasingly larger zones, which include flexible levers to respond to changing external settings.

1 / 3

Agricultural land

Copyright: © Image provided by Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Department of Architecture and Urban Planning
2 / 3

Linear industrial park

Copyright: © Image provided by Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Department of Architecture and Urban Planning
3 / 3

The Energy Valley

Copyright: © Image provided by Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Department of Architecture and Urban Planning

Is this the reason that Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk needed a new master plan so urgently? The previous one was only adopted in 2012?

Maxim Efanov: The master plan is usually adopted for 20 years, but over this time everything changes, right down to urban planning legislation. In the previous master plan there were no investment projects that we are currently implementing. And in order to form land plots for them, there must be an appropriate type of permitted use. And even if a land plot was formed, we have no infrastructure for it: engineering networks, highways. Simply repainting zones – that’s not how it works. Every three years the master plan definitely needs to be adjusted. As we have already said, it is a living document.

Grigory Mustafin: The new Master Plan has been prepared in accordance with the new legislative requirements, including those for design. The socio-economic development of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has also had a significant impact on it. We have updated several issues: for example, the previous master plan included the areas of the Ministry of Defense and forestry, and the road was routed through a few “forbidden” areas. We analyzed every conflict of interests and proposed alternatives. A big block of work in the creation of the master plan is the harmonization of intentions and clarification of priorities of the city development.

How do you monitor the actual implementation of the master plan?

Maxim Efanov: A special division of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning together with the Department of Economic Development is in charge of monitoring urban planning documentation. Having approved the draft master plan, we make sure that the development moves in the vector it was designed for. This is a long-term day-to-day work: to select a land plot, to analyze vacant territories and put them up for auction, to help the land use department to form tender documentation, to determine the parameters of the territory.

Which solutions of the master plan for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are already being implemented, and which are in the pipeline? How do you establish your implementation priorities?

Maxim Efanov: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk now has an overland metro. The previous master plan envisioned taking the railroad outside the city center, but now the approach to this issue has been revised: the railroad has become the basis for the development of the surface metro. Rail buses are used as high-speed public transportation that does not stand in traffic jams and is not afraid of snow drifts and snowstorms.

The entire city transportation network is now formed on the basis of the existing railroad: several interchange hubs have already been opened, and together with Russian Railways we have changed the schedule of freight traffic so as not to interfere with the movement of public transport. Demand for railroads has been growing by multiples every year since the launch. The bet has played out.

Grigory Mustafin: To support this story, we have put into perspective the development of the territory around the surface metro stations in order to capitalize this infrastructure. Renovation of the industrial zone with the creation of a new urban center, development of industrial technoparks, agro-parks, new residential areas are “tied” to the railroad. The alternation of residential areas and economic clusters makes it possible to move towards the concept of a “15-minute city”.

Maxim Efanov: It is also worth mentioning that until 2018, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk had only a narrow-gauge railroad; now it has been “revamped” but not electrified. The rail buses are modern, comfortable, but they run on a diesel engine. Together with PJSC RusHydro, we have launched a program to switch the rail bus to hydrogen fuel, and the same is expected for the rest of the transport, which is now gasified at the expense of the regional subsidy. We are striving for carbon neutrality.

Grigory Mustafin: Our colleagues have chosen a very productive approach: first they invested in transportation, then they developed the territory itself. It is very rare for our cities to have such a well-organized urban planning activity.

What other interesting things can you mention?

Maxim Efanov: The master plan of the northern industrial zone is ready, this year we plan to do a lottery for the “integrated land development” program. The “UYUN” and “Horizon” micro-districts are under construction, the “Field of Miracles” micro-district has been designed, the first stage of construction of a technopark, an agro-park, an airstrip, a western bypass road of regional significance, a scientific and educational center, a campus for 1500 students has begun. All this was from the very start included in the spatial development strategy and master plan.

These adjustments to the master plan – do they come mostly from “above” or from “below”?

Maxim Efanov: The municipality, of course, understands where housing should be developed and where industry should be developed. But there are nuances that residents know much better. For example, we discussed in detail with the citizens four options for the alignment of the western bypass and the so-called eastern bypass street: we met, discussed the pros and cons, made decisions at the management level and adjusted the master plan in the way we agreed with the residents. Thus, we removed a large block of tension. The number of appeals about violation of citizens’ rights in urban documentation has significantly decreased.

Grigory Mustafin: This was an initiative of the client and us as a contractor – the legislation provides for interaction with residents only at the very last stages during public hearings. Our colleagues in the terms of reference for the development of documentation included a separate stage for this: telephone and internet surveys were conducted, a platform with a map where you could leave an idea worked, seminars about transportation and the natural framework were held. We literally sat in circles and drew schemes of possible city development. Then we would come separately and show them – this is what we have fixed, what goes into the concept. And then iterations. There were projects in our practice, where less work was done, and it was felt at public hearings. We also met individually with businesses and investors. It would be correct to scale this experience to other cities in our country.

The Genplan Institute of Moscow has developed a “System of Complex Indicators of Urban Environment Assessment” – how does it help in creating a master plan?

Grigory Mustafin: There is a certain algorithm in the development of any territorial and strategic planning document. Everything starts with data collection work, which in fact never stops: even by the time the master pan is approved, we continue to receive various data from executive authorities, residents, and other sources.

Your data is information, but information does not automantically equal meaning. Using complex algorithms, we verify the data and turn them into a basis for creating a project solution: we identify problems, potentials, and drivers of territory development. That is, we turn facts into value judgments. Further we do not say: “here is the final correct solution for the development of the city”. Instead, we consider several scenarios: if we do nothing, if we emphasize agglomeration development, or if we invest all investments in the city center. We have made five such scenarios for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Further on, we use this information for modeling apparatus and apply tools that would help to characterize the scenario from an unexpected side, to show the pitfalls. In this process, we try to identify the maximum number of objective pros and cons. And after that we choose either the best scenario or combine the “hits” from all variants.

After the selection of the scenario follows nuanced work and refinement. This stage is also accompanied by modeling: we check how the changes affect the load of infrastructure, the provision of residents with certain resources. This tool is also convenient for approvals.

Is the algorithm the same for working with all cities?

Grigory Mustafin: There are nuances. The data is organized differently, the assessment tools differ: somewhere it is related to landscape characteristics, somewhere – to historical and cultural heritage. We try to transform the template in such a way that it is customized to the uniqueness of the city. For example, in Sevastopol, an important factor influencing all decisions is the relief: the city territory is located on terraces, beams, ridges, and you have to take into account the view of the sea – all this affects functional zoning.

In the case of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, especially in the case of the master plan, a lot of attention is paid to the presentation of the work – videos, layouts, infographics, discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum. How important is this part of the work?

Maxim Efanov: The presentation made by the Institute of General Plan together with IND architects on the first belt of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk agglomeration is beyond praise. This is exactly the kind of presentation that is needed to bring numbers, maps, and schemes to the attention of managers and residents, and to show and justify that your project is successful.

Grigory Mustafin: It should be remembered that the master plan for the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk agglomeration and other Far Eastern cities was prepared at a different level, by order of the President. And this is unprecedented: it is the first time in the history of master planning that such a large-scale initiative from the federal government has appeared. The level of involvement of regional governments and federal executive bodies was very high. When we were developing the master plan, we regularly prepared materials for private presentations and discussed them separately with Maxim Oreshkin and Yuri Trutnev. At one point, the jury looked at 10 master plans at once. Then the master plans were reviewed by the President and currently some of them, including Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, have already been approved and are receiving support.

We wanted to showcase the region to the best advantage. We made a 15-minute video with 170 slides, which covered absolutely everything – initiatives, agreements, strategic projects, drivers of economic development. We also made a shorter video with infographics, 3D visualizations, in which we translated the figures understandable to specialists into human language. Then we presented them at the Eastern Economic Forum.

In May 2023, the master plan was presented to the president and approved. After that, special decrees were issued to support infrastructure projects.

Let’s summarize: what is the formula for a viable master plan?

Grigory Mustafin: The first thing is interaction with residents, starting from the stage of forming the first conceptual decisions.

The second is an emphasis on infrastructure development: instead of building a residential area in a field, it is necessary to develop high-speed transportation and focus priority projects on it, taking into account the strategic goals.

The third is to alternate residential areas with economic clusters. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, this is, for example, an agro-park, which affects the improvement of the island’s food security, the external economic framework, and the possibility of exporting to other regions.

These three things mean a high quality master plan for any city, regardless of its geographic location.

09 October 2023

Headlines now

Inverted Fortress

This year, there has been no shortage of intriguing architectural ideas around the Omsk airport. The project developed by the architectural company KPLN appeals to Omsk’s history as a wooden fortress that it was back in the day, but transforms the concept of a fortress beyond recognition: it “shaves off” the conical ends of “wooden logs”, then enlarges them, and then flips them over. The result is a hypostyle – a forest of conical columns on point supports, with skylights on top.

send.project

Transformation of Annenkirche

For Annenkirche (St. Anna Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg), Sergey Kuznetsov and the Kamen bureau have prepared a project that relies on the principles of the Venice Charter: the building is not restored to a specific date, historical layers are preserved, and modern elements do not mimic the authentic ones. Let’s delve into the details of these solutions.

The Paradox of the Temporary

The concept of the Russian pavilion for EXPO 2025 in Osaka, proposed by the Wowhaus architects, is the last of the six projects we gathered from the 2022 competition. It is again worth noting that the results of this competition were not finalized due to the cancellation of Russia’s participation in World Expo 2025. It should be mentioned that Wowhaus created three versions for this competition, but only one is being presented, and it can’t be said that this version is thoroughly developed – rather, it is done in the spirit of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, the project is interesting in its paradoxical nature: the architects emphasized the temporary character of the pavilion, and in its bubble-like forms sought to reflect the paradoxes of space and time.

The Forum of Time

The competition project for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka designed by Aleksey Orlov and Arena Project Institute consists of cones and conical funnels connected into a non-trivial composition, where one can feel the hand of architects who have worked extensively with stadiums and other sports facilities. It’s very interesting to delve into its logic, structurally built on the theme of clocks, hourglasses and even sundials. Additionally, the architects have turned the exhibition pavilion into a series of interconnected amphitheaters, which is also highly relevant for world exhibitions. We are reminding you that the competition results were never announced.

Mirrors Everywhere

The project by Sergey Nebotov, Anastasia Gritskova, and the architectural company “Novoe” was created for the Russian pavilion at EXPO 2025, but within the framework of another competition, which, as we learned, took place even earlier, in 2021. At that time, the competition theme was “digital twins”, and there was minimal time for work, so the project, according to the architect himself, was more of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, this project is interesting for its plan bordering on similarity with Baroque projects and the emblem of the exhibition, as well as its diverse and comprehensive reflectiveness.

Report

The Steppe Is Full of Beauty and Freedom

The goal of the exhibition “Dikoe Pole” (“Wild Field”) at the State Historical Museum was to move away from the archaeological listing of valuable items and to create an image of the steppe and nomads that was multidirectional and emotional – in other words, artistic. To achieve this goal, it was important to include works of contemporary art. One such work is the scenography of the exhibition space developed by CHART studio.

The Snowstorm Fish

The next project from the unfinished competition for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025, which will be held in Osaka, Japan, is by Dashi Namdakov and Parsec Architects. The pavilion describes itself as an “architectural/sculptural” one, with its shape clearly reminiscent of abstract sculpture of the 1970s. It complements its program with a meditative hall named “Mendeleev’s Dreams”, and offers its visitors to slide from its roof at the end of the tour.

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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

Object

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.

Object

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.

Object

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”.

Object

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.

send.project

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.

send.project

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

send.project

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.

Object

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.

send.project

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.

Object

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.

send.project

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.

Object

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.

Object

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.

send.project

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.