Published on Archi.ru (https://archi.ru)

25.09.2009

A horseshoe for luck

Anna Martovitskaya
Architect:
Sergey Kisselev
Studio:
Sergey Kisselev & Partners

Today it is smart to talk of architects and their social responsibility, as rule, the last is narrowed to “do no harm your city" concept. But few think that architects are able and must provide pro bono services. This makes the example of "Sergei Kiselev & Partners” more valuable for the professional community. They developed the urban and architectural concept of social village in Volokolamsk district of Moscow region.

The site has horseshoe shaped plan and the architects finely used this peculiarity in the masterplan of the village. Its structure is traditional, there is a public centre places close to the road which also is a kind of noise-protective barrier wall, and cottages are located deep on the site. The public centre is horseshoe shaped too and points towards the roadway warmly welcoming. The horseshoe is formed by the two arc-shaped and different in sizes buildings which flank the central entrance to the village. The southern smaller building houses a gym and a cafeteria, the western one includes studios, administrative offices and a library. The main street of the location is like a small fir-tree, its top comes to the house-"horseshoe", and its "roots" rest upon the area of a decorative pond. There is a house at each branch. Such structure helps to observe norms of isolation and keep the houses close to each other. In general, method of alternating perspective creates an interesting spatial intrigue: from the social complex the street is seen as a boulevard, from the lake it is seen like a square.

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