It is known this week that the deputy chairman of the committee Ruben Mulkidzhanyan will soon be the head of the Moskomarkhitektura, RIA Novosti reports. Previously, Oleg Rybin was appointed acting chief architect of Moscow, but he resigned after Alexander Kuzmin. Among the possible candidates for the post of the chief architect of Moscow, experts name the head of the Research and Development Institute of the General Plan of Moscow, the former chief architect of Kazan, Ernst Mavlyutov, and the deputy head of the Moskomarkhitektura, Sergei Kostin. Andrei Bokov, President of the Union of Architects of Russia, believes that the positions of the chief architect of Moscow and the chairman of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Construction should be separated. “This is one of the solutions that will allow, in the current situation of a shortage of applicants for the post of the chief architect of Moscow, to build a working system and protect the capital from the complete dismantling of architectural services and de-professionalization of urban regulation,” Bokov said. He also noted that it is necessary to return the election of the chief architect of the city, so that the person holding this post is responsible to citizens for the quality of the urban environment. It is planned that the new chief architect of Moscow will be chosen in mid-August this year.
One of the most recent undertakings of the former head of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Architecture, Alexander Kuzmin, was creative competitions for projects for the development of the Zaryadye territory. This week, French landscape architect, landscape design expert at the French Ministry of Ecology, Olivier Dame, told Bolshoi Gorod magazine about his version of the park on the site of the Rossiya hotel. Most of the territory will be occupied by trees, flowers and children's playgrounds. In addition, the architects propose to create horizontal view terraces at different levels, as well as allocate territory for commercial functions. Olivier Dame emphasizes that Moscow lacks greenery in the very center of the city, especially along the embankments. He proposes to design several gardens within the Garden Ring.
Nikolai Malinin writes on Archi.ru about two past competitions: for the project of a large book pavilion and a small one - "Gogol-module" intended for book trade. The first project was won by Andrey Asadov's project. The architect suggested that the facades of the pavilion be "stitched" with verses by sawing the lines with a laser on the plywood. The pavilion will be located at the junction of two alleys in the Muzeon park. In the project for the "Gogol-module" it was necessary to provide for the possibility of transforming the object - turning it into a shop or a gazebo. The competition was won by the design of a cylindrical pergola, the stiffeners of which serve as bookshelves. The project was developed by the RueTemple workshop. It is planned that "Gogol Modules" will appear in each park.
In another article, Nikolai Malinin discusses in general about temporary architecture, which is becoming more and more in Moscow. He refers to it the pavilion "School" in "Muzeon", "Peripter" at the entrance to the Central House of Artists, the gazebo of the architect Alexander Brodsky in the Park of Culture, as well as the exhibition hall of the Japanese Shigeru Ban, which will soon appear in Gorky Park. The critic believes that temporary pavilions provide an opportunity for a quick reaction to the demand of society. In addition, "temporary architecture is a great way to keep things clean while still updating the familiar." Malinin writes: Russia has finally found itself in the trend of creating public spaces - "architecturally meaningful and functionally rich."
Another trend - the development of cycling - so far it is much more difficult to take root. Nevertheless, the first attempts to create cycling routes are already being made. So, in the south-west of Moscow, in the Troparevo-Nikulino area, it is planned to launch a pilot project to create a mini-bicycle city, according to the Moskovskie Novosti newspaper. There, as an experiment, several residential areas will be fully equipped for the needs of cyclists. The layout of the bike paths is already ready, it was made by the residents of the district themselves. According to the project, the paths will connect shops, cafes, a swimming pool, a park and transport hubs with the most convenient routes. By the end of August, the Department of Transport promises to prepare a final bike path map for the entire Southwest District. And in the near future, the department will start installing bicycle parking in the center of Moscow, writes The Village magazine. Now everyone has the opportunity to make adjustments to their layout (by commenting on the Google doc file). The Cycling Development Group invites everyone to take part in a raid to determine the exact parking spots. And in St. Petersburg, a group of activists is planning to hold an action aimed at popularizing cycling. Old bicycles, painted in one color, will be put on the street in the city center. Anyone can ride this bike to the place they need and leave it there - for the next user. Old bicycles are accepted free of charge at the bike shop on Goncharnaya Street until the end of summer.
The chief architect of the Swiss studio "Office of architectural systems AS Office", he is also the general director of the Barcelona city development agency BcnRegional, Jose Acebillo, visited St. Petersburg and told The Village about how he sees its development. Thus, the architect believes that a moratorium on construction in the city center should not be imposed in St. Petersburg. He sees the future of St. Petersburg - in the development of embankments. “I was in Lenexpo: from the buildings on the shore, it’s even impossible to see the water! You have to think about how to use them (the embankments), they have to have functionality,”says José Acebillo. He proposes to develop large hubs in St. Petersburg - airports, train stations, ports, as well as transport links with large nearby cities, for example, with Helsinki.
The architect Pavel Nikonov strongly opposes the modernization of the historical center of St. Petersburg. He says that the entire central part of the city is a single integral structure, which cannot be invaded. St. Petersburg courtyards are also of value. The architect believes that sealing construction is not acceptable in principle, and even more so in St. Petersburg. “Over time, when our legal institutions and the tradition of living by the rules are restored, it will become obsolete and will be impossible,” concludes Pavel Nikonov.
Another interview this week was given by Oskar Mamleev, an architect and teacher of the MARCH architecture school. He explains what a master's degree in architecture is, how it differs from a bachelor's degree, and also formulates the tasks that the school faces. The architect says: "One of the components of a school like MARSH is the education and preparation of a person for productive production and design activities, conscious creation with a sense of taste, tact and imagination."
The Vedomosti newspaper writes about Strelka's workshops. The Institute conducts training programs for residents of remote areas of Moscow. Events have not only an educational function, but also a utilitarian one. As part of the workshops, it is planned to create something useful for residents. For example, it is planned to create an installation in front of the Ladya shopping center in the Mitino district, and to publish a regional newspaper in Otradnoye, which will help unite the local community. Workshops will take place during July and August.
In conclusion - about the events that can be visited in the near future. The Pushkin Museum hosts an exhibition of works by contemporary photographers. It contains photographs of three dozen authors representing different genres and different views on the museum. The architectural section contains photographs by Mikhail Rozanov: the majestic colonnades and steps of the museum, photographs of old city estates near the Pushkin Museum, taken by Katya Golitsina, and the works of Dmitry Muzalev. And the newspaper "Kommersant" newspaper, in turn, announces in detail the next festival "Archstoyanie", which will be held in the Kaluga region from 27 to 29 July.
