The Moskovskiye Novosti newspaper and the P-Arch agency, continuing the joint project “The Club of Architectural Criticism,” interviewed architectural journalists to find out what they think about Greater Moscow and the competition for a concept for the development of the Moscow agglomeration. Everyone was skeptical, believing that there was no need to expect super ideas from the competition. Grigory Revzin drew attention to the relatively small payment for the work of the teams that are now working on the concept of the Moscow agglomeration - "some tickets to the opera cost more", Alexander Ostrogorsky called the project "a suitcase without a handle, inside of which there is a bomb", Kirill Ass described it as an example of indecision and ill-humor …
On the pages of the Ogonyok magazine, Grigory Revzin discusses the brand and the meanings of Moscow. He writes that the meanings that are somehow connected with the capital revolve around the definition of Moscow as Sin City - a city of sin. This is a city of utopias, such as Big Moscow, a city of people who do not accept their modernity and do not love their life - the critic concludes and finally suggests that an antibiotic be given to the "sick city".
This week, at a meeting of the Moscow government, it was decided to limit the maximum height of buildings under construction in the center of the capital, according to RBK daily. Now this value should not exceed 75 m, previously it was equal to 100 m. Height restrictions will appear in the areas of panoramic views of Moscow monuments. In addition, additional restrictions on the number of storeys will apply. The authorities emphasize that each case will be considered separately. General Director of Penny Lane Realty Georgy Dzagurov told Izvestia newspaper that the reduction in height will increase the demand for already constructed buildings and, as a result, will lead to an increase in prices for buying and renting real estate.
On the one hand, Moscow is trying to preserve the city's panoramas, and on the other, it is demolishing historic buildings. So, on August 7, the demolition of the city estate of the 18th-19th centuries began. on Arbat, 41 - Melgunov's house. The work was suspended only on August 8 with the help of a police squad and deputies. The house is located on the territory of the united protected zone of cultural heritage objects. The developer is based on the permission of the urban planning and land commission, but does not have the approval of the Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow and the specially authorized interdepartmental "Tolerable Commission", says Arhnadzor. The coordinator of the social movement Konstantin Mikhailov sent a statement to the Moscow prosecutor's office. He asks to bring to justice the heads of ZAO Stroymontazhtsentr-2000, who destroyed the house. Arkhnadzor coordinator Natalya Samover writes that the house that survived the Napoleonic invasion was destroyed in the year of the ceremonial celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812 for the sake of building a multifunctional center - “there is some kind of incomprehensible, cruel irony in this”. Samover says the demolition of the house has affected neighboring buildings as well. So, cracks went through the house of Bulat Okudzhava (Arbat, 43). In addition, the construction could damage the outstanding architectural monument - the Melnikov house.
Events around the ill-fated, almost demolished house are developing: on Friday it became known that the contractors were fined a ridiculous amount of 200 thousand rubles in such cases. And in the middle of the day on Saturday from "Arkhnadzor" came a message that the activist and coordinator of the movement Natalia Samover was arrested and taken away in a police car.
On Friday, the media spread information that the Moscow Kremlin may be removed from the list of World Heritage Sites. UNESCO sent a letter to the Union of Architects of Russia, in which it declared its concern about the state of the Kremlin, including in connection with the reconstruction of the 14th building and the construction of a technical building in Taynitsky Garden. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee plans to consider the state of the Kremlin and Red Square next year. Later, the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO denied information about the possible exclusion of the Kremlin from the list of World Heritage Sites. The commission assured RIA Novosti that these conversations are a "canard", and nothing threatens the Kremlin.
The threat loomed over the territory of the Arkhangelskoye museum-estate a long time ago. Now the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region has presented another project to reduce the protected zones from 657 hectares to 67, as reported by the Kultura TV channel. It was proposed to exclude the park surrounding the Gonzago Theater, the cascade of manor ponds and Lohin Island from the territory of the ensemble. Arkhangelskoye's defenders argue that if the project is approved, these areas will be built up. So, next to the Gonzaga theater, it is planned to build more than 100 cottages. The Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region plans to conduct its own expert assessment of the project.
Sergei Skuratov and Narine Tyutcheva told in interviews published on the website of the new MARCH architecture school about the role of an architect in the life of society and how they see their future students. “An architect must first of all be a citizen, have a clear, pure, principled position of his own, and not be afraid to publicly defend it. An architect should be a wise leader and actively participate in the process of changing the vector of cultural development, while respecting and understanding the contribution of other professionals,”says Sergey Skuratov.
Another interview this week was given to Ogonyok magazine by the professor at Tulane University of New Orleans, William Brumfield, a lover of Russian architecture who has been photographing it for more than 40 years, and the resulting material is published in the form of books and shown to his American students. Brumfield speaks good Russian, considers himself "Russified", and also assures that through the camera lens you can see what you just don't notice right away.
The Village Internet newspaper writes that Gazprom has cut the area of its offices in Lakhta in St. Petersburg. It was decided to set aside about a third of the area of the business center for social and cultural facilities: a park, an amphitheater, skating rinks and exhibition halls. According to the plan of the designers, the park next to the Lakhta Center and the park of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg can become a single space for relaxation and walking. And the St. Petersburg administration plans to create the first "creative quarter" in the city, which will house workshops, exhibition spaces, entertainment zones, shopping areas, hotels and offices of creative organizations. The Kresty pre-trial detention center is currently being considered as a territory for the quarter.
The restoration of the Great Menshikov Palace continues in Oranienbaum. Last week, the second stage of the restoration was opened there - four rooms of the female half: the Big Study, the Bedroom, the Jungfer Chamber and the Prohodnaya. Izvestia writes that during the scrupulous restoration of the rooms, the spirit of history was lost, and now the Menshikov Palace looks like a remake. In addition, according to the author, cheap clipart, broadcast through expensive video projectors, spoils the palace. In 2013, it is planned to open the next phase of the palace in Oranienbaum - the Japanese pavilion, the Church complex and galleries.
