Archi.ru. Nikita Igorevich, we congratulate you on the award of the "Crystal Daedalus". How can you comment on this victory? Was it expected?
Nikita Yavein … To be honest, yes, we were waiting for this award, deep in our hearts we really hoped for it. The architectural concept of the Palace of Creativity of Schoolchildren in Astana was born easily, in a unanimous creative impulse. True, then, after winning the competition, I had to bring the sketches to mind right at a rush pace - the whole process of designing and building this large-scale facility took a little more than a year! Frankly, in this project of ours there is no special layering, no "double coding". But there is a clarity and clarity of the concept, when each element has a certain semantic load. I repeat, we made this project literally in one breath. For us, this work has become a serious test of professionalism.
Archi.ru. Do you consider the Palace of Creativity of Schoolchildren in Astana to be your best building to date? If not, what would you say is your favorite job?
N. Ya.: I love this project, but the first place for me remain
the reconstruction of the General Staff Building is a serious and even hard-won thing. From the recent works of the workshop, I would single out the Dance Academy of Boris Eifman. From the early - I love the Ladozhsky railway station and the Central branch of Sberbank of Russia in St. Petersburg (Furshtatskaya, 5).
Archi.ru. What competitions has Studio 44 taken part in recently? Does the bureau have a specific competition policy?
N. Ya.: We participate either in youth competitions that allow young architects of our studio to open up creatively, or in competitions that suggest the possibility of implementation.
Archi.ru. But at the same time, you took part in the competition for the development of the project for the reconstruction of New Holland. And the history of the reconstruction of this territory is such that one cannot count on implementation …
N. Ya.: I don't know how it will be. I think that the winning project in the form in which it was presented cannot be implemented. It seems that Abramovich chose not a project for himself, but a designer. New Holland is a very important place for our city, and it was very important for us in any case to reflect on its hypothetical future.
Archi.ru. Returning to the theme of the Zodchestvo festival. Do you remember anything, did you like it among the projects and buildings presented in the Manege?
N. Ya.: There were interesting works, but I did not like their presentation. Such a rating plate does not allow you to distinguish one project from another. You have to be a great professional to see something there. I think that the Capella in Ronshan would also be lost there, and no one would ever understand all its charm. It turns out not a project presentation, but a wall decoration. It seems to me that this versatility of the presentation is fundamentally wrong. The author must independently prepare the presentation of his project - from choosing the size of the tablet to printing it.
If we leave this moment aside, then among the works presented I personally remember the Arkhangelsk houses of Mikhail Mamoshin, but Bernasconi's "Cube", on the contrary, disappointed a little. I liked the house of Totan Kuzembaev … In fact, there were many good chamber buildings, the names of which, unfortunately, I did not remember.
Archi.ru. How, in your opinion, should the festival develop? Does he have a future?
N. Ya.: This is a rather significant event, and especially from a political point of view, since many serious representatives of the profession gather at the festival site. Plus it's a great occasion to get together and talk. Today we exist too apart from each other, we are stewing in our own juice. We are isolated, divorced from our colleagues, and therefore gradually lose mutual understanding, a common language. It seems to me that the Union of Architects should contribute to the resumption of dialogue within the profession. And the festival can and should become a good instrument. But first, “Zodchestvo” needs to be revived. The situation only gets worse every year. This festival has shown a very deep recession, which can hardly be justified by the global crisis.
