In 2012, an open all-Russian competition "The Hermitage in a New Light" was announced, to which 129 project teams from 27 cities of Russia were presented, as well as several participants from Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Great Britain and Germany. According to the results of this competition, the jury headed by M. B. Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage, announced the winners. The Grand Prix was awarded to the concept presented by the working group of the STK MT Electro bureau, Yekaterinburg, which will become the basis for a large-scale and technically complex project to illuminate the facade of the East Wing of the General Staff building.
The 'Hermitage in a New Light' competition is an unprecedented initiative. Absolutely any Russian lighting designer could offer his lighting design for a building of such a historic scale. This profession is not yet very common in Russia, and therefore it is especially important for us that more than a hundred novice and professional Russian lighting designers have responded to the competition. We are delighted to have been able to share this unique opportunity to transform urban space and give students a chance to prove themselves,”said Arjan de Jongste, CEO of Philips Russia and the CIS. - I would like to emphasize that we received very high-quality and well-thought-out concepts. They show a deep analysis of the task, a desire to reveal the architect's plan and emphasize the artistic expressiveness of the facade of the General Staff."
Among professional lighting technicians, the Grand Prix for the best work with the possibility of further project implementation and an author's fee of 100,000 rubles was received by the working group of the STK MT Electro bureau, Yekaterinburg - lighting designer Natalya Koptseva and lighting technician Vasily Tarasenko.
“The main headquarters is a museum space of a new format, in which modernity resonates with the 250-year-old traditions of the Hermitage. We are very pleased that lighting designers have reflected this feature in their projects. When choosing a winner, we were looking for a concept in which a new lighting solution would not only carefully emphasize the historical facade of an architectural monument, but also reveal its classical beauty from a new side,”noted MB. Piotrovsky.
“Lighting design for us is not just a professional occupation, but a hobby, so we could not miss such a competition,” says Natalya Koptseva. - We tried to find new ideas and original solutions, but the main approaches remained classical. The main task of the day for us was the creation of a light composition that will emphasize the clarity of the forms of architecture, focus on the elements of decor and give individuality to the building, which is an architectural monument of world importance."
