Archi.ru:
Nikita Igorevich, please share your general impressions of the competition
Nikita Yavein:
- Over the past year and a half I have participated, probably, in a dozen competitions - both Russian and international. And this competition is perhaps the strangest of all. First, formally it is difficult to call it architectural, since only four of the nine members of the jury are architects. Secondly, the participants did not particularly respect the format and conditions of the competition. For example, in the assignment it was said that the project must be presented on four stretchers, but many were submitted on five or even six tablets. Of the seven participants, most of them violated the main conditions - the preservation of visual connections along the Ordynka - St. Basil's Cathedral and ensuring good visibility from all hotel rooms to the Kremlin. Also, without fail, it was necessary to take into account and maintain the dimensions and plan of the existing project, which was also not observed everywhere. The competition turned out to have an oriental flavor. But I'm already used to such schemes, when an official is at the head: in fact, here the designers were chosen by the chief architect. For example, in Astana, Nursultan Nazarbayev decides everything. This is normal and understandable. Such contests also have the right to exist.
What do you think about the results of the competition?
- The result, of course, is funny, at least I don't remember this in my practice. Of course, such schemes are permissible, but it is another matter that, as a rule, they do not work. Perhaps, in the case of Tsarev's Garden, something would have happened if initially the structure and layout of the complex had been tailored for different architects. But here we see one and rather solid house - the project of Vyacheslav Osipov, whom I highly respect as an architect. Distributing this house into sections between different architects is a dubious decision, in my opinion. I did not understand him and, of course, did not expect such results.
Tell us in more detail about the project itself, what did you suggest for this site?
- We treated the task of the competition with all responsibility. Firstly, we tried not to change the project developed by the general designer much, and for the most part to keep the original solution. As a result, the structure of the building remained practically unchanged, except, perhaps, the front row of buildings, which, in our opinion, is not so fundamental.
In addition, we carefully studied the history of the place, the historical formations that exist there, turned to Moscow's architectural sources and traditions, while not forgetting about the modern idea of a comfortable urban environment. It should be noted here that this was the famous area of the regular Tsarev's gardens, and the gardens existed there for about 2.5 centuries, changing their configuration and layout and gradually overgrowing with buildings along the Moskva River. The Tsar's garden across the river was in a special position, since it was located opposite the Kremlin. From here there was always a panoramic view of the Kremlin ensemble, the Assumption Cathedral, the Ivan the Great bell tower, the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed.
We also studied the urban planning plans of Moscow in the 19th-20th centuries and found that this place was very characteristic of long rows of retail and warehouse buildings. A long warehouse was located along the eastern border of the area under consideration, with a total length of about 150 m and a height of three floors. This is how our front line of the complex, our "shopping arcade", almost exactly reproduces the dimensions, compositional and figurative structure of the building that once existed here. The pass-through arcades on the first floor create a comfortable buffer space between the street and the shops: there is an uncomfortable place at the entrance to the bridge. Other options are also possible here. The facade of the shopping block can be redesigned, we are even ready to recreate the historical one exactly. In any case, a long, continuous, solid volume should be located near the Moskvoretsky bridge. To build separate small houses here, in my opinion, is completely wrong, it will not turn out to be a Moscow street, but it is not clear what.
I have always been intrigued by the theme of the Moscow "riding gardens" of the 17th century. Even while working on the eastern wing of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, I turned to this topic. In my opinion, this is a completely unique phenomenon in world practice, when beautiful gardens were laid out on the roofs of the main buildings of the Kremlin and even reservoirs were built. The houses of many Moscow boyars in those days could also boast of "riding gardens". The "Horse Gardens" of the projected complex revive the unique tradition of Russian landscape gardening art. We planted all the roofs, created a whole system of "riding gardens": a regular garden with a pond appeared on the roof of the shopping block, terraced gardens occupied the roofs of the residential building, and we laid out a sloping landscape garden in the gap between the residential and commercial buildings.
How was the town planning situation solved?
- We strictly adhered to the alignment of Bolshaya Ordynka and maximally lowered the height of the buildings from the side of Bolotnaya Street. I also considered that no allusions to the architecture of the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge in this project are possible and wrong - after all, this is a very strong, powerful Shchusev thing. At the same time, in terms of its scale, the new complex should be compared with it.
What are the reasons for the facade and silhouette solutions of the complex?
- An uneven silhouette and tiered construction, silhouette of the building are the fundamental principles of the Moscow urban planning tradition. In my opinion, a flat silhouette would be completely inappropriate here. The complex should react to the context, gently descending towards the Kremlin and steeply towards the Vodootvodny Canal. And in the center should be a powerful core that holds the entire composition. The situation in this case plays a decisive role.
We searched for the architectural style of the complex for a long time and finally settled on the neo-Moscow one. I really love the first works of the Vesnin brothers, early Zholtovsky and Melnikov, who, oddly enough, are sometimes very close to each other. Based on their findings, we have developed a complex geometric pattern for the decoration of facades, consisting of various lattice ornaments. In some places, for example, in the area of kitchen blocks, the facades are lined with a relatively fine mesh, very reminiscent of garden grates. In the sleeping areas, on the contrary, a large module is used. Living room blocks stand out with the most intricate pattern. All taken together creates a strong plastic with a rich play of light and shadow.
It seems to me that in this project we managed to find the right move. I do not take seriously all my works, even those that have won competitions, but this one, in my opinion, has the right to life.
What materials do you intend to use for the implementation of the project?
“We intended to use natural light stone, possibly marbled limestone for the main facade, and a darker stone for the courtyard facades. With such active plastic, you have to be very careful with the color. It seems to me that these should be restrained colors, especially in the foreground, while the recessed elements of the facades can be more active in color.
Do you plan to take part in the development of the project on the proposed terms?
- I do not know what scenario the project will develop according to, I cannot predict how the customer and the chief architect of the city will behave in this situation. But, of course, we would like to participate in such a serious project, you cannot leave it halfway through. We put a lot of effort into it, and I can even say that this is one of the most serious works of our workshop.
