Andrey Asadov:
It seems that the bright dreams of Moscow architecture about fair competition for the best projects are starting to come true. The series of architectural competitions of the outgoing year gives hope for the consolidation of such a trend in the future. It remains only to wait for the physical results and understand how mature the construction market is for such innovations. Although in the field of the urban environment of Moscow there are already visible results - for example, the transformation of the Crimean embankment into a city promenade cannot but delight the eyes of both ordinary citizens and professionals. So we enter the new year with optimism and patiently await the embodiment of bold ideas.
Nikita Asadov:
1) The main positive event, I would call the first signs of self-organization of architectural communities - alternative proposals for the appearance of Triumfalnaya Square, the open_archy project.
2) From the sad - the gradual commercialization of the improvement of urban spaces against the background of the extinction of non-commercial initiatives and the closure of such projects as the festival "Cities" and "Archfarm".
3) From the outgoing year, I remember the not always unambiguous, but nevertheless curious results of the competitions, the first implementations of projects for public spaces - not the Moscow-style fresh reconstruction of libraries and the Crimean embankment, and at the same time new deathly granite pedestrian zones. But the main result of the year, I would call the formation of a certain atmosphere, in which we can already distinguish the special character of the architecture of the tenth years.
Julius Borisov:
1) An active architectural life began in Moscow - and this is perhaps the main result of the year. Architectural and urban planning practice became interesting not only for the professional community, but also for the general public, which, of course, cannot but please me as an architect. In a sense, architecture has even become fashionable, and it seems to me that this is good for our profession.
2) It is frightening and killing at what colossal volumes and rates the construction of New Moscow and the territories of the Moscow region is underway. In fact, a dense ring of buildings is being erected around the city, which is about to close and will inevitably lead to a collapse - not only transport, but also social. And if in Moscow the quality of building is gradually coming to the fore, and its quantity is regulated more and more reasonably, then in the region, alas, there is still no question of any quality, urbanization is proceeding on the ninth wave.
Andrey Gnezdilov:
1) Perhaps, for me, the most important and most promising event of the year was the start of work on the Moskva River, which was started by the Research and Development Institute of the General Plan. The first contract for the collection of initial data has already been signed, and we have begun the process of preparing an international competition for the best concept for the development of the Moscow River territories. I am also very worried about this topic as a participant in the competition for the Moscow agglomeration - it was during this competition that the Ostozhenka team, where I worked then, was able for the first time to assess how large-scale territorial resource the river that gave its name is for the capital. Now this part of the city is undeservedly forgotten, and the fact that today we are moving it into the zone of close attention, I consider it a great victory. A similar development resource for the city is the railway frame and numerous industrial territories - the Research and Development Institute of the General Plan has already begun to deal with them, and this also inspires me. It is high time for Moscow to realize that for twenty years it has not been an industrial city, but in its structure it still retains all its features, which greatly prevents it from developing as a full-fledged and convenient metropolis for life.
2) Fortunately, no disasters occurred in 2013. Of course, there were absurdities and setbacks, but I hope that over time everything will get better. It seems to me that the main problem of many ongoing projects today is the acute lack of time - the same transport solutions could be implemented much more thoughtfully.
3) The main trend of the year is, of course, that large and important projects for the city began to be selected on a competitive basis. The competitions, including the jury and participants, give me great optimism. And the point is not only that foreign architects will come to Moscow and finally begin to build here, but that architectural competitions significantly raise the bar for design quality and significantly expand the professional horizons of architects. As for the organization of competitions itself, their format, stages and terms in each individual case may be different, the standard has not yet been developed.
Aleksey Ivanov:
1) I deliberately do not undertake to evaluate the results of the competition for the Zaryadye park, but I am very glad that the function of the park has been preserved for this most important place for the city. Not a business center, not elite housing or shops - and on this, as they say, thank you very much!
2) The intervention of Western architects not only intensified, but became almost ubiquitous. Even for the right to develop projects of small plots (with an area of 1-2 hectares), and not in Moscow, but in other cities of Russia, now we have to fight with foreign colleagues, whom customers often give preference only for the fact of foreign origin. This situation worries me very much.
Anton Kochurkin:
1) Implementation of the first two libraries in Moscow within the framework of the state program for the reconstruction of the capital's libraries.
2) I can only name an amazing LV action on Red Square. This is the loudest and most graceful PR-action over the past year, which is worthy of emotion, and not the label "anti-event", of course. Personally, I am in favor of the suitcase on Red Square, and the hype raised around it at the highest level brings to mind Mikhail Gorbachev, who actively promoted LV.
3) In my opinion, the city is beginning to listen more to potential users of urban spaces and to treat the design in more detail and comprehensively, which cannot but rejoice. Very indicative in this sense, for example, are the processes taking place with ZIL, or smaller-scale projects - exhibition halls in Moscow, for example.
Totan Kuzembaev:
1) Reconstruction of the Crimean embankment. It is no secret that embankments in Moscow are in complete disaster, and the fact that at least one of them has turned into a comfortable and interesting space for people, not cars, cannot but rejoice. To be honest, if I had my way, I would give all the embankments to pedestrians - both the city and business will only get better from this.
2) Sochi objects cause sheer bewilderment. Especially the media village built in historical styles. Why such styling? How do they relate to modern Russia, the surrounding landscapes and sports of the 21st century? Maybe then the competition will be held according to the standards of the 19th century?
3) I will not be original: the main trend of the year is the mass holding of architectural competitions. This is very encouraging. It remains to wait for the competition to become more transparent and democratic.
Roman Leonidov:
1) The appearance of a bicycle path on the Frunzenskaya embankment. This is a very good and correct sign - the development of the bicycle network will make the city healthier in many ways. Reconstruction of the Krymskaya embankment and the competition for the project of the Zaryadye park can be put in the same row.
2) Too many monuments were lost this year, I will not single out any one case, it is infinitely sorry for the historical context, which dissolves in plasticine.
3) The completely unreasonable pedaling of the terms "green" and "sustainable" architecture is still annoying. I was very surprised when at the recent Green Project festival we received the second prize for the Delta series. This is a spectacular series, I admit it, but not "green" at all! If you want green and sustainable architecture, turn off the lights and turn off the water. The lack of unnecessary resources will instantly bring the entire construction practice into an equilibrium relationship with nature.
Dmitry Likin:
1) The main positive event of the year for me, of course, was the international competition for the project of the Zaryadye park. And in scale, and in the importance of the place, and in its results. Zaryadye is the main city location, and the fact that the project for its transformation was chosen as a result of a competition seems to me to be a very important and significant event.
2) [no answer]
3) Probably the main trend of the year should also be called architectural competitions. The chief architect of Moscow is trying to make this mechanism as transparent and efficient as possible. So far, unfortunately, he does not always succeed, but in this case the direction of movement itself is important. It was chosen correctly.
Vladimir Plotkin:
1) The main positive event for us this year was participation in architectural competitions, including the most high-profile ones, because I consider almost all the projects developed by our bureau within the framework of these competitions to be very strong and I am completely satisfied with their quality: the team gave it 100 percent …
2) The biggest disappointment of the year is connected with the contests - in none of them, with our projects, which I assessed and assess as "championship", we did not win, with touching constancy taking the honorable second place. I confess that I am annoyed about this: if we speak bluntly, I am very tired of being the first among the losers.
3) It seems to me that Russian, as well as in the world architecture, is slowly but surely drifting towards reasonable pragmatism. Today the so-called. Smart, reflective and conscious objects are increasingly preferred to the wow effect. Personally, I like it very much.
Natalia Sidorova:
1) Reconstruction of the Crimean embankment.
2) Approval of the construction in the existing districts of the city of many huge shopping malls-boxes in exchange for the development of a multifunctional urban environment.
3) The positive thing is that everyone began to deal not only with individual buildings, but also with the problem of the urban environment. Architecture competitions are also a positive trend. Of course, there are many questions to the system of organizing the solution of these problems, but it remains to be hoped that this is only the beginning and everything will be adjusted in the right direction.
Sergey Skuratov:
1) I think the most positive event of the architectural year was the resumption of cultural design activities. For a very long time, this area was forcibly forgotten by the professional community, and only in 2013 the "cultural" typology again became in demand, and the most diverse - new museums are being designed, recreation centers and clubs are being reconstructed, public spaces that are fundamentally new for Moscow are being created, large-scale parks. As an architect and a resident of the capital, this makes me incredibly happy and inspiring, although I cannot help but notice that each individual competition could be subject to certain comments and questions.
2) Among the negative events I would like to include all those large projects on which the authorities make a sole decision. The government quarter next to the Kremlin, Rublevo-Arkhangelskoye, numerous shopping centers with an overwhelming building density - it is extremely offensive that the professional community and the Moskomarkhitektura representing its interests can only influence the architectural camouflage of these objects, but not such more fundamental issues for the city and society. as a location, typology, functions and, most importantly, the expediency of their appearance. But the negative urbanistic consequences of such a policy are inevitable; moreover, they will not be long in coming.
3) However, the authorities, at least at the city level, seem to have realized the need to create new mechanisms for interaction between officials and society. There is no doubt that a number of processes related to solving the city's problems have become more open and transparent. More and more young educated cadres are involved in management systems, and this gives rise to hope that reasonable humanistic principles will indeed be put into the basis of the new urban planning policy, which is so much talked about today.
Sergey Trukhanov:
1) It is difficult to single out any one event, rather, we can talk about a new vector of development, which, of course, was chosen correctly. And these are not only architectural competitions, which today only the lazy one does not speak about, but also stricter regulations, and therefore more conscious construction, which the city lacks so much. I think it will be possible to speak about some of the first results of the new urban planning policy in 2-3 years.
2) For me personally, the anti-event of the year was the closing of the Archfarm.
3) It is good that the city began systematic work with its most responsible and loud venues - their fate is no longer left to chance. However, the results of many competitions never cease to amaze me: take, for example, Tsarev's Garden, the architectural design of which will be assembled from three winning concepts, or a competition for a new building of the Tretyakov Gallery, which eventually received new facades. I hope there will be fewer such anecdotal competition results in the future.
Igor Shvartsman:
1-2) If we talk about the Event of the Year precisely as a phenomenon that actually happened, and did not indicate its potential for a bright sign action, then for me this did not happen in the past year. So far, it is rather possible, in my opinion, to talk about the declared intentions with a delayed result.
3) One of the main trends in the development of architectural and urban planning practice this year is, of course, the holding of competitions. The phenomenon is not new and, of course, correct, the main thing is not to discredit a good deed by possible excesses, but such a danger really exists and has come too close. Another sore subject is the decline in the level of professionalism. Perhaps, we can already talk about the tendency of amateurs to penetrate into the sphere of creating an object at all its stages. And, unfortunately, this situation does not inspire pre-New Year optimism. Well, we will work with what we have.
Sergey Estrin:
1) An increase in the number of Russian projects among the nominees and winners of international awards, including projects that received the highest awards at the European Property Awards 2013 (in particular, our projects "Volna" and "Mercury Tower")
2) So far, there is not a single Russian project in the list of nominees for the World Architecture Festival 2013. However, despite the fact that there are no Russian projects for awards in Singapore yet, participation and victories in other international competitions are inspiring, and this fact confirms that the transition to a new the quality level of Russian architecture has already begun.
3) Qualitative development of public spaces - a trend that emerged a couple of years ago, this year has become absolutely obvious, which cannot but rejoice. This forces architects to take a more responsible attitude to their work and create objects that are not rebuilt, but fit into the urban environment and form a single whole with it. The second positive trend is, of course, the holding of competitions. True, the decision, which, it would seem, should raise us to a new level, so far, in my opinion, has not yielded the expected results, but I want to believe that this is just the beginning. The negative trend of the year is the serious contraction of the market. More than half of the interior tenders this year did not end with anything. This is alarming and perhaps a harbinger of the much talked about crisis. However, here we see new opportunities for ourselves: with the reduction in the volume of work on interiors, we became interested in new directions, and now we are developing in them successfully and actively.
