Yesterday, March 3, a press conference was held in the Big Hall of the Arch Council in the building of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Construction, dedicated to summing up the results of the competition for the project of integrated landscaping and prospective development of Triumfalnaya Square (see the press conference and a significant part of the discussion here) The competition was held from January 20 to March 3. In such a short time, the organizers managed to collect about 130 applications for participation. Of these, 44 competitive projects were selected at the first stage. Following the results of the last meeting of the jury, which took two full days, three finalists were determined, who were assigned a preliminary rating by the jury. According to this rating, the first place was taken by the German bureau ST raum a. Landscape Architecture”, second, with a slight lag - Buromoscow, third - Wowhaus. In addition, two honorable mentions were awarded to the Cosmos and Magli Project teams.
The jury commented on its decision as follows: “Most of the materials submitted for the competition, including the projects of the finalists, need to be revised. All three marked projects will be additionally discussed with the customer of the competition - the Department of Overhaul, as well as, taking into account the status of the place, with the heads of the Department of Cultural Heritage. The final decision, as promised by the organizers, will be announced within two weeks. At the same time, it was emphasized that all three finalists, despite the intermediate distribution of places, have equal chances of winning.
One of the judges of the competition, chief architect of the Center for Historical and Urban Planning Research Boris Pasternak said that the jury first of all paid attention to how the authors solve the existing ensemble space, taking into account such dominant objects as the P. I. Tchaikovsky and the Pekin Hotel, which is located lower in relief and is in dire need of "articulation" of the territory in front of its entrance. In ST projects raum a. and Buromoscow, it is proposed to set up a garden in this place - as a reminder of the Sovremennik theater, which was once located there. The semantic, historical and memorial value of the square is a monument to Vladimir Mayakovsky. It was extremely important to maintain its relevance in the context of the square, and all three finalists coped with this task. True, in the Wowhaus project, which differs from the other two in greater boldness, according to Pasternak, the diagonal of the pedestrian route is unnecessarily accentuated. The authors even created some kind of artificial relief: this decision also caused controversy among the jury members.
Equally important was the task of correct zoning of the territory, taking into account transport and pedestrian traffic, the unification of the square with Tverskaya Street, as well as its saturation with infrastructure facilities. For example, most of the teams suggested placing pavilions along the building of the Ministry of Economic Development, but the design of such a pavilion in the concept of the German bureau seemed too cumbersome for the jury. On a positive note, all finalists had a variety of scenarios for functional year-round use.
But, perhaps, the main assessment criterion was the feasibility of projects, their realism and rationality. Unsurprisingly, as a result, the finalists included two specialized teams that are closely involved in public spaces - ST raum a. and Wowhaus, as well as one of the most promising workshops in the capital - Buromoscow.
At the same time, many contestants, interpreting the terms of reference in different ways, proposed very interesting futuristic projects, exciting from the point of view of ideological value, but not very suitable for such an applied competition. Alexey Muratov, partner of KB Strelka, who heads the area of Territorial Development Strategies there, noted that the jury could not completely ignore such projects. This gave rise to two honorable mentions, awarded to the most spectacular of them. Of course, it is impossible to implement them, but, according to Sergei Kuznetsov, the ideas proposed in them can be used for temporary installations.
Below we publish three finalist projects and two works marked with honorable mentions:
First place in the jury rating. "ST raum a. Landscape architecture"
Landscape architecture: ST raum a
Architecture consultants: Kleihuis + Kleihuis GmbH
Transport section: Hoffmann-Leichter Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH
Project presentation
“The main idea of the square's design is to emphasize its historical significance, firstly, as a center of culture and art (there were and are many theaters and cultural institutions), and secondly, as a place of triumph and demonstration of power (earlier, parades were held here and holidays and there was a triumphal arch), while not underestimating the current requirements for functionality and use of space and adhering to modern design standards.
In order to realize this, a clear urban frame - a rational level - will define the essence of the square and form a distinct rectangular outline. It corresponds to the urban planning boundaries of the adjacent architectural ensembles. This "stone mat" will integrate and unite all the necessary infrastructure components.
Due to the scale of construction, the planning and implementation of the project involves several stages. In accordance with this, at the first stage of construction, work will be carried out on the site from the north-east of the dividing central street. This includes the implementation of the "square of triumph" with the "pavilion of culture" and "cloud". In addition, the first section of the alley of figured bush will be organized. This stage of construction can be completed quickly.
So in the foreseeable future, a city square with a development potential for the entire quarter will be formed, which will emphasize and breathe new life into impulses for the constant, positive development of this part of the city as a center of culture and art. Square for people: residents of Moscow and guests of the Russian capital …
The life scene will become a reality for Moscow."
The second place in the ranking of the jury. Buromoscow in collaboration with Arteza landscape design studio
The authors suggested six basic steps for solving square space:
1. Select the square and square
The design site is divided into two parts - a rectangular Triumfalnaya square and a square. The volume of the square forms the space and fixes the intersection of three streets: 2nd Brestskaya, Garden Ring and a new street along the buildings of the Ministry of Regional Development and the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Construction.
2. Level the area
The plane of the Triumphal Square becomes horizontal. The difference in elevation separates the traffic from the Garden Ring and enhances the belvedere effect. To avoid fencing, the square ends with a strip of water, in which there are linden trees.
3. Reinforce the classical composition
The empty space of the square is clearly framed on all sides by the facades of the buildings. New axes of symmetry reinforce the classic composition. Backstage linden and chestnut trees create the middle ground.
4. Just add romance
Triumfalnaya Square is the square of youth, freedom and romance. The swing is a symbol of these three concepts. A long row of three portals with twin swings is located on the right side of the square.
5. Moscow, lilac
A dense green square is located above the underground parking. Lilac bushes make this place truly Moscow. The volume of the square is enclosed in a classic rectangular colonnade, which gives the square both a border and transparency.
6. Provide opportunities
The use of lifting benches and podiums built into the paving of the square makes it possible to create various scenarios for the use of the site in front of the Tchaikovsky Hall.
“We have chosen the slogan of the legendary literary group SMOG as the motto of the project: Courage, Thought, Image, Depth,” Olga Aleksakova, CEO of BuroMoscow, comments on the results of the competition. Thought - in the possibility of multifunctional use of the area. The image of Triumfalnaya Square is a square of youth, freedom and romance. The depth of the approach is the result of the careful and layered design of each of the professionals involved. We managed to assemble a very strong team, this was the foundation of our success. I am grateful to partners, companies Arteza and Viabizzuno, for their professionalism and well-coordinated work, we spoke the same language, and this allowed us to achieve such a high result."
"Collaboration with professionals of such a high class as BUROMOSCOW opens up new opportunities for the development of civilized landscape architecture in our city," said Dmitry Onishchenko, general director of the Arteza landscape design studio, "I hope that this project will lay the foundation for our further productive cooperation."
Third place in the jury rating. Wowhaus
1st stage
This proposal interprets Triumfalnaya Square as a classic flat city square, close to a square.
Leaving along the concert hall to them. Tchaikovsky fire passage, the square plan rises somewhat above the surrounding space. The surface of the square is an active red color, made of clinker bricks or sawn red granite paving stones. All this symbolically separates the square from the "ordinary" city surface.
The main compositional axis in the project coincides with the main pedestrian direction - from the metro towards Brestskie streets. Using the existing slope, in the project this direction is highlighted with a small relief drop. The "path" itself is emphasized by the rhythm of intersected LED street lamps built into the coating. Along the same axis there are horizontal "pylons" that can be used as benches. On the ends of the "pylons" there are running LED lines, constantly broadcasting Mayakovsky's poetic lines. The horizontal "pylons" - benches themselves repeat the famous construction of Mayakovsky's poetic line "ladder". When leaving the metro and the hall to them. Tchaikovsky, this composition is read especially clearly.
There is a cafe on the square; it is a meeting place and a refuge in winter. This area is separated from the main square by a linear flat pool, in the area of which trees are planted. This entire area is maximally greened (as it was here from the 1900s to the 1930s), which makes it possible to create a special atmosphere of a place protected from the bustle of the surrounding streets.
An observation deck towards the Garden Ring has been specially formed on the square. The existing difference in the relief allows it to be raised above the roadway to the height of human growth. Thus, road transit is below the observation deck.
An important component of the architectural and artistic solution of the square is the lighting system and the light regime in general. On the square, mainly grassroots lighting is used, which makes it possible to accentuate the red color of the pavement, leave poetic running lines highlighted, highlight as much as possible with a single vertical accent - the center of the square's composition, the Mayakovsky monument.
2nd stage
The construction of an underground car garage in the area near the Beijing hotel will transfer this area to the second stage of construction. In this part of the square there is an entrance to the garage and two exits for garage users.
This territory is designed in the form of a green square, which provides the possibility of active pedestrian traffic on the one hand, but also meeting and expectation places, primarily for visitors to the Moscow Architecture Committee and the Beijing Hotel, on the other.
It is proposed to narrow by 1 lane the passage along Triumfalnaya Square, leading to the Garden Ring. Nowadays it is mainly used for car parking. This will allow to plant trees and shrubs in this zone and to visually close the park from vehicles. From the side of the Moskomarkhitektura, large-sized trees are also planted, which create a closed territory of the square, in the summer they give shade."
Honorable Mention. JS "Cosmos"
"A new typology of urban space: an absolutely permeable area - the space between the suspended" ceiling "and the transforming" floor. "From an urban planning point of view, Triumphal Square in its current state represents several fragmented zones, the use of which in the form of a comfortable public space is difficult due to traffic and parking …
One space, many functions
To unite the square and create an integral urban space, the project proposes the creation of two functionally and technically rich layers: the "floor" and "ceiling" of the square.
Hanging sky
A network of openwork cables is created over the square, carrying various objects of public space infrastructure: lamps for night lighting, round radiators for heating in cold weather, sprinklers - "hanging fountains" - for hot weather, hanging plants to create a shady garden, speakers for music events and rallies, Wi-Fi routers and other elements of urban public spaces.
Function clouds
Thus, the functional zoning of the square is not done with standard curbs, walls or pavilions, but with “clouds” of functions, plants and devices, offering a modern flexible and almost non-material organization of the square's work. Part of the square in front of the Beijing hotel turns into a "hanging" garden, a quieter and more intimate part of the total space of the square.
Area transformation and modes of use
The “floor” level consists of a square paved with large relief slabs and furniture on it: non-stationary chairs, tables, seats, bicycle parking. The "floor" of the square is absolutely permeable, has no barriers (except for a slight change in the relief) and is transformed by the city services and the townspeople themselves: in the evening during a concert on the square, chairs are made up as in a spectator hall, the edges of the square, and so on.
Visual connections and "frames"
The "ceiling" mesh is attached to the supporting masts (a constructive solution is being developed in the next stage of the project). Thinning and thickening, depending on the functional purpose, the grid of the suspended sky highlights the most valuable frames of the visual perception of the surrounding buildings (monument to Mayakovsky, tower of the Beijing hotel)
The project is a new urban-planning layer of the square, which creates an innovative, unique public environment and returns the futuristic spirit to one of the main Moscow squares."
Honorable Mention. "Maggie Project"
In the project, we restore historical justice, returning the squares to their previous outlines in the shape of a square. A light, permeable colonnade is created along the perimeter of the square. Its main purpose is to bring the space together and set the human scale. The colonnade embodies a system of arches running along the perimeter, which also refers us to the first triumphal arch, once installed on the square. It is also part of the square lighting system. On the surface of the colonnade, a led screen is installed for night or
festive illumination. An observation deck with magnificent evening views towards the Kudrinskaya skyscraper is organized on the southwestern side of the colonnade.
The highlight of the project is the bright red ceiling, which effectively hovers over the square. The red square denotes a connection with avant-garde art, the symbol of which was Mayakovsky himself. The perimeter of the light colonnade is interrupted by the massive portico of the concert hall. PI Tchaikovsky, but the red ribbon dives under him. There is a dialogue between the old and the new.
The first stage of construction is temporary and is expected to be completed by City Day in the summer of 2014. At this stage, flat improvement is carried out in the historical outlines of the square - granite paving, lighting, small architectural forms. The second stage assumes implementation during 2014-15. A commercial building is under construction in a building of historical dimensions with extensive underground parking under the square. The third stage involves the construction of a colonnade around the perimeter of the square and the organization of a pedestrian section of 1st Brestskaya Street. The renovated square will open in summer 2016."
