A variety of representatives of the sports and architectural community gathered in the Luzhniki banquet hall that day. The competition for the reconstruction of the swimming pool, built back in 1956, attracted great attention from the residents of Moscow, athletes who at various times personally took part in the largest sports competitions held within the walls of this building, and architects who are not indifferent to the fate of one of the brightest architectural ensembles of the Soviet time.
Today the pool building is in a rather poor condition. The last sporting events took place here in the mid-1980s. The degree of deterioration, according to Alexander Pronin, General Director of OAO OK Luzhniki, is 60-70%. Obviously, in such a situation, a comprehensive and serious reconstruction was simply necessary. “Luzhniki has always been a flagship sports ground. But for more than 50 years of its existence, the buildings of the complex have become very outdated and can no longer meet the world requirements for sports facilities. The moment of renovation has come, and we decided to start with the reconstruction of the pool, which is planned to be turned into a modern multifunctional center for the whole family."
Eduard Zernin, First Deputy General Director of OJSC "Olympic Complex" Luzhniki ", spoke about what the management of the complex expects from the reconstruction:“The swimming pool is a landmark object, therefore, as part of its reconstruction, we want to see the technical re-equipment of the pool and the expansion of its functionality … As a result, a 50-meter pool and 25-meter baths, designed for both professional and amateur training, will be preserved on 42 thousand square meters, as well as a swimming pool for people with limited mobility and a bowl designed to teach swimming even for the smallest visitors. … In addition, an emphasis will be placed on the possibility of family recreation. For this, it is planned to open a water entertainment center, a fitness club, sporting goods stores and cafes. The boxing academy and triathlon center will reopen. For the convenience of visitors, a large underground parking will be organized. It is important that the renovated pool is aimed at creating the most comfortable conditions for both swimming amateurs and professional athletes."
As we already
previously reported, the competition was announced in December 2013. Six finalists were selected from the 27 projects accepted for the competition. The winner was the project developed by the architectural bureau UNK project. As Vladimir Plotkin, chairman of the competition jury and chief architect of TPO Reserve, said, all six finalists completed projects at the highest level. But practically all members of the jury came to the conclusion that there is only one project-leader. “Everyone liked the tactful integration of the pool developed by the UNK project into the environment, its adherence to the traditions of the complex, which does not prevent the building from being perceived as an object of the 21st century. The authors actively use new technologies and offer their own modern vision in new forms and new architecture,”concluded Plotkin.
The chief architect of Moscow, Sergei Kuznetsov, noted that it was extremely important how the project would fit into the Luzhniki architectural ensemble. The contestants had to think over not only a significantly expanded functional program, but also to offer the most delicate architectural solution that would make the new pool building an integral part of the historical ensemble. According to Kuznetsov, who himself recently was engaged in the design of a swimming pool in Kazan, only the format of the competition could provide an opportunity to find the optimal solution for such a complex object.“More than 20 projects took part in the competition - this is quite a lot for such a specialized building, especially since we conceived the competition as a national one and attracted only domestic architects,” says Sergey Kuznetsov, “The winner's project is distinguished by the fact that it retains all the interesting details of the building and very tactfully transforms the outdoor pool into a modern sports facility, continuing its history."
The concept itself, which was recognized as the best by the jury, was told by its author Yuliy Borisov, chief architect of the UNK project bureau. According to him, the tasks faced by the designers were much broader than just the reconstruction of the pool, because we are talking about the existing ensemble, which is by no means limited to the territory of the Luzhniki sports complex. The general ensemble line originates from Vorobyovy Gory, descends to Luzhniki and from there follows along the Frunzenskaya embankment. The pool should be viewed in this context, given that this building has not four, but five facades - the roof of the pool is clearly visible from the observation deck of Vorobyovy Gory.
With all this, the authors decided to immediately abandon the idea of creating a new architectural accent. The pool in the general plan of Luzhniki is not the main object, which means that it should not compete with the central arena. In addition, it seemed much more appropriate to follow traditions, rather than destroy them. “We took the path not of revolution, but of evolution,” explained Borisov. “We have studied in detail the history of this object and the activities of the masters who created it. Indeed, in fact, now we are only their co-authors, and it was important for us to try to understand how they would solve the tasks set before us today."
As a result of this continuity, bas-reliefs appeared on the facades of the building, which are clearly visible when moving along the metro bridge. These bas-reliefs copy the motives of the original bas-relief, which the authors proposed to museumize and transfer to the interior of the pool. Thus, a kind of design code was obtained on the facades of the building, referring to its history. A similar design code can be seen in the interiors of the pool - numerous rings interpreting Olympic symbols. There are also direct quotes from other projects of the authors of Luzhniki - for example, the caissons of the ceilings are borrowed from the project of the Avtozavodskaya metro station.
A distinctive feature of the pool was that it was open. Yuliy Borisov assured the audience that in his project he tried to preserve this feature as much as possible, providing for the design of a sliding roof. In summer, the pool will be open, and in the cold season it is more convenient to close it. To achieve maximum results, the architects even brought in sliding roof consultants from Canada.
Vladimir Salnikov, President of the All-Russian Swimming Federation of Russia, assured: the federation will help ensure that the most modern swimming complex that meets international standards appears in Luzhniki.
“With the opening of the multifunctional swimming center after the reconstruction of the Luzhniki swimming pool, residents of our metropolis will have a playground that will combine not only the sports that have historically developed on the basis of the complex, but also one of the largest swimming pools. And Luzhniki will become the center of Russian and world sports - summed up the discussion Nikolai Gulyaev, First Deputy Head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Moscow.
