There is no concept more controversial in modern urban planning than the notorious “spirit of old Moscow”. Does it exist in principle, where to look for it, is it possible to save and whether it is necessary to restore, who is to blame and what to do - architects and officials, journalists and activists, Muscovites and guests of the capital answer differently to these new "damned questions" of the Russian intelligentsia, no one is indifferent. The heads of the Arch group bureau Mikhail Krymov and Alexey Goryainov are, of course, no exception. Goryainov is sure that there is no genius loci in the classical sense in Moscow for a long time and you should not deceive yourself, Krymov is less categorical - "there are still a couple of streets on Kitay-gorod", but in answer to the main question - "what to do" - they, as befits the co-authors, are united: "In the historical center it is necessary to build objects that do not destroy the environment, but do it using modern methods, modern language."
Therefore, when the architects were offered to participate in a closed competition for the reconstruction of a historic residential building in the Petrovsky Boulevard area, they perceived this task not least as an opportunity to express their principled position. In addition, reconstruction is generally their history, they rebuild a lot, successfully and interestingly. True, more often we are talking about the renovation of industrial or office buildings, which in themselves do not represent either architectural or cultural value. Here the picture is different. The competition object - a two-storey house with a courtyard in the Petrovsky Boulevard area - has been in a pre-emergency condition for many years. It has been rebuilt and built on more than once, so it is hardly possible to reconstruct the original appearance. However, if such a task had been posed, Goryainov and Krymov would not have undertaken it: they are not engaged in scientific restoration. However, the idea originally announced by the customer sounded tempting: surrounded by historical buildings (next to the Despres wine cellars, on the contrary - the house where Sofya Kovalevskaya was born), it was proposed to build something modern, but at the same time, of course, taking into account the context. The task is controversial, and therefore interesting. It is impossible to re-create the old - this is an axiom: you will get another stillborn simulacrum of those which the leaders of the Arch group impolitely call “zombies” and “mutants”. But the old, even irretrievably lost, can be recalled, called out of oblivion, recreated, albeit not literally, but in a graphic, ghostly, transparent way. And glass is best suited for such a "materialization of sensual ideas" - a material that is creatively active, abstract, multivariate and, at the same time, impeccably modern.
So, the main plot that determined both the visual imagery and the cultural message of the project was the original (it seems that there are no analogues to it in Russian practice in this embodiment) double facade. A solid glass screen appears on both outer walls of the building in front of the existing facade (it is proposed to restore it, but without "immersion" - just to put in order what is now). On it, the authors propose to apply images of architectural monuments destroyed over the past few decades - a subtle conceptual move that has no chance of being read by the general public, but warms the soul of the authors. Moreover, not just flat pictures should get on the facades: the architects planned to select photographs of objects that are suitable in terms of stylistics and graphic parameters, find drawings, make three-dimensional models, render them realistically and then print them into glass. That is, after all, to do restoration, albeit virtual, but brought to the level of artistic technique. "It's a rather laconic, but honest story," says Mikhail Krymov.
Let's add: not cheap (which is normal for a non-standard high-quality architecture) and difficult to implement and operate. However, according to Alexei Goryainov, they are not looking for easy ways: "Our projects are usually not distinguished by straightforward simplicity, but this does not scare us - we know how to work out difficult moments." The planar frameless facade is supported by spiders, the pattern is imprinted between two layers of glass - which means it will not wear off or get dirty over the years; The authors of the project propose to solve the problem of caring for the inner side of the screen radically: to create a sealed circuit around the perimeter so that dust and dirt simply do not penetrate inside. At the same time, the system of the second facade also has undoubted advantages: it regulates temperature drops, provides noise and dust insulation, and protects from the wind. As for the visual effect, it is, as they say, "worth all the money." An openwork translucent drawing subtly and ambiguously interacts with the plasticity of the original internal facade (framing windows, cornices - there are not so many architectural elements, but they are), the third component of the picture, as is always the case with glass surfaces, becomes the environment - the sky, the sun, clouds … During the day the picture is one, at night it is completely different: the illuminated background becomes the "main character", the drawing of the glass screen does not disappear at all, but becomes even more ghostly.
According to the architectural and planning solution, the first floor of the building is given over to cafes and shops, the second one is occupied by apartments (in addition to the existing ones, the authors propose to cut through additional windows); in addition, one more, attic, floor with two-level apartments is being built. The authors of the project have a complicated relationship with the mansards - they strongly dislike the broken silhouette of the roof, typical of such superstructures. So, having set themselves the task of "overcoming the attic", the architects found an elegant solution, breaking the usual pitched roof with caesura terraces. Due to this, when viewed from the street, the upper level acquires rhythm, but does not split into separate sections due to the glass screen with a pattern that unites the entire volume and protects the terraces from noise and dust. And the greenery that can be planted on the terraces will further enrich the visual range.
The closed courtyard of the house is a well, though shallow; therefore, so that future residents are not forced to look at each other through the windows, the architects let a warm glazed gallery along the inner perimeter of the second floor, along which it is possible to reach the doors of the apartments from the staircase and elevator block. Along with this move, to complicate the vertical surfaces, the same as on the outer perimeter, the terraces of the attic apartments plus associated glass blocks, with the help of which the authors of the project solve the problem of overhanging the pitched ceilings on the second level of the apartments, work. The architects transform the courtyard into a cozy recreational space with lawns, trees and wooden decking terraces. Thanks to the wide arch (according to the project, the pedestrian entrance is adjacent to the ramp-exit to the underground floor, which is used for parking), the courtyard is clearly visible from the street - a nice touch that adds to the image of the house the feeling of a cozy and modern living environment.
Choosing a name for their project, Alexey Goryainov and Mikhail Krymov settled on "Architectural Spiritualism". Well, in such an embodiment, the reincarnation of the "spirit of old Moscow" seems to have every right to exist.
