This competition has collected, probably, the smallest number of works in recent years. All the tablets fit into the Green Living Room and the Bay Window of the former Polovtsev mansion, while the White Hall and the Fireplace Hall used to be involved.
At the same time, even a small exhibition was presented rather randomly: in any case, I was unable to identify any system of exhibiting - neither by authors, nor by sections, nor by nominations. There was no uniformity in the presentation either: not all contestants bothered to provide their work with readable explanations, urban planning situation, design / construction dates, not to mention uniform rules for the graphic design of tablets, which together made it much more difficult to perceive. In this regard, a comparison involuntarily suggests itself with the strict requirements for the design of scientific works for us, theorists of architecture. If the growing bias in favor of quantitative indicators and formal unification on the part of the Higher Attestation Commission seems to be clearly excessive, then among practitioners in this sense the disciplinary side is clearly suffering.
Now about the competition itself.
The Grand Prix:
Victory Arch in Krasnoe Selo
"LENNIIPROEKT", workshop No. 9
Awarding the Grand Prix to the team led by V. V. Popov for the Victory Arch in Krasnoe Selo (JSC "LENNIIPROEKT", workshop No. 9) was predictable already in terms of the scale of the topic and the name of the honored master. Which, however, does not detract from the work's own merits. The authors' appeal to the typical style of blockade paper contests and temporary structures seems to be an undoubted success. After the war, this heroic style - a continuation of the monumental style of the 30s - completely gave way to the victorious Stalinist Empire style, not having time to be embodied in stone. The perpetuation of this unique page in the work of Leningrad architects, in fact, filled in the missing gap and restored historical justice. During the war and after the victory, the theme of triumphal arches was developed by many architects, including A. S. Nikolsky, N. M. Nazaryin, M. Z. Taranovskaya, B. N. Zhuravlev and others (See: Architects of besieged Leningrad. Exhibition catalog. Authors: Yu. Yu. Bakhareva, T. V. Kovaleva, T. G. Shishkina. - St. Petersburg, 2005). In 1945, the winning heroes were greeted by three wooden arches designed by D. S. Goldgor and I. I. Fomin on Obukhovskry Oborony Ave., V. A. Kamensky on the street. Stachek and A. I. Gegello on the International Avenue. It was the latter that became the prototype of the Victory Arch in Krasnoe Selo.
In comparison with the prototype, the new arch - already made of granite and bronze - is more stable and monumental: the authors slightly narrowed its span, made a higher frontal part and abandoned the massive cornice, using its stepped motif in the attic composition. The bas-relief figures have been transformed into round bronze statues on vertical plinths; the images of lowered swords on the opposite side clearly echo the shape of the cross. Actually, the decor to the greatest extent allows us to identify the arch as a modern structure: sculptures - with their typical for the late Soviet school “angular” stylistics, swords-crosses - with a new reconciling meaning, in which the theme of immortality returns to the “eternal”, Christian context.
A successful concept, good proportions, solemn laconicism of facades, classical clarity of urban planning composition - all these qualities brought the team of authors not only the Grand Prix of Architecton, but also the Golden Sign of Zodchestvo. *** Unlike the spring biennial of St. Petersburg architecture, there were practically no residential complexes in new districts presented for the competition, with the exception of the Chinese investment project "Baltic Pearl": obviously, these "grain" works do not always allow architects to show their best side. However, in our time of crisis, apart from 20-storey "sleeping bags", almost nothing is being built, so only 4 works were announced in the "Public buildings" nomination, of which two were awarded (they decided not to award a silver diploma), and one of them is a hotel, i.e..e.essentially the same housing.
Hotel complex "Park inn" in Novosibirsk
PPF "A. Len"
This is the hotel complex "Park inn" in Novosibirsk by Sergey Oreshkin (PPF "A. Len") with a team, awarded with a Gold diploma. The building seems to be inspired by the style of the adjacent Soviet 9-storey building, although its composition is completely different: these are two vertical prisms "fused" in the place of the staircase-elevator block with a glazed 2-storey hall and a triangular overhang of the cafe. The emphasized monotonous modular design of the facades is sparingly shaded by two gray stripes reminiscent of concrete, the ends are accented by active vertical lines of glass and almost black porcelain stoneware. Refinement of monotony, aesthetics of panels, blocks and modules. Everything that is sluggish and compelled to be present in an unprepossessing Soviet neighbor has acquired the character of a conscious and energetic author's statement from Sergei Oreshkin. Was this neighborhood worth the style support? Perhaps, yes - in order to somehow "collect" a messy and motley environment.
Apart-hotel on Kherson
PPF "A. Len"
The contextual orientation that seems to give rise to this modern paraphrase of Soviet modernism is also present in another award-winning work by the same author: the project of an apart-hotel at the intersection of Alexander Nevsky and Kherson streets in St. Petersburg (Bronze diploma in the Projects section). In this case, the historical environment dictated completely different moves. The composition in the form of a relatively low closed square with two "wells", the division of the facades vertically, in accordance with the rhythm of the old houses, the desire to diversify the pattern of window openings as a result, formed a version of "humanized" modernism, while the authors did not abandon their love of rigid geometry.
The situation reveals a curious fact: the binding, binding historical context eventually becomes the guarantee of the quality of the new architecture: its tuning fork, if you like, its soul. The new architecture is "good" next to the old, which is not always the case for the old architecture: it is not always "good". But if the architect has shown flair and tact, the "genius of the place" pays him a hundredfold, expanding the imaginative and semantic range and providing a well-known "piquancy" to the contrasting style of the building.
School RC "Baltic Pearl"
"LENNIIPROEKT", workshop No. 2, hands. G. B. Ivanov
The project of the school on the territory of the Baltic Pearl awarded with a Bronze Diploma (workshop No. 2 of JSC LENNIIPROEKT, head of G. B. Ivanov) combined a recognizable traditional school look with such modern elements as a pyramidal skylight over the library and a wave-like coating with overhead light over the gym. These architectural inserts, of course, should delight children, at the same time, they are tactful in St. Petersburg and, in terms of approach, can be a good alternative to the expansion of open flowers, which especially concerns children's institutions and which, apparently, should compensate for the scarcity of architecture itself.
Residential building in Maly lane
Architectural Bureau "Zemtsov, Kondiain and Partners"
Among the residential buildings, the Zemtsov, Kondiain and Partners workshop house (St. Petersburg, Vasilievsky Island, Maly Prospect, 9) was awarded the Golden Diploma, which is a modern variation on the theme of Art Nouveau. Its asymmetrical façade, with its traditional three-part structure, has two main accents: a wide undulating bay window and, as it were, a regular row of glazed balconies. The four-storey plane of the facade is completed with a decisive curvature of the cornice; above it, with some indentation, is the attic floor, where the motif of the bay window "wave" is picked up and strengthened by the indentation of the walls. The general compositional principles of Art Nouveau are presented here in a new interpretation and simplified modern drawing. The house is another variant of contextual entry into the environment; in comparison with the approach of the PPF “A. Len”, he is one step closer to “historicism”, but he also fundamentally distances himself from direct imitation.
Residential building "Victory"
"Evgeny Gerasimov and Partners"
The programmatic stylistic approach is demonstrated by another building - the owner of the Silver Diploma, the Pobeda residential building in the Moscow district of St. Petersburg (Evgeny Gerasimov and Partners). Unlike many colleagues, turning to historicism for Yevgeny Gerasimov is not at all a "forced measure". The architect prides himself on his ability to paint classic facades and enjoys practicing "styles". In this case, the development of the Moskovsky district suggested to him a variation on the "Stalinist" theme. The house stands in the nicest corner of old Leningrad, on a quiet boulevard with tall trees and graceful benches. How inorganic the glass looks here can be judged by the modern house growing nearby on the corner of Varshavskaya Street. The difficulty was to fit 14 floors into a traditional three-part composition. Due to the presence of a fine modular grid with a standard ceiling height and the impossibility of front "pauses", the authors still could not avoid a certain verbosity, although they reduced this impression to a minimum by skillful placement of accents. It is possible to reveal with interest certain features of historical eclecticism or Stalinist Empire style on the facades, but more important are the principles of style formation taken into service: complete freedom in the choice and combination of motives (eclecticism) and complete "arbitrariness" in a large-scale ratio of order elements ("Stalinist" neoclassicism). Thanks to such a historical "disguise" and the simply cosmic quality of finishing for modern construction, the 14-storey building entered the perspective of a low street in such a way that an untrained eye may not even suspect a beginner in it.
Residential building in Vyborg
Architectural workshop "Golovin & Schreter"
The group of authors from the “Golovin & Schreter” workshop took a similar path in the project of a residential building for Vyborg (Golden Diploma in the “Projects” section) - variations on the theme not even of Vyborg, but of historical buildings in general, with a huge, in the spirit of Zholtovsky, removal of the cornice.
LCD "Pearl frigate"
Architectural bureau "Studio-17"
The Zhemchuzhny Frigate Residential Complex (Studio-17, director Svyatoslav Gaikovich), awarded with a Bronze Diploma, is part of the aforementioned huge Baltic Pearl microdistrict in the south-west of St. Petersburg. Here we are talking about a completely new development, where the only context was nature - the Gulf of Finland with two canals, the South Primorsky Park next door and a low wooded growth. Hence, the desire of the designers to show "at full height" the intrinsic advantages of modern architecture is understandable.
The award-winning project is an interesting block development with a large stepped elevation. The highest corner with views of the apartments, overlooking the street. Admiral Tributs, designed as a flagship (frigate) and accented with a spectacular metal spire (engineer Anton Smirnov). The geometry of the facades is highlighted by yellow inserts, smoky glazing and additional outriggers that follow the stepped contours of the hulls. Quite brutal outlines on the tablet are softened in nature by a light-air haze, but nevertheless their urban pathos seems excessive in the context of peaceful natural spaces: there is a feeling that this whole flotilla is confidently advancing on nature and will undoubtedly win …
Quarter "Duderhof Club"
Architectural workshop of Sergei Tsytsin
Unfortunately, at the competition, another quarter was bypassed as part of the Baltic Pearl - the Duderhof Club, workshop of Sergei Tsytsin. The 4-storey complex located on the bank of the canal turned out to be exactly what one would like to see the entire territory in the sense of low density and openness to nature. Of course, the initial parameters are set in advance and do not depend on the architect, but in this case, the authors successfully played along with the natural environment, creating a tactful, light and moderate architecture, quite modern, but not devoid of historical "Pompeian" allusions.
Compared to the bulk of residential areas, the territory of the "Baltic Pearl", of course, wins, distinguished by high-quality architecture, meaningful planning, the presence of bright modern dominants, a variety of residential areas, beautiful canals … But the excess density and lack of greenery is felt here too (another reason to support the new V. A. Grigoriev's bill on lowering the maximum height and reducing the density of new construction). The designers of the neighboring plots once again showed no desire to interact, creating neighborhoods completely isolated from each other and generally indifferent to the natural environment.
New stage
Small Drama Theater
Architectural workshop Mamoshin
The award of the Golden Diploma for the project of the New Stage of the Maly Drama Theater was one of the most anticipated results of Architecton. Mikhail Mamoshin, by his own admission, formed under the acute cross influence of Art Nouveau and avant-garde, works in his own way in the historical environment: as in the canvases of Picasso and Braque, the “figurative” basis of his buildings is geometrized, decomposed into “cubes”, but does not disappear, does not go into abstract geometrism, does not dissolve in "non-objectiveness."
The elongated volume of the new building is located perpendicular to Zvenigorodskaya Street, "resting" with its butt end against the historic building of the Semyonovsky barracks. Since the former horse store was not a monument, the architects turned it into the entrance area of the theater, preserving the facades and thus the usual appearance of the street. Several short transverse buildings with pitched roofs are strung on the main "body" of the theater, vaguely resembling the building of the Twelve Collegia. The most representative rear façade is open towards Bagrationovskiy square.
According to the annotation, the new building appeals to the "mental St. Petersburg architecture of the early twentieth century." Is it meant by this neoclassicism and other neo-styles of a century ago as a modern reading of historical styles at that time? It seems that yes, because through the "cubist prism" one can see both the Petrine Baroque and the neoclassicism of the Art Nouveau era … Having absorbed many allusions, the massive building softly and even artistically blended into the complex environment.
Hotel complex in the village of Repino
"Parity Group"
The silver diploma went to the hotel complex in Repino ("Parity Group", headed by VA Grigoriev). Two parallel hulls are united by an intermediate block, resembling a butterfly in the plan, and in the future - an intricate cut in a thick skin. The technique is based on the contrast of absolutely deaf, but "cheerful" cantilever ends, and completely glazed facades. The deaf facades of the complex are turned to the neighboring hotels, and openly it looks at the sea and the forest (back to Ivan Tsarevich, to the forest in front). Willingly or unwillingly, the building reflects the national mentality.
Hotel complex on Petrovsky Island
"LENNIIPROEKT", workshop No. 6, hands. M. V. Sarri
The bronze medalist - the project of a hotel complex on Petrovsky Island (6th workshop of LENNIIPROEKT, leader M. V. Sarri), seemed to me in some way a kind of "composition inside out": it is turned inward, its focus was a perfectly round square, from which the direction of the water diverge, losing regularity, the body-appendages. On the opposite bank of a small bay there is another small building, the contour of which is directly opposite to the logic of the natural pattern. It is difficult for an eye, accustomed to the strict Petersburg embankments, to come to terms with the fact that the coastal outlines are somehow not supported by the lines of the facades. In this project, even the cuts of the ends are dictated by the logic of the symmetrical core, and not the river they are looking at. The authors opposed the natural river frame with their own, which, in my opinion, deprives the ensemble of organicity, although the low facades are softly and tactfully solved.
Educational complex for children with disabilities
Creative workshop "New City"
It is a pity that the jury did not encourage the project of the Educational Complex for Children with Disabilities on the street. Antonova-Ovseenko in St. Petersburg ("Creative Workshop" New City ", director OP Nikolaev).
This is practically the first attempt by the city and architects to create a special training center for children with disabilities, taking into account their problems and the great experience of teachers. A somewhat strange composition with pavilions protruding from the main volume is actually dictated by the need to provide children with access directly from classrooms to the park, playgrounds and the sports area, in addition, it allows all classrooms to have a southern orientation. It seems that the architectural community needs to be more alert to such important pioneering efforts. Apart from the New Stage of MDT, this is the only project with such an important social function. On the other hand, the authors themselves made a mistake by not providing their stand with at least a brief explanation of the experimental concept.
Apartment building on Moskovskoe highway
Architectural workshop "B-2"
Among the projects of residential buildings, in addition to the above-mentioned gold medalist - an apartment building of the Golovin & Schreter workshop in Vyborg and the bronze - project of an apart-hotel on the Kherson firm "A. Len", the house on Moscow highway Felix Buyanov (workshop "B -2 ").
The 14-storey building is located on the very border of the Pulkovo Park of Hero Cities, between the temple complex and the new development, while its neutral architecture distances itself from both neighbors. In an effort to get away from the feeling of a box and diversify the facades, the authors have lost, from my point of view, their inherent sense of elegant proportion, allowing them to be somewhat congested and loose. In this sense, the sometimes excessively rigid structure of "A. Len" seems to be more justified in the genre of high-rise buildings, which is ungrateful by definition. *** Youth nominations
Data center "SELESTEL"
Ilya Yusupov
Oddly enough, young architects showed themselves extremely inactive: only one work was submitted to the competition in the category "Authorship of Young Architects". This is despite the fact that the leadership of the Union and the OAM (we must pay tribute) still tries to encourage younger colleagues - in particular, this year, for the first time, two representatives of the youth section were present in the jury: Ilya Filimonov and Oleg Manov. The only nominee eventually received a Silver Diploma: this is the SELESTEL Data Center by architect Ilya Yusupov with a team. A nice building in a former industrial zone was designed as a loft, in the spirit of futuristic romance, which is already somewhat naive today. Unfortunately, according to the presentation, devoid of any annotations, it was impossible even to understand whether this was a new building, or a reconstruction.
Out of 14 theses submitted for the competition, three were awarded, and here the struggle was quite serious. Not only the awarded projects deserve mention, but also the attempts of graduate students E. Kondrashova, A. Filipovskaya, M. Gimnadzinov to comprehend fragments of the urban landscape, to take on the difficult task of linking the torn urban planning context, to create a meaningful environment, and not just piece objects within the boundaries of the “construction spot. , Which is not always possible even for adults!
Horizontal skyscraper - multifunctional complex
Alexander Melnichenko
A silver diploma was awarded to the project of a horizontal skyscraper as part of the reconstructed tram fleet No. 3, shown by a graduate of SPbGASU Alexander Melnichenko (director VK Linov). Apparently, the graduate student coped well with the technical task, but in terms of working with the context - one of the main leitmotifs of the competition - the jury's decision seems more than controversial: a non-scale "suitcase" hoisted above the level of a historical building morally kills him. However, the technique is not original and is present in a somewhat relaxed form even in St. Petersburg practice …
Gold and bronze went to two graduates of the Academy of Arts (State Academy of Arts named after I. E. Repin) - Nikita Timonin (director V. O. Ukhov) and Anna Kintsurashvili (director V. V. Popov) for projects on the same topic: "Museum of the Great Patriotic War and the Blockade in St. Petersburg."
Museum of the Great Patriotic War and
blockades
Nikita Timonin
Timonin's work (Golden Diploma) was remembered even during his defense at the Academy. The museum itself is hidden in the bowels of the hill (Pulkovo line of defense), which is covered with a huge inclined slab. A concrete slab, cut with many "scars" and cracks, is a metaphor for a "stone sky" that is ready to fall on the ground and people (museum visitors). In front of this slope, there is a field of 872 "candles" - luminous pillars symbolizing the number of days of siege. Their symbolism is multifaceted: here and unbending endurance ("growing into the ground"), and prayer that reaches the sky, and memory that binds the living and the dead. As a result, the young architect managed to create an image of a holy war, where truth is not the winner.
Museum of the Great Patriotic War and
blockades
Anna Kintsurashvili
It is interesting to compare this work with a similar story by Anna Kintsurashvili (Bronze Diploma). In its undoubtedly interesting solution, the theme of confrontation is solved more literally than figuratively: there is no qualitative difference between the symbolic images of the opposing forces (straight and inclined wall), while in the winning project they are expressed by completely different artistic means. Enemy pressure - by the weight of the overhanging concrete, the courage of the defenders - by the deep symbolism of luminous pillars, turning into the disembodied architecture of light.
I confess that the work of Nikita Timonin moved my reasoning in a completely different direction, reminding that architecture can still be emotional and evoke a corresponding response. In other words, it is still capable of being art, and not just a solid, even high, craft. The effect produced by it is caused by nothing more than a deep personal experience of good and evil. Having imperceptibly left architecture, these ethical categories left it to design functions and freedom of subjective self-expression. Fragments of meanings that go beyond these limits are encountered less and less. The work of a young architect who managed to express them in such laconic and powerful symbols gives hope for the future. Optimism is also given by the "adult" reflections of young children about the urban environment, where the starting point is a person, and not an abstract formal task. I would like to wish them good luck.
