Archi.ru:
More than ten years after the completion of the reconstruction, the decoration of the ceiling of the Celebration Hall of the Moscow synagogue was finally completed. Does this mean that the project is now completely finished?
Sergey Estrin:
In fact, no, something is being finalized there all the time. But the Ballroom is, yes, complete. For ten years it stood without a ceiling. Of course, the skylight in the roof in the shape of a six-pointed star was from the very beginning, and now curved MDF lamellas radiate from it in all directions. The result is such a large element that corresponds to the scale and significance of this hall. From different angles - both from below and from the balcony - there is a feeling of the integrity of the space. At the same time, such a composition provides good access to light, and it is easy to get close to engineering, which is also important.
Complex construction …
S. E.: Not as difficult as it sounds. From this whole circle, only one twelfth was projected, and then this sector is simply repeated. But, it is true, this twelfth part consists of twenty different elements.
The sand-colored undulating beams are a continuation of the Sinai Desert theme, which is set by the ceiling of the atrium?
S. E.: More or less. There are other materials and other forms, but in terms of shade, and most importantly, in terms of emphasis on the ceiling, we can say yes.
You can often find such accents in your projects. What are the advantages of ceilings for you as a means of architectural expressiveness?
S. E.: The huge advantage of ceilings is that they are always open, they cannot be forced with furniture, crowds of people do not trample on them. In addition, in the process of movement, the ceiling opens from different angles. In short, this is a really very expressive element, probably one of the main ones that we use in interiors. For example, in the lobby of the "German Center for Industry and Trade" in the Technopark Nagatino i-Land, the ceiling, due to the fact that it is original, powerfully resolved and even reflected in dark glass, organizes an ever larger space. Clearly smooth floors, emphasized simple look of the walls - it is the ceiling that sets the theme.
We recently completed the public spaces in the Eurasia Tower in Moscow City. There I wanted to create the effect, as if the sun shines through the crowns of trees. By the way, it was very difficult to carry out these suspended veneered elements, each petal consists of four parts, although the seams are not visible. A similar theme, and also decorative elements combined with lamps, is in the residential part of the tower, where the entrance to the apartment is. Due to the fact that we gradually move from the regularity of the lower part of the space to a free solution at the top, an association is created with nature, tree trunks …
And this project is more than ten years old. In the entrance area of the Capital Tower business center on 1st Brestskaya, we “wrapped” the entire space as a whole, but it is mainly the ceiling that works, especially at rush hour, when people are in a stream and everything else is closed. Therefore, all the most important things were lifted up, and these mad swirls are perfectly visible, from the street as well. The design is quite light - these are plasticizers, gypsum and a void inside.
In the interior of the Schlumberger Science Center, the effect is based on alternating mirrored panels with open ceilings. In one of the World Class clubs, we simply crumpled the dyed net and hung it over our heads - it turned out very effectively. In the Enter office, umbrellas were hung from the ceiling: the company was young, the room was littered, there was nowhere to do anything except the ceiling. And for the tobacco company Philip Morris, the ceiling of the meeting room was decorated with cigarettes. The reception, of course, is quite simple, but we placed these cigarette lamps in such a plaster "trough" with a lot of bends that very well reflect light and at the same time give some kind of structure.
In the office of the head of Nordstar Development, the main expressive element is, of course, Moscow behind the panoramic windows. Therefore, we have made the interior rather neutral, but the ceilings are back in business. Large circles of light give the impression of domes, as if there is much more space and light above you than in reality. The light is very comfortable, it is beautifully dimmed, and the ceiling plays in completely different ways, and the velor panels create excellent acoustics. Plus, these circles organize space: one zone above the leader himself, the second above the negotiating table, and the third above the resting place.
That is, the ceiling often solves not only figurative, but also functional tasks?
S. E.: And very successful. For example, you need to get rid of the shadow - then you can make many light sources, and the shadow will be diffused, like in the Eurasia tower. And in the cafeteria of The Visual Care Institute "Johnson & Johnson" we made such a rounded TV on the ceiling, since now technologies allow it. Either there is a poppy field, or some other beauty. People are sitting, having lunch, someone is reading or studying, and then they look up and their eyes rest. Nice and helpful.
And in the office of the law firm "Baker & McKenzie" it was necessary to arrange hoods, while hiding the sensors. We went this way: we took maps of the cities where they have headquarters, and selected one of the quarters for the size of the hood. This technique, by the way, allows the sensors to be combined with some outstanding buildings, for example, or monuments.
And what are the requirements for the materials that are used to decorate the ceilings? Not very heavy, I guess?
S. E.: Not very heavy - this is not a requirement, you can distribute the load on the ceiling as you like. In the Eurasia tower, these petals are, in principle, heavy, but there are many suspension points. From the point of view of fire safety, there should be materials of a certain category, and in principle there are no more restrictions. Ceilings are good because they give absolute scope for imagination. We made a project for the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and, as one of the options, we hung a real metal strip from the ceiling. There was also wood - in the same synagogue, in the atrium, there was a dense pine ceiling, and we simply cut it off, we did not care about the seams, it was part of the design. And in the penthouse in the Sokolinoye Gnezdo residential complex, the ceiling, or the floor of the upper level, is partially made of glass. Concrete, plaster - all these materials on the ceiling are quite appropriate. I just don't really like the stone, but it can always be imitated.
Now, in general, projects are often made without ceilings …
S. E.: When I was evaluating projects in the jury of the Office Next competition, I noticed that 80 percent of the offices were proposed to be made without a ceiling - supposedly this is the aesthetics. But this is no longer original, besides, it is more expensive than making a ceiling! After all, it is much easier to close all communications and other nonsense than to clean everything, level it, run pipes through partitions … For example, in the same Enter company, in the waiting area, we made a print on the suspended ceiling - and an artistic technique, and everything is closed, which is not need to see.
Traditionally, the ceiling is the location for the light sources. Do you have a preference in this area?
S. E.: When the "LED revolution" took place, anything was possible. If earlier you had to think about how you will maintain the lamps, how quickly they will burn out, now a lot of things have been solved. The heat sink is quite simple to make, it lasts a long time … So it's a pleasure to create some kind of large light compositions. It is difficult to find truly large lamps in catalogs that could become defining elements of the interior. Another thing is architectural solutions that are created with the help of LED strips. Here the architect has "free hands", he can come up with and implement interesting designs that completely change the perception of space. In the Johnson & Johnson conference room, we used completely standard lighting fixtures, but if they are organized correctly, it becomes a whole theme. Here they have not eaten even the height, and they give good light - comfortable, shadowless, just for conference rooms.
And constructively, the ceiling in a modern interior can carry some function?
S. E.: In all the projects that I have shown, this is, in general, decoration. There are practically no ceilings that would be a direct continuation of the structure and carry some function in this regard, in modern interiors, if only because the interiors are made later than the building is being built. If it is possible to combine this, then we get such things as the Niemeyer cathedrals in Brazil, or the Chapel in Ronshan Le Corbusier, or Calatrava's projects … But now I will not name projects that would be built immediately with elements passing from the volume to the interior - unless, of course, we are talking about Olympic facilities.
Are there any techniques that induce a person to look up to the ceiling? Not always, when you come into the room, the first thing you do is lift your head up
S. E.: Of course there is. In the same Gothic style, this is the entire stream of vertical columns that directs the gaze upward. If we take our projects, for example, in the Eurasia tower, the theme of petals, which exists mainly on the ceiling, first appears as a hint on the floor, a little more on the walls … In Capital Tower, space spins down and only then shoots up. And in the Binbank office, we just moved the walls to the ceiling. In fact, most often, when heading to an office, a person first enters a building decorated in a completely different style. He passes through the entrance group, rises to the floor, which is not yet completely tuned in to the place where he is going. And when he opens the door, it's time to cut his breath. And what does he first see in perspective? Ceiling!
Is the ceiling the culmination point?
S. E.: Yes, the ceiling is one of the techniques for creating a climax as you walk through an object. For example, a person moves from a dark space to a light one or from a small space to a spacious one: the ceilings work wonderfully here, creating an emotional contrast. You were in a place where there are many small details, and suddenly you find yourself in a room where there is only one detail, but a large, bright one. Where can such a detail be placed? If we are not talking about a museum, but about an ordinary residential, office, and retail space, then the ceiling there is almost the only integral element. He can even determine the hierarchy of premises - this is an important space, this is the manager's office, this is the main conference room … He does not get bored, he is with you all the time, and if the furniture can be rearranged, the exposition can be changed, the tables in the banquet hall can be placed differently, then the ceiling, in any case, keeps the composition and creates the character of the interior.
