The tradition-rich clinker factory Hagemeister on the basis of its "Academy" regularly holds a "clinker seminar" (Klinker-Seminar), where they discuss the practice of designing clinker buildings, its further development, preserving the culture of building from clinker, combining aesthetics and "sustainability" in buildings made of clinker. Designers from all over the world speak to a wide audience (up to 500 architects come to the seminars), talking about their experience and ideas of working with clinker. The Hagemeister Seminar provides all participants with the exchange of views necessary for professional development; it is also recognized as part of the continuing education system by chambers of architects throughout the country (continuing education is required from all licensed architects in Germany). For thirteen years, many German and foreign heroes of the architectural field have taken part in the seminar, presenting reports on the general topic "Clinker facades".
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Hagemeister Clinker Seminar in 2014, the participants had the chance to get acquainted with the Russian experience in working with clinker. Famous architect Sergei Aleksandrovich Skuratov, founder and director of Sergei Skuratov ARCHITECTS, spoke about the rich Russian tradition of brick building. As examples of the modern interpretation of this tradition, Sergey Skuratov presented to the seminar listeners his works using Hagemeister clinker: a residential building on Burdenko Street with a “textured” clinker facade and a large-scale complex “Garden Quarters”. For him, the "stability" of clinker is an indisputable fact: this is facilitated by a long service life, high strength, low water absorption, and the beauty of the surface texture of this material. Skuratov noted in his report: “If a developer works with clinker at least once, he no longer needs to be persuaded to use it. Because clinker convinces itself, allowing buildings to be created like sculptures.” The architect always emphasizes that brick is "a tool for solving plastic problems … a pixel with which you can make any curved surface."
As part of his trip to the Hagemeister seminar, Sergey Skuratov visited a historic glacier cellar in the town of Altenberg. Today this cellar serves as a museum of 19th century industrial architecture, which impresses visitors with its ancient, fully preserved brick vaults. In this unique place, the architect spoke about his personal relationship to clinker, which is an important building material not only in the urban and rural landscape of the Münster district, where Altenberg is located, but also in Russia.
interviewed: Sergey Aleksandrovich Skuratov and Anastasia Landgraf (Hagemeister, Sales Director)
"Build for ages"
Anastasia Landgraf:
Sergei Alexandrovich, welcome to Altenberg. Now we are in the historic Eiskeller - this is the "ice cellar" of the former brewery … Such cellars were used until the end of the 19th century for storing ice. It would be interesting to know what makes this place special for you?
Sergey Skuratov:
- This place reminded me of the Roman Forum, the Roman Colosseum. Once upon a time, these were magnificent buildings that were built at the pinnacle of technical capabilities and at the pinnacle of some kind of humanitarian research. So much effort, love, soul, efforts were put into this basement. It’s a pity that no one needs it now, it has turned into a museum. But, apparently, this is some kind of dialectic of life, nature, society, that everything that was dear and valuable to our past generations is now only a museum value for us.
What personal emotions does this basement evoke in you?
- I always admire the majestic buildings of the past. I understand that now humanity has become much smaller, and no one is building such grandiose buildings.
Let me ask you more precisely. What role does clinker, which is more than 150 years old, play in this?
- I think both constructive and functional. And it is clear that it was quite humid and cold here, and the brick, with the help of which these walls and vaults were laid, had to be very strong, stable, hardy, and so on. It seems to me that mankind invented clinker many centuries ago, a lot, I think, even the Romans themselves did not know that it was clinker, but they used clinker during construction.
Do historical sites like this basement influence your architecture?
- Everything influences my architecture. Everything that I see throughout my life, especially some things that make a very strong impression on me.
What is your opinion: what is the difference between the impact of the centuries-old art of construction and the impact of modern architecture?
- I would not distinguish between the impact of historical architecture and the impact of modern. It seems to me that the impact comes from things that are made very talentedly, wisely and for centuries. It doesn't matter if it is done now or it was done several hundred or thousands of years ago.
Sergey Alexandrovich, you have already been here in Münsterland several times, and you know this region well with its traditional clinker architecture. What is the general impression of this area on you?
- Extremely comfortable, positive, and I always like to come here.
Hot topics: aesthetics and sustainable development
I would like to move on to current topics such as aesthetics and sustainable development. How to recognize your handwriting, what makes your architecture distinctive?
- It seems to me that it would be more correct to ask this question to architectural critics who evaluate what I have done. An architect's job is to build, think, and benefit people, like virtually all other professions. And to evaluate this is the business of other people, of time, probably, in the first place.
What ideals are you guided by in your plans?
- First of all, it seems to me that it is very important that the ideals of the architect coincide with the ideals of the society in which he works and for which he works. And this is the most important thing. It seems to me that the value of the human person, the harmony of the human person, human health and the ability to live happily is, among other things, the responsibility and obligation of an architect.
Sergey Alexandrovich, you specially came from Moscow to read two reports at our architectural seminar, which is held under the motto "Aesthetics and Sustainable Development". I hope you will not be surprised that we are particularly interested in the question, how do you see the importance of clinker in aesthetics and sustainable development in architecture?
- Answering the first question about aesthetics, it seems to me that clinker is a fantastic material because it has an extremely broad aesthetics, which is the area of materials that allow me to solve some of my problems. And this is a very beautiful material. And the beauty of this material, in my opinion, is an indisputable thing for representatives of any stylistic trends, tastes, and so on. As for sustainable development, the fact that clinker is already several thousand years old and that this material is quite long-lasting, it seems to me that this is already a generally recognized thing. And the properties of this material persuade many builders, developers, architects and customers to use it. It seems to me that this material does not need any special advertising.
Tell us a little about your homeland. How important is sustainable development in the construction culture in Russia?
- Due to certain features of the geopolitical development of our homeland, we have discovered a lot of gas and a lot of oil, and while the prices for gas and oil are very high, then only those people who understand that sooner or later it will have to be implemented will think about sustainable development into the structure of the activities of all people living in a given territory. Now this topic has some kind of initiative or optional character, but looking at how this is happening in Europe, more and more people from different branches of our life, our activities are thinking about this issue. And architects, in this sense, are no exception.
What is the role of clinker in these conditions? Surely you already have a lot of ideas on how to use the specific properties of clinker in future-oriented, sustainable building concepts? Can you tell us about some of them?
- For me, clinker is one of the most suitable materials for realizing the concept that architecture is a frozen sculpture or a dynamic sculpture. And like any sculpture, it is made from one material, like a classical sculpture. And therefore, clinker allows you to make almost all planes of a building: the roof, protruding bay windows, walls, suspended ceilings - made of bricks, all protruding surfaces, which are constantly exposed to water. It would be difficult from a different material, you would have to use different materials for different surfaces: metal, stone, plaster, and so on. The clinker allows you to create a seamless look with one material. For this I really like him.
Material: clinker
And if you look at the clinker critically, what are its weaknesses or limitations?
- Perhaps the only weak limitation of this material is still its rather high cost in relation to ordinary brick, rather large economic costs for its production and, accordingly, this limits its use for some projects where the economic side is a priority. I think if we continue some research in the field of its production, then we can find some forms and ways to reduce the cost of its production. Although this is a question exclusively for manufacturers.
Until now, we talked about clinker in general. How did you meet Christian Hagemeister and his family-owned clinker business?
- I think you introduced me to him.
What prompted you to decide to use Hagemeister clinker in your Garden Quarters project?
- First, we started with a small project - a residential building on Burdenko Street. We thought it over and experimented for a very long time. When the result exceeded all our expectations, my desire coincided with the client's conviction that this material can be used, and it is, apparently, the best in this area.
What do you see as a special feature of the Hagemeister plant and its products?
- I don't know a lot of clinker factories, maybe a dozen. But the peculiarity of this particular plant is the constant striving to create some new products and some very strong energy of its head. It seems to me that he is a very interesting experimenter, it is interesting to create some new models with him. Recently, I have already witnessed the creation of almost a dozen new bricks, new shapes, new colors. In terms of our cooperation, we have some very interesting search points.
The future: clinker requirements
If you draw a line, is clinker the material of the future?
- It is difficult for me to make plans for the distant future, but it seems to me that for the next 50 years this is so.
Do you have any personal wishes for the next generation of clinker? In what direction should it develop?
- Hard to tell. I think that a very important point is its affordability for more consumers. It is very pleasant when you drive through this land and see that almost every house is built of clinker. And it's nice. And you understand that the people who live in these houses will not repair them, the walls for the next 100-200, maybe 300 years. And this is very nice. This is the view of an architect, because you have to build for centuries, and pass on something already built to your children and grandchildren. They can redo this business somehow, but the main base is already there. There is some certainty about the future in this. Clinker gives this confidence in the future, that it will always be, for a very long time, anyway.
Sergey Alexandrovich, on behalf of the Hagemeister family, employees of our plant and the architects who took part in the seminar, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to answer the questions we are interested in. We look forward to welcoming you back to Germany soon
- Thank you, I hope so too.
general partner of Hagemeister on the territory of the Russian Federation - CJSC "Firm" KIRILL"
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