Levon Airapetov and Valeria Preobrazhenskaya,
TOTEMENT / PAPER
Success or discovery of 2017
Apart from the rather extensive and positive press in the architectural media, mainly foreign, about our
object in Chernyakhovsk, as well as several awards and invitations to competitions and festivals in Europe, China and the USA, which can also be classified as a success, the bureau did not make any "internal discoveries", which speaks of temporary creative stagnation, and we, of course, worried.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
The tendency for the prosperity of the "gray", the marginalization of "Castalian madmen", the politicization and socialization of architecture and art, the transformation of architects into social workers of a consumer society controlled by politicians and corporations, has become a sustainable trend, which was recently confirmed at WAF-2017 - this is a disastrous result not only this year, but the entire last decade.
World architecture for us is more and more concentrated in the United States, mainly in Los Angeles (Gehry, Moss, Main, Viscombe, Cohen, everything related to SCI-Arc, of course, Hall). Architectural Europe is becoming more and more socialized (except perhaps Coop Himmelb (l) au) and leftist. Russian architectural practice, being essentially provincial, follows in the wake of “Greater Europe”, flirting with a non-existent society, the fictional “liberal” values of the “public space” of freedom.
The time of the "gray" is coming, and maybe it has come. These are the followers of those who once "wiped out" the "formalist" Melnikov and the "ambitious Leonidov, who, with the help of his counter-revolutionary, individualistic, disgusting to the people, building-boxes discredited the humanistic Soviet architecture, designed to serve the interests of the working people … », and so on.
Plans for 2018
As for the plans for the next year, in 2017 we started the project of the first distillery in Russia, the construction of which should begin in 2018 opposite the Alliance 1892 cognac storage museum. We also propose to design a park between the two buildings.
The second facility, which takes a lot of our time and effort, is the facility in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the construction of which began in 2017. This is a hotel with a conference hall and restaurants, a fitness center and an office building. All this is in a nine-point seismic zone and in a very difficult area with a relief difference of up to 15 meters.
In the same place, we have already made a concept for the development of the territory adjacent to the site, about 4.5 hectares, with a visit center, a small museum, recreation areas, parking lots, a summer theater along the shore of Lake Kultuchnoye. Our proposal was approved by the city, and this is also a task for the coming year.
There are other works that will flow from 2017. We are already participating in two competitions in China and the USA with our museum building in Chernyakhovsk. We also have an exhibition in China in March 2018 at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts … ***
Pavel Andreev,
architectural workshop "GRAN"
Success or discovery of 2017
The most vivid impressions were left by a recent trip to New York. Made an especially strong impression on me
World Trade Center transport terminal designed by Santiago Calatrava. Work on this project has been going on for 10 years and the result is fantastic. Both in architectural and engineering terms, in the clarity of the work process, and as a transport infrastructure, and as a solution to public space. The work of the architect has raised the quality of this site several times.
This terminal made a strong impression on me, unlike other buildings of the world's architectural "stars" in New York lately, which left no joy at all. On the contrary, they were rather strange.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
As for negative impressions, I would not want to answer this question, because I do not want to think about it on the eve of the New Year. I would not like to talk about disappointments …
Plans for 2018
Regarding plans, I can say that I have completed my more than twenty years of work at Mosproekt-2, and I am completely returning to private practice. And now we have new works and projects in our plans. ***
Andrey Asadov,
Asadov architectural bureau
Success or discovery of 2017
The first thing that comes to mind is the renovation program. I think this is the main topic of the year. But it can be seen both as the success of the year and as the failure of the year at the same time. It contains a whole spectrum of meanings, factors, influences and consequences that are perceived ambiguously by many.
I personally perceive the topic of renovation as a challenge for the architectural professional workshop. A challenge and an opportunity to show the highest possible quality of the environment that can be achieved within the framework of affordable housing, within the framework of comfort class housing. Can architects set the bar for quality and make that quality available for mass consumption? Is it possible to create a fundamentally new quality of the environment within the required budget? This is a global challenge. So far, this program is being implemented in Moscow, but ahead of its entry into the all-Russian scale, the first sign of which is
competition commissioned by the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation.
Then, one cannot fail to note the opening of Zaryadye Park as the main architectural event of the outgoing year. A fantastic space has appeared in the center of Moscow, created according to international standards, albeit with local specifics in terms of quality of performance. This is a great achievement!
Among the significant events for our bureau, I can note the completion of the construction of the airport in Perm. The very trend of implementing large-scale projects, including infrastructure projects, in the regions is positive.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
Again, this applies to renovation. There is an opinion that the renovation process could be launched a little more organically, more naturally, one might say evolutionarily, with the involvement of society. But such impetuosity is a characteristic feature of our time, and I can say that it is better to do something sharper, but do it quickly and, if possible, well, than not do it at all. And the team from the Moskomarkhitektura managed to organize constructive interaction with residents in the framework of public presentations. This is a big step that might not have happened.
Plans for 2018
The main plan is to try to implement the model of the "Nespalny District" - as we called our competition project - already in practical terms on some real territory or within the framework of renovation. It should be an environment that stimulates the resident himself to express himself in various areas related to the programming and infrastructural development of the area. ***
Julius Borisov,
UNK project
Success or discovery of 2017
Success or discovery, if we take the Moscow market, then, of course, Zaryadye Park is, in my opinion, an absolute success. And the second success is probably a good systematic restoration, which is underway at VDNKh and at the Luzhniki Stadium. The success is that large city-forming serious projects were launched.
It seems to me that over the past 20 years in Moscow, to my great regret, many good buildings have been built, at the average European level, but I don’t remember anything outstanding from the point of view of the world level. Those that could be called a new word in world architecture. Zaryadye Park is a complex object, but it is already something of a world level. At least from the point of view of architecture, and the Philharmonic, as a part of it, is such a good international level. At least from a design point of view. And in my opinion, this is an object that marks a certain turning point in the trend. Finally, we have our own facilities, even if they are non-commercial and state-owned, but they still reach some international level.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
My biggest disappointment is the destroyed monuments. Palmyra and the rest. The list can be very long. This for me is beyond good and evil. Buildings of such antiquity, preserved to this day and destroyed before our eyes. Irreplaceable losses. The worst thing is the disappointment in humanity.
Plans for 2018
Next year we have to complete three projects that are important to us. We received these orders as a result of competitions, and now the cycle is coming to an end, and it will be possible to present the materialized results of long and hard work. The second main expectation is to reach a new level of our bureau. Our staff is now more than 110 people, and we are starting to work as an integrated design bureau capable of providing a customer with a full range of services for the development and support of projects. We are now moving from a small creative bureau to the format of a design organization that can solve the most complex tasks of any scale. And there is one more plan from the category of "our Wishlist" - going to the international level. We plan to participate in international competitions and make a serious international project. Such a wish for Santa Claus for the future. ***
Alexey Ginzburg,
"Ginsburg Architects"
Success or discovery of 2017
On a Moscow scale, a positive event is the beginning of the renovation program, which undoubtedly leads the way in the news. On the scale of the workshop - the beginning of the restoration of the Narkomfin building. In a global context, I cannot mark any global event. There are many small ones, I don't see one outstanding one.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
Shrinking market, although I don't like that word. Reducing the number of functions, the number of types of ordered objects. The number of some public and social functions is decreasing. Housing prevails. We are working with a commercial customer and this year we have noticed a clear trend towards a reduction in the range of types of properties that are currently being funded. And it seems to me that the dynamics of this process will only grow.
In parallel, there is a decrease in the cost of construction due to the quality, first of all, of finishing and building materials.
Plans for 2018
The plans are to defend a dissertation on the work of a modern architect in a historic city. It is unlikely that this will happen next year, but we need to work on it.
In addition, we plan to republish Ginzburg's books in Russian. Two of them are already ready. There will be a presentation and they will go on sale.
I would like to make another exhibition, but it is not clear where to get the time and energy. ***
Anna Ischenko,
Wowhaus
Success or discovery of 2017
In general, when almost every year ends, I traditionally have the thought: thank God that this terrible year is ending. And this year I have no such feeling, for the first time in many years. It is difficult to say with what concrete it is connected. This is most likely a complex story. We had many interesting projects that gave us new development and a good start for the next year. ***
DNA ag
Daniil Lorenz, Natalia Sidorova, Konstantin Khodnev
Success or discovery of 2017
It is pleasant to note this year the presence of Russian architects at foreign sites. Among them is an architectural bureau
"Meganom" with a tower in Manhattan in New York, the architectural bureau FAS (t) won the Waterproof Competition for the reconstruction of the Venetian Palazzo Ca Tron or the Russian winners Europan 14.
As the opening of the year, one can single out a new way of communication between the architect and the public, which was updated by the renovation program. We are talking about presentations and public discussions of the finalist projects of the competition for the development of concepts for experimental sites for the renovation of the housing stock in Moscow. Architects were able to present their projects to the general public, and not just to a narrow circle of specialists and interested organizations.
Among the achievements of our architectural bureau this year, it is worth mentioning the implementation of our projects.“Dawn of LOFT * Studio” is almost complete, the finishing touches are being made on the improvement, and just a year ago we received the Grand Prix of the Zodchestvo festival for this project. The first stage is already settling in and the second of our low-rise town-planning project is being completed in Gorki Leninskikh near Moscow, a new quarter is being built in the Severny residential complex in the North-Eastern Administrative District.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
The strong acceleration of the pace of design and construction is depressing. By and large, the city is being concreted in square meters. The saddest thing is that without a proper urban planning justification, which leads to the irrevocable loss of a comfortable urban and suburban landscape. We are talking not only about Moscow and the nearest Moscow region, but also about the regions.
Plans for 2018
The plans for the future, of course, are grandiose! ***
Nikolay Pereslegin,
Kleinewelt Architekten
Success or discovery of 2017
For me, the real discoveries this year were two buildings by the Herzog & de Meuron bureau. The first is the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg, which has been under construction for 10 years, and during this time its budget has increased almost 10 times. But it turned out to be an amazing building. This is such a real, mature Herzog & de Meuron, which contains everything we love them for. This is a great gift for the city and for the entire world architecture, which is characterized by a crisis of striking architectural events.
The second object, which I also consider the most important event of this year, is the 56 Leonard skyscraper in New York, which was also built by Herzog & de Meuron. This is an absolutely unique building. It has no analogues. Neither from the point of view of aesthetics, nor from the point of view of design solutions. It's amazing how they managed to transform such a cold, rational theme as a skyscraper into something cozy, tactile, complex and harmonious at the same time. The skyscraper is literally stuffed with the most different functions, and this is done masterfully.
Another event that I also think is important is the Museum of Modern Art in Cape Town, designed by the Englishman Thomas Heatherwick in the old building of the port elevator.
This is very unexpected in terms of location. The new Museum will feature a collection of African contemporary art, and this, in my opinion, is a very significant phenomenon.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
I would not call this a negative or positive trend. Rather, it can be judged as logical and natural. The crisis is producing fundamental changes in the project business. The professional landscape has changed fundamentally over the past five years. This is connected both with the economic situation and with the change in the vector of interests of developers. There comes a rather tough sobering up in terms of the standard of living and the level of demand. There was a request for very rational solutions. Luxury, which was strange to me before, is no longer in trend. She goes to the second, third, fourth or twenty-fifth plan. This change was inevitable, and now it is important to understand how it will develop further, and how we, architects, will react to it or not. And those who quickly learn to respond to new market demands, I think, will do the right thing. This will be the key to success.
Plans for 2018
This year we have won several rather large and very important architectural competitions for us. Next year we will continue to work on these projects. I will be glad to tell you about them a little later.
In 2018, the construction of several of our facilities will be completed, primarily a dealer
center "Avilon" on ZIL.
We will continue our research projects and our teaching activities. Together with our partners in Kleinewelt Architekten, at the invitation of the MARCH school, we will conduct an author's course on the reconstruction of buildings. It's called RE (NEW) and will start in March. ***
Alexander Skokan,
"Ostozhenka"
Success or discovery of 2017
Due to the total absence of the topic of the future in the agenda of our society, the return of this topic for me took place in an epistolary-memoir plan - the text "Future yesterday and today",written for the Academic Collection.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
I do not understand the excitement and enthusiasm of the public about the Moscow "renovation".
Plans for 2018
The conference and exhibition "In the Footsteps of the City of the Future", which will take place in March 2018 at the Higher School of Economics and will focus on the legacy of the NER and its role in Soviet urban planning. This is also about the "future in the past" in which I was lucky to participate in my time. ***
Sergey Skuratov,
"Sergey Skuratov Architects"
Success or discovery of 2017
The main news and success of the year for the entire Russian architectural workshop is the approval of a project for the construction of a super-thin skyscraper in NY, designed by my colleague and friend Yuri Grigoryan. I am sincerely happy for him and believe that a very bright and iconic author's implementation will turn out. I also congratulate the developer of this amazing project, my old customer Boris Kuzinets, with whom we implemented several important projects for both of us at the beginning of the 2000s.
Well, it is impossible to keep silent about the latest news. One of my favorite young teams, the FAST Bureau, won the Grand Prix at the prestigious concept competition in Venice. Well done!
Of the events of the year, I would like to point out the most discussed, praised and at the same time condemned for the quality (at an unjustified pace and timing) of construction and for some "disregard" of the local climate and mentality - Zaryadye Park. Any bright and almost provocative implementation divides the workshop into two parts. I would rather undertake to defend this project, although there are many places in it that, from my point of view, should have been done differently. But on the whole, for Moscow and for Russia, this is an incredible breakthrough, primarily in the mass consciousness and in coordination with the authorities. So respect to Sergei Kuznetsov and the entire team of authors.
Renovation. A difficult topic in terms of the authorities' fulfillment of their promises, relationships with residents, timing and quality of implementation. So far, I am observing a serious shift towards creating a new high-quality environment for life. Moskomarkhitektura, the participating architects, all are trying very hard and want to do very well. Let's look at the jury's decision in January. Let's hope that a lot of what has now been invented will be implemented.
Among the events of our workshop, an anniversary should be noted - our workshop is already 15 years old! And we met this date in our new, beautiful and spacious office in our complex "Garden Quarters".
Among the achievements, one can recall the gold at Zodchestvo, which we received as the best architectural workshop. Won the Brick Award. Russia 2017 with a residential building on Burdenko street. Garden Quarters received another award for the best landscaping.
This year we finally finished with Egod on Alekseevskaya. The first stage of construction of the "Residence of Composers" on Paveletskaya Embankment is coming to an end. New facades of our houses in the second phase of construction in Sadovy Kvartalakh have already hit the covers of some foreign magazines and are actively discussed in FB. We are building the Sofia embankment, Zilart, skyscrapers (270 m) on the Krasnopresnenskaya embankment, the third stage of the Garden Quarters.
Although I must say that we have as many problems, failures and difficulties as any other team. The main thing is to love what you are doing and not be afraid to solve difficult issues. We believe in our strength and are confident that everything will work out.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
As before, our Russian sculptors rarely please us with good luck, especially in Moscow. The whole world has long found other, more neutral and more modern plastic ways of perpetuating the memory of a particular person. Unfortunately, we have some kind of XIX century and not in its best examples.
Well, I would also add about the development of "New Moscow". In terms of criticism, everyone has already noted here. The question is how to stop it and what to do about it?
Plans for 2018
Plans for the year are extensive - both working and related to the life of the family. At the beginning of spring, we will finally start building our house according to our own design. An incredibly difficult task when the customer is his own. Whoever built it will understand me.
The end of January will be rich in surprises. Summing up the results of two competitions with our participation will take place at once. At the same time, we are planning a trip to Basel to the construction exhibition, well, and to visit our Swiss colleagues Herzog & de Meuron. In 2018, I want to go to Hamburg and see the Philharmonic. Planning Venice, Vienna (Brick Award 2018). And, of course, there are also brick factories, quarries and everything related to the implementation of our large projects.
Well, and almost a ritual trip in March for mountain skiing in Waldeser.
It may seem like too much free time. This is absolutely not the case. There is never enough time! This, unfortunately, is how life works. ***
Sergey Choban,
SPEECH and Tchoban Voss Architekten
The number one event of the year for me is the opening of Zaryadye Park, an object that has drawn the world's attention to contemporary Moscow and Russian architecture. Almost all leading architectural media, both paper and network, wrote about the park.
Perhaps, I cannot name other comparable architectural events. And I don't see any new trends in the professional sphere. Design in Russia still takes place mainly in the sphere of more or less large residential development projects. ***
Oleg Shapiro,
Wowhaus
Success or discovery of 2017
One of the important positive results of this year is that our internship has finally become real and started working in full force, as not only practice inside the workshop, but also a full-fledged educational program.
Another positive point - we entered the regions. Now we are working in Sochi, Novosibirsk,
Tula, Minsk. There is a demand for public spaces as an integral part of the urban environment, without which it is impossible to sell residential or commercial real estate. And the most progressive developers in the regions have felt this demand and are ready to invest additional funds in their projects and invite us to develop high-quality, individual solutions and comprehensive improvement.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
Architectural practice is always associated with some kind of losses, failures, losses. We failed to win the competition, the project stopped, and some decision had to be changed. This is so natural that after some time all these circumstances are simply washed out of memory. And you focus on what lies ahead, what tasks will need to be solved during the next year.
Plans for 2018
Next year, we plan to actively participate in the preparation program for the 100th anniversary of the Arkhangelskoye estate, which will be celebrated in 2019. The preparation is carried out by a specially created government commission and board of trustees. We have made a master plan, we are finalizing the sketch of the restoration project and fittings, and we will continue to work in large pieces.
Next year we will return to cooperation with MARSH and will conduct a special intensive course “Designing Public Spaces”. This course, which will be attended by representatives of the Department of Capital Repair, development companies and contractors, sociologists, economists and transport workers, is intended for people with higher education and who want to also work in public spaces. The course will be quite detailed, with an emphasis on practice, with an analysis of what can and cannot be done and why, and how to come up with a cool thing in the rigid framework of our reality. ***
Igor Shvartsman,
"Sergey Kiselev & Partners"
Success or discovery of 2017
I cannot name anything globally positive now. If we talk about individual events and news, then a lot of interesting objects are being designed and built. I am very glad that Yuri Grigoryan started a project in Manhattan. You feel some kind of pride, albeit indirectly, but still.
In our company, nothing more than expected happened. Stable work, albeit in more and more tougher conditions of the struggle for the client, for the order. I do not want to use the word tender, it is too formal, but now tender and struggle are practically synonyms. Competition in the architectural world is getting tougher.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
In my opinion, the situation in the sphere of relations between architects and developers is only getting worse. There is no respect for our profession and for architecture in general. Respect is not added to design as a way of creating real estate objects and making a profit, but to professionals. We work in the field of commercial orders and see this whole situation from the inside and in dynamics. Some talks about the adoption of laws on architectural activity, theoretically designed to change the situation, are being held at the highest level, but in practice everything remains in place. And I have no particular optimism.
Plans for 2018
There are projects for the next year. We are planning to finish several construction projects. If invited, we will participate in competitions, but only in closed ones. We have not taken part in the open ones for a long time. I don't see any point in them. ***
Nikita Yavein,
"Studio 44"
Success or discovery of 2017
I definitely consider the work on the project of the Museum of Defense and Siege of Leningrad to be a success this year for Studio 44 and for me personally. We dug deeply into this topic and our feelings about it. Perhaps they have not dug it out. We didn’t make it a little bit, we didn’t manage to express everything that we came up with. But by and large in this project we were able to rise to a new level. And by interaction within the team, and by entering some other architectural state or vision. Here, of course, the topic helped. It's nice that we also rushed up, and our project was highly appreciated. I hope we will continue to work on the project and will be able to do what we did not manage in the competition concept.
Of the global trends, I can note the departure from the "star architecture". It just becomes obscene. This is probably good. At the same time, the absence of what is called a general line, the division into several close areas - social architecture, environmentally friendly and so on - means, in my opinion, the loss of the actual theme of architecture as a kind of intrinsic value, as the self-determination of the profession. I'm not sure if this trend can be called positive.
Failure or disappointment of 2017
It seems to me that some kind of drop in the level of mass architecture is alarming. New and rather unpleasant tendencies have emerged. The connection between the author of the project and the building has been severed. I drew a picture, agreed, and then they will build how it happened. It's almost comedic in nature. So far we are holding on, but what will happen next is not clear. This is a general trend.
And in general, the fall of the general artistic culture has become noticeable. It has been falling as it has been for the last 20 years. Some individual objects that break out of this trend do not hold back the overall picture.
It is also impossible not to note the almost complete disappearance of public buildings from the architectural order as a typology. In St. Petersburg, we have virtually complete disappearance. Few projects follow budget lines, along some low price and architectural level.
Plans for 2018
It will be a feat that with our such a troubled life, all the same, as I very much hope, we will bring the Blockade to some level, at least the design level. Given that everything happens in such a way that this does not happen.
Apparently, something will have to be done for the Venice Biennale, more precisely for the Russian pavilion, the exposition of which will be dedicated to the Russian railways. We will have to do some part of this exposure.
I really hope that I can travel. The trip to Iran was absolutely fantastic from the last impressions. I advise everyone, especially to see Isfahan. It may be one of the most beautiful cities in the world and with the highest quality architecture. The central square of Isfahan, especially the palace building and the two mosques that stand on the square, I would put on a par with such things as the Pantheon.
I really want to see the underground churches in Lalibela in Ethiopia and visit the Chandigarh complex in India. But this is all difficult to implement, so these are more likely not plans, but dreams.
