Throughout September, on the eve of the Open City, public events were held at Moscow universities, where practicing architects told students and novice colleagues about the challenges and how a professional has to cope on the way to success. One of the round tables held at MIIGAiK was devoted to the situation with architecture in the regions. The meeting was attended by the architects of the "new wave" - so called them leading: young enough, but have already achieved a lot in the profession, and representing different cities of the country.
Each of the participants, using examples from their own practice, tried to tell about the specifics of work and how the situation with employment and the search for orders in various regions is developing. The conversation was about how the young to achieve success among the "native walls", not to leave their homeland for the sake of the capital or abroad. The experience, recipes, ideas and needs of all of them are different, relations are formed in different ways in the regional architectural and construction markets, in local professional communities. But the experience of each of the meeting participants proved that the achievement of success largely depends on persistence, readiness for self-development and for changes, as well as an active position in relations with representatives of the market and city authorities.
Oleg Manov from St. Petersburg believes that the building according to the project of his workshop - the checkpoint in Kudrovo - was built in full accordance with the traditions of the city. But not because, due to the technological difficulties during the construction, the customer called this architectural installation “Faberge's egg”. According to Oleg, now St. Petersburg is one of the most conservative cities in Russia, and this situation does not correspond to traditions: the city was founded in spite of natural conditions, for all the previous periods of its existence, it was built up with architecture that was up-to-date and modern for its time. Its main tradition is to be out of context, to be contrary. And the checkpoint installation is only 10% practically useful, the main thing is that it was created for the sake of art, decorates a new residential area, where every meter is used extremely rationally. Such an artistic statement corresponds to the genius loci of St. Petersburg, but not to the context of commercial development. However, contextual links of another level for this object can be found among the works of foreign architects.
Above all, it is important that the client accepted this reasoning from the architects. “We are lucky,” said Oleg Manov, “we have two or three customers who hear us.”
A neat invasion
The guest house of the Nizhny Novgorod design bureau "DA", headed by Zoya Ryurikova, was built only this year. But he has already entered the list of the best objects in the city according to the results of the local regular competition - the Rating of Architecture, and according to the competitive tradition it received an informal name - Battleship Rodion. Indeed, in appearance the house resembles an armadillo, it stands on Rodionov Street, in a row filled with a wide variety of fantasies for private orders. Embedding a new object in this row, playing along with the tastes of neighbors is a strange activity and not at all justified from the point of view of doing business: even a mini-hotel should be immediately noticeable. Zoya explains that the choice of the architectural solution is based solely on her individual feelings of the “Nizhny Novgorod style”. The form fits the idea of parametricism with the dacha regional naive.
According to Zoya Ryurikova, she is trying to create a regional architecture based on some kind of local identity.
And the other building of her office is also warm and eccentric. The apartment building was also the winner of one of the Nizhny Novgorod Architecture Ratings, resembles a greatly enlarged bird house and is called Skvorushka.
The image of the house was formed from reflections on the industrial and merchant city, conveyor and handicraft production, orderliness and chaos in the nature of Nizhny Novgorod. The scale of the house significantly exceeds the parameters of the surrounding buildings, but it does not look alien and cumbersome.
Anton Barklyansky - originally from Perm, has already worked in the British and Dutch architectural companies, in the studio of Sergei Skuratov, opened his own bureau in Moscow, designs for different cities.
"Neat intrusion" is a definition from the description of his campus project in a pine forest, where low-rise buildings "string" on the central pedestrian axis. The trick is that the casual arrangement of volumes with lively islands between them is calculated so that the cubes are assembled into a whole, as if magnetized, and the distances between them are set by a comfortable building density. The consultant for the project was the renowned Dutch company KCAP, based in Rotterdam - construction in the forest requires European approaches. Anton considers such cooperation necessary - to improve the quality of the project, and advises "all students, as long as there is such an opportunity, and now there are a million opportunities, to go to any company in the world that you like and get up-to-date experience."
The elite residential complex ASTRA Barklyansky was built in the historical center of Perm. And he did it so convincingly that the property received several awards, including the best completed development project in the category “Heritage. Restoration ", the national stage of the FIABCI global competition" Prix d'Exellence Awards "- 2017. The construction of housing was accompanied by the reconstruction of shopping arcades of the 19th century, which, together with the new object, were supposed to be included in the active city life. The result is a perimeter development with a closed green courtyard and commercial streets from the outside. But above all, the complex attracts attention with a silhouette with acute-angled roofs, completing the facade with a general outline, reminiscent of something alpine.
Contests. The power of detachment
By the way, Anton Barklyansky appreciates the power of detachment. It happens to those who have retained the opportunity to design in their hometown even after they left it. Such an architect, in addition to gaining new experience and knowledge, ceases to look back at the opinions known to him, becomes bolder and more decisive. And it is perceived in the hometown more weighty than before departure. Perhaps this observation is interpreted by the well-known expression about "a prophet in his own country", but how the principle works according to another scheme, when architects get projects in cities that have held some kind of competition.
For example, the bureau of Nizhny Novgorod resident Stas Gorshunov made the interiors of two hostels in the UK. Daria Tolovenkova, before becoming the Deputy Chief Architect of Kazan, completed an internship with Eric van Egerat. And Anton Belov from the Penza bureau "THING!" told how the city of Kuznetsk won the competition of the Ministry of Construction for small towns and won one hundred million for the implementation of their project. Nikita Malikov, an architect from Tver, after an internship in Germany, is actively looking for orders in different cities, now he works in Belgorod, where he participates in the development of local urban planning standards for the Belgorod region.
Improvement. The horse with the best chance of being the first
As Evgeny Kutai and Anton Belov said, the topic of beautification carried away them seriously, more than they were previously occupied by highly successful art objects. The bureau, on its own initiative, issued several small proposals for the city, and found itself under the scrutiny of a large Penza developer. “Favorite” is the horse with the greatest chances of becoming a leader - this phrase formed the basis for the idea of improving the courtyard spaces of the “Favorite” residential complex, built on the site of the former hippodrome. Architects of the "THING!" Bureau Evgeny Kutai and Anton Belov figured out how to play up the image of a horse in the form of art objects and landscaping elements so that the courtyard space created according to their project became the first non-standard in Penza, entered the federal
the register of best practices, formed by the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation. The project contained original small architectural forms, new types of children's play equipment for Penza, and geoplastics. This experience broadened the horizons of the young bureau: it had already taken part in designing under the Strelka program, strengthened its professional reputation, and received orders for other projects - already on recommendations.
The development of landscaping projects - within the framework of federal programs or at the request of a private customer - has become the niche in the market that young architects use to develop and grow their own companies. Oleg Manov noted that large experienced workshops do not single out landscaping in separate projects: “Improvement is just part of the working documentation for them, they will not deal with it separately”. Young people are engaged, and very successfully. This is how FUTURA ARCHITECTS Manova are designing the White Nights Boulevard, and last year the first stage of its construction was completed.
As you move deeper into the boulevard, the coloristic solution changes from dark to light, the type of coverage and landscaping changes, and new zones for quiet and active recreation are revealed. The zones are connected by transitional sidewalks and a through two-lane cycle path with bicycle parking at the beginning and end of the boulevard.
Daria Tolovenkova, Deputy Chief Architect of the city of Kazan, after the round table, opened another new object in Kazan - a boulevard along Fuchik Street.
Lukin's courtyard in Kazan is one of the most complex and unusual courtyards in the city - a triangular shape with a large number of chaotic transit lanes, along the edge of which a tram runs. The main task of the project was the formation of zoning for all user groups.
Park "Vesna" is located in the area of the Knox River, which is flooded with spring waters. Water flow has become a key idea for the park. Backwaters with existing large trees were formed, playgrounds and recreation areas were located in elevated sunny areas. The park is an example of an effective ecological solution, without interfering with the natural environment.
Now it seems strange that a year and a half after the institute Daria could not find a job - according to her portfolio, she was advised to illustrate children's books. After the interview, she was accepted into the creative group under the mayor of the city - then work began with the streets, courtyards and parks.
Urban studies. Interaction with society
One of the conclusions made by Daria Tolovenkova from her personal experience of work in landscaping projects, she outlined at the round table: “We understood that communicating with the townspeople is not scary, this is great, they are very positive, and you need to listen to them. If everything is taken with hostility, nothing will come of it. We need to negotiate."
Samara architect Maria Khramova develops the idea further:
“It is necessary to change the attitude of the public towards the architect. Young architects and students do not need to dwell on the traditional education that even Strelka and MARSH provide. It is necessary to go out into the city, to participate in some small or large projects with real people, with residents, with stakeholders, with the authorities, with experts in various fields. This in no way excludes traditional education, but goes in parallel with it."
Dmitry and Maria Khramovs showed the project of the Eldar Ryazanov Museum in Samara. An exhibition space and a cinema hall for 100 seats are being created here, where Ryazanov's films will be shown, it is planned to recreate the interiors of legendary films.
As it turned out, Dmitry and Maria Khramovs have been developing urbanism in Samara since the nineties, linking their work directly with the study of urban processes, communication with residents. We developed our own educational program, organized the Artpolis workshop - with numerous and varied workshops on topical topics - carried out the work that is just unfolding now in other cities.
“Do not keep yourself within the traditional framework of both education and creativity,” says Dmitry. “Try to go beyond your profession, be politicians, developers, active citizens, then you will succeed.”
The Khramovs are supported by Zoya Ryurikova, who opened a branch of the Center for Applied Urban Studies in Nizhny Novgorod: “You can complete the postgraduate studies at the Moscow Architectural Institute, as I did, you can get a few more professions, but, I think, first of all, you must definitely participate in city life and be a citizen.
Reconstruction and renovation. Learn to work with small means
Stas Gorshunov and Nikita Malikov spoke in their speeches that architects should not be afraid of modest budgets, simple techniques, or small funds. “Yes, so you are unlikely to create some kind of super-outstanding architecture in the regions, but I will tell you honestly, in Moscow, many architects manage to create it? Only at the "top". How to become a "top"? We must first learn how to work - the regions are just an ideal place for this,”- these arguments of Malikov are another option for possible development for young architects.
The building of the former fire station, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is located in the old industrial center of Tver. During the war, it was badly destroyed and rebuilt as warehouses. The modern owner of the building wanted to improve the exterior and invited the studio to find solutions. As a result, the developed plan included the complete removal of the curtain facade without changing the budget. Miraculously preserved ancient masonry was discovered under layers of plaster and paint. The budget did not allow to restore the original appearance. Then it was decided to "pull the masonry out into the light" and preserve it. To emphasize the history of the building, all Soviet superstructures are covered with contrasting material - black profiled sheet. The contrast solution allows you to discern the fate of the building, get along with the surroundings, and at the same time, it remains possible to return the original old look if a complex reconstruction of the quarter begins.
Tactical urbanism - improving space with quick, inexpensive means, without major changes - is also a good opportunity to gain experience and professional weight. Nikita Malikov says: “We are developing the embankment project together with the Dutch bureau Okra, we are already preparing the working documentation. So it is quite possible that we will build a park near the River Station … Everyone is hearing about this project, and I received applications from entrepreneurs from Tver for two more sites at once."
At first glance, "Snowdrop" by Dmitry Khramov's bureau tells not about limited funds, but, on the contrary, good opportunities for the architect's fantasies to unfold. But the plot of this project was “driven” into the framework of the reconstruction - the burned down former sports complex, which had to be connected to the skeleton of the administrative block that was not completed within ten years.
Therefore, the sports and recreation complex initially received a three-part structure - an administrative building with a communication frame, a swimming pool and a gym. But the combination of the two parts of the old into one new was only part of the task. The architects were required to create a new multifunctional center for this place, which would become the main dominant of the territory.
