On the eve of the international exhibition "City: Details", which will be held with the support of the Moscow government in Pavilion 75 of VDNKh from 3 to 5 October, we are talking with Russian architects about small architectural forms. We asked questions about the appropriateness of individual and typical elements, the line between large and small forms, as well as about trends in the development of MAFs and trends in the design of spaces in the capital.
Oleg Shapiro, Wowhaus When are generic LFAs and when are individual LFAs appropriate? Decisions must be appropriate to the situation. If you are dealing with large volumes of territories, it is impossible to design individual LFAs, it is better to use good standard ones than to design bad individual ones. But if you are working with a unique object and the so-called small architectural forms can play a significant role there, then, of course, it is important to design them.
In other words, individual ones are not always good at all, and they also carry a greater risk than industrially produced ones.
Where does the MAF end and the big architecture begins, and when, perhaps, they "grow together"? Generally speaking, this question doesn't make sense to me. The small form can be significant, and the large one - let's call it BAF, do you mind? - may be negligible. So we came up with a definition: MAF and BAF.
Both architecture and meaning depend on the architectural qualities. In our cities, alas, there are many BAFs, very large houses, but they are not architecture. Chapel of Zumthor, on the other hand, is not very large in volume, but it is a serious piece of architecture. You can, of course, take as a basis the limit set by the examination, everything that is less than 1500 m, all the MAF, but for me it will be conditional. Architectural quality is more important.
We in Sevastopol are now making small forms, they are part of the general design, they are inscribed in the relief - such objects, despite the fact that they are called small, can form space.
Well, if we talk about fusion - now, in Lenin's mausoleum they have grown together. The wooden mausoleum was small, and the stone one was large.
About trends and trends:
I will say this about trends: we do not study trends, we form them. ***
Grigory Guryanov, Praktika Architectural Bureau
When are generic LFAs and when are individual LFAs appropriate?
We use both in our projects. Typical MAFs are some kind of quality assurance from the manufacturer. Simply put, when implementing a project, it is more difficult to spoil a typical shop. And the level of design and its availability have grown noticeably lately. Typical products require a minimum investment of time directly on the construction site - they save the contractor's resources (if ordered on time), but the deadlines are always burning, which, of course, speaks of systemic problems in project management, but ready-made factory MAFs help out in such a situation. In the same way, catalog shops save the architect's resources; this is a way to make a project faster and cheaper (to fit into the deadlines and budget and not go broke). Of the minuses - it is not always possible to bring exactly what you need to the ordering stage, because real quality really costs a lot.
With individual LFAs, the situation is almost the same. It is time consuming and relatively expensive to design, requires thoughtfulness and taste. Then it is made for a long time in artisanal conditions with a non-guaranteed result. But it makes it possible to make the project more accurate and individual, to cope with atypical and subtle places / tasks, to experiment and set a new level. In skilful hands and heads, individual LFAs are a really powerful tool that allows you to create spaces with a pronounced identity, which is certainly valuable.
Where does the MAF end and the big architecture begins, and when, perhaps, they "grow together"?
How to draw a clear line between LFA and architecture? With each new noticeable project, the border zone becomes wider, there are more hybrid typologies. It is like the place where the day ends and the night begins. Is the path in the park architecture or MAF? In general, we refer our "Brateevskie teleporters" to the transport infrastructure.
About trends and trends:
It is worth talking about the “MAF trends” in the broader context of the creation / improvement of public spaces as a kind of new genre of architectural activity (we are talking about Russia).
The genre is developing and progressing rapidly, and there are already precedents of bias towards excessive pretentiousness and overcomplication, especially on expensive objects. If we talk about trends, we can say that the MAF is striving to become architecture. Sometimes even supplant architecture. The park is unprecedented in many respects, including the exorbitant quality of performance
Galitsky in Krasnodar - this is, in fact, one integral, huge MAF. With such a park, the stadium next to it also becomes the second, huge MAF, right? ***
Arseny Leonovich, PANACOM
In my opinion, all modern trends in the design of urban spaces are located at two poles: loose art “for the soul” and utilitarian objects “for the body”.
If you observe how cities develop on different continents, you will notice that more and more attention is paid to contemporary art. Amazing things arise that excite and make passers-by break away from the asphalt. For example - a giant drop as high as a five-story building in Chicago or strange abstract sculptures on the streets of Paris. Bursting into the context of understandable and boring urban spaces, such objects enrich the environment with their artistic meaning.
But even being decorated in the spirit of contemporary art, small architectural forms are becoming more and more socially oriented. For example, if this is a group of dolmens, then, as a rule, they are created so that people can sit on them, spend time together. Linking MAFs with landscape design is very important. This is expressed in the fact that people can interact with elements of urban nature - trees, shrubs, unusually decorated flower beds.
Utilitarian objects of the urban environment include all kinds of sports grounds. Ramps for skaters and cyclists, yoga and stretching spaces. Such objects are pleasing to the eye and functional at the same time.
We see these trends all over the world: people go out to cities and try to master them, to regain them. This movement is also typical for Russian cities. Moscow, for example, changes every season, and for the better - you want to spend time on the street. If in the future, city funds are directed specifically at creating points of urban comfort, modern and functional spaces will appear in marginal areas, courtyards. When this happens, the townspeople will feel completely new in an artistically crafted and functionally meaningful environment. ***
Ilya Mukosey, Mukosey office
In 2010, when I started working on this topic, I had to design benches, gazebos, tubs, even trash cans. And then look for manufacturers who could produce all this with high quality and inexpensive in small quantities. It turned out either expensive or bad. The situation began to change 3-4 years ago, when high-quality domestic MAF of serial production appeared on the market. And every year there is more and more choice.
Another tendency is the emergence of domestic elements for playgrounds that are not inferior in quality to foreign ones, which had to be used before. In this sense, we are gradually catching up with Europe, but have not yet caught up. ***
Kirill Governors, Megabudka
Surprise, scenario, functionality, subtle idea, neutral color and naturalness - these tendencies are manifested in small architectural forms around the world.
Recently, in Russia, everyone has learned to choose ready-made MAF - benches, trash cans and other urban objects, to develop custom-made individual objects. We learned to do it not pretentiously and expensively, but in a fashionable way. But in a fashionable way it often turns out to be monotonous: now all the supports for lighting are L-shaped, the benches are wavy, straight or broken, the gazebos are U-shaped. Wood in natural colors, hills, green islands and tiles dominate everywhere. In every city there is an inscription "I LOVE …" for photographing, and all parks and squares are filled with swings. Everyone has learned to do "as in Gorky Park", but no one thinks about the identity of the place, no one invents their own style, no one looks for or sets new examples of the contextual environment.
The programs "My District" and "My Street" are good, very large-scale and necessary for the city. But with such a scale of work, it is difficult to individualize projects and come up with new forms, hence questions arise about the subtlety of the execution of ideas.
Therefore, we see from the outside high-quality, but often indecisive ideas: it is better to build again a playground or workout on a motley multi-colored surface, but not choose an interesting mono color, or, conversely, go to the extreme and challenge a noticeable and stylish solution.
At the same time, the tendency to use natural, even natural materials is a huge plus and corrects the situation. But the fear of responsibility for bright ambitious environmental solutions and phlegm in ideas, and even a lack of experience and knowledge, give rise to the fact that in 2019 in Russia they still put urns near the bench. ***
Nikita Asadov, AB ASADOV
In my opinion, the “improvement revolution” that has happened in Russia over the past ten years, in principle, deserves attention and interest as a historical turning point in modern Russian architecture and the transition of perception from the city as a “sum of buildings” to a city-home in which feel safe, relaxed and have a good time.
It is noteworthy that work in this area is not limited to the capital and millionaires, but is carried out throughout the country. Literally before our eyes today, a pool of leading regions is being formed, as well as a multitude of young progressive teams implementing projects of public spaces with an absolutely international level of quality of ideas and implementations. Moreover, such teams are formed not only in design bureaus, but also in regional and municipal administrations. And those first steps in the profession and implementation that students and young architects in the 2000s could afford only within the framework of professional creative festivals and workshops, today the same 20-30-year-old architects are being implemented in key public spaces of Russian cities.
Also, I would note the trend of some growth in the "weighted average" quality of Russian architecture, and already over the past twenty to thirty years. This trend also integrates an increase in the attention and professionalism of working with small architectural forms, and not only the quality of implementation, but also the depth and some elegance of creative understanding of design solutions.
Even the fact that the My Street program, following the Zaryadye Grand Prix in Cannes, received the prestigious Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence, is a definite indicator of reducing the distance in terms of quality and compliance with the current global agenda.
I would say that in some objects today we have already reached the quality of the architecture of Soviet modernism, but the bar of pre-revolutionary quality is still too high for us. ***
Julia Burdova, Buromoscow
In recent years, environmental trends have been increasingly evident in the design of urban spaces. This is manifested both in the use of natural materials - wood, stone, sand, wood chips, and in the use of techniques for creating a natural landscape when planning an urban environment. Another trend in the development of small architectural forms around the world is interactivity. Such objects not only perform their functions, but also cause emotions and pleasant experiences in people.
Recently, the design of MAFs has become more relevant in Russia. On the one hand, thanks to this, the appearance of the city has changed for the better. On the other hand, there are a lot of repetitive objects that do not emphasize the character of the place. This distinguishes the Russian approach to city design from the Western one: the percentage of visually unique forms in European cities is higher. There are also typical objects there, but they are delicately inserted into the city and we do not notice them.
Globally, of course, we see a positive trend. It's nice that the quality of the urban environment is changing not only in Moscow, but also in the Moscow region and other cities. People began to enjoy spending time in the city. I wish there were more architects who deal with the urban environment. There are still very few of them on the scale of our country. ***
The first International Exhibition-Presentation "City: Details" will be held from 3 to 5 October in Pavilion 75 at VDNKh. The event will bring together the world's leading manufacturers of urban comfort elements: street furniture, lighting, playgrounds for children and sports, bus stops, security systems and landscaping.
The competition "Small architectural forms" City: Details "will be part of the exhibition. As part of the competition, young designers and architects will be able to present their designs for playgrounds, outdoor furniture and art objects to the jury.
During the exhibition, Muscovites will be able to vote for their favorite architectural solutions for the urban environment. The voting results will be taken into account in future projects for the improvement of the city.
