Architecture from Russia

On the 13^th of September 2019, the six winning projects of the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) were honored at a ceremony held at the Kazan’s Musa Jalil State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. After the ceremony, ArchDaily managed to get exclusive comments from all the awarded teams and from the director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture Farrokh Derakhshani. Read on to discover what they had to say about this cycle of prizes.

Russia is an enigmatic country known for its sublime constructivism developed during Soviet times, its greatness and enormous scale. It comes as no shocker — architects, such as Ivan Leonidov and his student Leonid Pavlov, and artists like El Lissitzky, have definitely contributed to the history and image of a strong Russian personality.

Readers of ArchDaily and Strelka Mag have selected a shortlist of 15 architectural projects nominated for the joint ArchDaily & Strelka Award, which celebrates emerging architects and new ideas that transform the contemporary city. The second stage of voting, which will last until August 15, will decide the three winners.

UNStudio has won the competition to design the world's first cross-border cable car to carry passengers across the Amur River connecting Russia and China. The Cable Car Terminal is designed as an expression of the historic connection between the two cities of Blagoveshchensk and Heihe. The new cable car line aims to become an engine for creating social connections between the two cultures and will connect the cities in less than 10 minutes.

ArchDaily, Strelka Institute, and Strelka KB have selected a long list of 50 architectural projects nominated for the joint ArchDaily & Strelka Award, which celebrates emerging architects and new ideas that transform the contemporary city. Now the readers of ArchDaily and Strelka Mag can vote for their favorite project to decide the finalists.

For its 9th edition, the Moscow Urban Forum continues to consolidate as one of the world’s most relevant urban conferences, bringing together a diverse group of architects, urbanists, city mayors, government officials, economists, developers, academics, citizens, and professionals from diverse fields and nationalities.

Russian practice Atrium Architects and Vostok+ have designed a new learning commons and public space in Yakutsk, the world's largest city built on continuous permafrost. Sited in the Republic of Sakha, the design is part of the largest administrative-territorial unit in the world with a territory of more than 3 million square kilometers in the far east of Russia. Building in a region known for diamonds and extreme climate, the project reinterprets Yakutsk's unique culture atop the frost.

Architecture practice DNKag has designed two corten discs as a rooftop extension to a seaside production facility in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Dubbed Harbor Sea Infinity, the project will become a social and business center overlooking Sevkabel Port. In a short time, Sevkabel Port has become a new point of attraction for urban activities and a popular destination for citizens and tourists in the city. The new rooftop addition aims to bring new life to the industrial warehouse.

This article was originally published on Strelka Magazine.

Architecture firm ARCHSLON has designed a black residence for the forests outside Moscow. Taking inspiration from Russia's landscape, the house was made to integrate the building into the picturesque natural context with minimal impact to the forest. Aiming to preserve as many trees as possible and create a modern dwelling, the home was made to add depth to the surrounding forest.