Sports bastion: Luzhniki today and tomorrow

There is every reason to believe that, after the renovation project is completed, Luzhniki will become a point of attraction for not only holidayers and sports lovers, but architects as well.

Sport has a special place in Russia today: it is not just a show, but an important component of state deology. In his annual state of the federation address in December 2014 President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation said that «a healthy family and healthy nation» is one of the main priorities of the Russian government’s domestic policy.

No doubt, sport has a key role to play in accomplishing this objective. It is therefore small wonder that our authorities are taking such efforts to develop and popularize sports. This country is readying to host the FIFA World Cup 2018. Obviously, this is going to be a no less signature event for Russian sports than the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Eleven cities — Kaliningrad, Kazan, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostovon-Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Sochi, Volgograd and Yekaterinburg — will host World Cup matches.

The main matches will of course be held in Moscow at the Luzhniki mentioned above and the Spartak football club home stadium built in 2014. Luzhniki will host the opening match scheduled for 14 June and the final on 15 July. With a mere 18 months to go before the World Cup Russia, a grand scale overhaul is in store for the Luzhniki sports complex.

In fact, its grounds are to transform into a giant park with an area of over 150 hectares (370 acres) and some 1 000 trees and 50 000 shrubs to be planted. A cable car terminal is to be built at the intercrossing of the embankment and the Prestige Alley stretching from northeast to southwest.

The cable car is to connect Luzhniki with the opposite bank of the Moskva River. Several infrastructure projects, including a threestoreyed restaurant, an accreditation centre and service pavilions, are to be built along the sports complex perimeter.

As for the major sports facilities, the Grand Sports Arena should of course come first. Its capacity is to be expanded to 81 000. The oval roof weather hood overhanging the stalls is to be extended by approximately 10 metres for additional protection against rain. The configuration of the stalls themselves will also change: they are to be arranged at a steeper slope in two tiers to ensure optimum view of the football field from every point. Overall, nearly everything will be renovated inside. However, the «shell» will remain unchanged.

At first FIFA representatives insisted on the complete demolition of the old structure for failure to meet FIFA standards, but through the efforts of the Moscow government a compromise has been reached and the historical image of the legendary structure is to stay.

Special mention should be made of the swimming centre project undertaken at the site of the demolished Luzhniki swimming pool and the rhythmic gymnastics centre to appear on the side of the Third Ring Road.

The former is a rare example of an apt synthesis of modernist and traditional architecture. The latter is winningly picturesque (its glass volume is covered by an elegantly waved roof looking like a gymnastics ribbon), which is rather unexpected of such functional structures.