Architectural dominant in place of a typical “industrial area”

An open architectural competition for the reconstruction of the “Prostor” bakery and confectionary complex in the south-east of the capital has been announced — the first such contest in the history of industrial construction in Moscow.

For the industrial south-east of Moscow, manufacturing areas are the dominant architectural landscape. And in some areas — such as Vykhino-Zhulebino — it will remain as it is in the projected development. The bakery and confectionary complex is the kind of “industrial area” which will not be removed from the city, but on the contrary, will be developed, giving new jobs and modernizing production.

Preservation of its production functions given today’s prevailing ideology of converting industrial areas is an infrequent occurrence. The task of this contest is to find a solution on how to preserve and develop it with a new architectural character.

These territories look traditionally utilitarian and not very aesthetic, while due to the scale they are often the identifying accents in residential areas. For decades unattractive urban landscapes composed of these “accents” have even formed a behavioral model in the working-class suburbs: indifference to the surrounding area, disregard of the rules of social coexistence, etc.

The “Prostor” complex is located on the border of an industrial and residential area at the intersection of Akademika Skyabrina and Ferganskaya streets. For this reason, the curator of the contest — the chief architect of Moscow, Sergey Kuznetsov — considers it important to bring these objects into social circulation, to convert the adjacent space occupied by parking into a public space, to form a “friendly front.”

In connection with the expansion of production at the complex during reconstruction, it is planned to increase the area of the production, administrative and service, and academic buildings, as well as develop a new concept for the facades.

Furthermore, the company is not expected to close during the period of work. The complex produces up to 100 tons of products daily, and employs about 1,200 people.

Another 70,000 annually pass through the training center “Professional” which today is a city educational institution, and in Soviet times it was comprised of a unified educational-industrial complex. The training center is also included in the plans for reconstruction, which is an example of a public-private partnership.

According to the organizers of the competition, the “Cheryomushki” confectionary and bakery complex, the reconstruction is not only confined to the expansion of industrial buildings and new facades.

Fundamentally new and unconventional for industrial zones is the intention to make the enterprise a starting point in a series of activities for a comprehensive renovation of the urban environment.

Therefore, the contestants will have to come up with the future landscaping and visual perception of the complex, and its relationship with the surrounding area.

The competition will be held in two stages: the first involves an open competition of portfolio and sketch designs. In the second stage, six teams will be selected who will then engage in the development of architectural concepts. On September 25 the final meeting of the jury will be held and the winner will be announced.

The jury includes the architects Sergey Kuznetsov, Vladimir Plotkin, Anton Nadtochiy, Yuliy Borisov, Levon Airapetov, professors of the department of industrial buildings at the Moscow Architectural Institute Alexei Ginzburg and Stanislav Kulish, the designer Erken Kagarov and the president of the “Cheryomushki” confectionary and bakery complex Sergey Shchedrin.

As noted by the representatives of the contest consultant “Aglomeratsia” Center for Communication Technology, priority will be given to up-and-coming teams in consortiums with design institutes.