On July 4, within the scope of the Forum “REBUS 2023: Economics of construction in the historical center”, the participants of the competition presented their projects, and the jury summed them up and determined the winners in two categories: “Implemented concept (strategy) for the development of historical territory” and “Concept (strategy) for the development of historical areas under development”.

The jury reviewed the best cultural heritage development projects and summed up the results in two categories. Five works were presented to the jury. A total of 148 applications were submitted for the competition.

The jury included: Finogenov Anton Vladimirovich, Director for the Development of the Urban Environment of DOM.RF, JSC, Deputy General Director of the DOM.RF Foundation, Natalia Klimova, Advisor to the President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Building Sciences, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Council of Chief Architects of the Russian Federation Entities and municipal formations named after A.V. Kuzmin, Yulia Shishalova, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine “Project Russia”, Vladimir Kudryashev, Deputy Minister of Construction, Architecture, Housing and Utilities of the Republic of Tatarstan, Victoria Semenova, Director of the Department of Spatial Development and Architecture of Yugra, Elena Neretina, Deputy Minister of Construction and Architecture of the Republic of Mordovia, Elena Prokhorova, Chief Architect of the Volgograd Region, Chairman of the Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning of the Volgograd Region, and others.

https://rebusforum.ru/contest

The jury was chaired by Tatyana Karavaeva, Director of the Center for Spatial Development of the CSR Foundation.
The competition was held for the first time.

The architectural bureau WOWHAUS made it to the final of the competition with three applications at once. The consideration started with the project “Embankment of the Terek River, Vladikavkaz”.
This is a concept for the development of the territory of the embankment of the Terek River with an area of 100 hectares and a length of 7 km. The main problem of the territory is that the flow of tourists is concentrated only in the historical part of the city.

As part of the project, it was decided to divide the embankment into several zones, connect green routes with central parks, as well as to add pedestrian bridges across the Terek River to increase traffic.

According to experts, the urban landscape in Vladikavkaz makes it possible to arrange go-down to the river, which will become both an architectural solution and a place of recreation for citizens and guests of the capital of the republic.

One of the tasks of the authors was to highlight the predominant anchor functions and features of each of the recreational areas and develop them further.

- The project provides for the organization of bicycle infrastructure along the embankment, recreation and catering areas, the emergence of children's and sports grounds, a green zone with artificial hills, - the speaker noted.
- In addition, especially for this project, the authors have developed a series of small architectural forms with national ornaments. It is planned to plant more trees along the roads, and make part of the territory completely pedestrian.

The second project of the WOWHAUS bureau is a Tourist master plan of Tobolsk.
The tourist master plan provides for the active involvement of business in the development of urban space both at the stage of document development and its implementation.

“Tobolsk - the Key to Siberia” - this is how the team designated the new brand of the city, which will help increase the inflow of tourists. The concept of the Tobolsk project shall become an introduction to Siberia for travelers. The speaker noted that the key development area is Nizhny Posad, which has a huge number of cultural heritage sites. The authors believe that it is necessary to restore life, namely, by increasing the population of the region by 4,000 people. For this purpose, it is planned to create all the necessary infrastructure. The main building of the center, according to the project, will be located on the embankment of the Irtysh River.

- The goal of the Tobolsk development for us, is to show that Siberia is not a distant frozen territory, but a part of our history, a hospitable and rich land, - the speaker noted.
- With the help of the Irtysh River Embankment project, it is planned to create a promenade, connect the Upper and the Lower Posad, as well as reproduce the network of berths and increase the water transport. According to the project, a modern multifunctional embankment with piers for fishermen and safe vista points will appear on the banks of the Irtysh. The content of all zones is original, even the barbecue area will bear a Tobolsk flavor with installed boilers for fish soup and an open-air museum of Siberian ukha.

- The project “Impression Center” is the emotional center of the city brand, a new powerful tourist attractor, - noted the speaker. The Impression Center is planned to be located in an elevated water tower on the Red Square in Tobolsk. The project provides for the creation of an observation deck and a tourist information center. According to the authors, the main goal is to create an emotional attraction for tourists with the help of modern exposition design tools that will help convey the unique character of Tobolsk to tourists and local residents.
The project received the Audience Choice Award. Voting took place online during the Forum. More than 2500 people altogether took part in it.

Anton Gubanov, the leading architect of WOWHOUS, presented the third project “Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre named after D.A. Hvorostovsky”, which eventually won the first place in the nomination “Projects in Development”.
-The theater needs a complete transformation, which will allow reconsidering its role in city life, - the speaker noted.
-Therefore, the concept of WOWHAUS architects involves demolition and construction the theater anew. According to the plan, the theater building expands by 11 meters in length and 10 meters in width. The height remains the same, but there will be additional underground floors located below the zero mark with a restaurant, a lobby and a museum, which the theater has been dreaming of for a long time. In total, the new theater building will have 8 levels, which will accommodate almost everything you need, including dressing rooms on three floors, rehearsal rooms, a double stage for general rehearsals and chamber performances, and a hall for a children's theater studio. Despite the fact that the building is completely new (the authors of the project retain the volume of the auditorium, the stage and its pockets), the architects intend to assimilate it to the previous one in order to preserve the image.

The new scale, the new fragility and subtlety of the building, which inherits the plastic ideas of the modernist theater, but not its proportions, receives a contrasting response in the image of the main hall. It is built basing on the memory of one of the main attractions of the region, the extinct volcano Chernaya Sopka. Ultimately, the image rhymes well with the acoustic panels.
The new building of the theater will use the latest stage technology, while maintaining the spirit of the modernist building. Despite the reconstruction, the axial composition and facade elements will be preserved. One of the important features of the project is a developed system of public spaces, both around the theater and on the roof of the auditorium. Additional performances and film screenings will be possible on the roof, on the screen, and in front of the entrance to the foyer under a large canopy.

According to the plan, the new theater square will become a public space and will attract a large number of local residents and tourists after the implementation of the project.

The first place in the nomination “Projects at the implementation stage” was taken by ASIRIS, ANO (Agency for Preservation of the Historical Environment Objects Development) of the Nizhny Novgorod Region with the Concept of Historical Block Revitalization with the Three Hierarchs Church. Anna Davydova, the Agency's architect, shared her experience in building a dialogue to preserve the original appearance of the historical territory.

- We consider heritage as an economic resource; its whole concept is based on how to activate the territory based on the spirit of the place and cultural codes, - the speaker noted. - The city block is located in the center of Nizhny Novgorod and includes 28 cultural heritage sites, as well as a concentration of objects of Nizhny Novgorod wooden architecture.
- In order to revive the tangible component, it is important to update the intangible heritage, - Anna noted. At the moment, the main problems of the city quarter are the depressive state of the environment, empty abandoned buildings in the city center and low-quality development. There are 20 objects for redevelopment on the territory of the quarter, and the total area is 15 thousand square meters., Attractor-projects are needed for the successful revitalization of the quarter, to launch traffic in the area, which is currently marginal. When there appear a flow of tourists, there will also be a flow of investors.

The concept of its development is based on the creation of a tourist and recreational model of a public space in which there is a place for cultural values. It is planned to organize apartments and a showroom in three settled historic houses along Korolenko and Slavyanskaya streets. Also, within the boundaries of several historical buildings, the “Fashionable Gorky” creative cluster may appear. This year, the territory of the Trekhsvyatskiy quarter will be comprehensively landscaped. Restoration work will be carried out in two houses, the cultural heritage sites. Engineering networks in the public space are also planned for transfer and roads for upgrading.
A number of events have already been held to increase the awareness of the quarter. At the moment the flow of tourists is 10 thousand people a year. The administration of the Nizhny Novgorod region, together with the governor, is actively helping to implement the project.

The final project was made by Andrey Gnezdilov, co-founder, first Deputy Director of Ostozhenka Architectural Bureau, LLC. He demonstrated the project for the Integrated Development of the Territory on the Chernigovskaya street: namely, the section from Melnichniy lane to Metromost (Nizhny Novgorod).

The site is located on the territory of the Blagoveshchenskaya Sloboda, which is characterized by a pronounced relief, a historical network of streets and preserved historical buildings; these factors largely determine the approach to designing a new development of the territory. Two towers have been designed on the outskirts of the site, while the storey number is limited in the rest of the territory due to the difference in relief, and it is this factor that complicates the attraction of investors.

The total area of cultural heritage sites in Blagoveshchenskaya Sloboda is 5,000 sq.m., the facades of many of them are well preserved.

- Today this place is marginal, forgotten, though in fact it is a precious place, - the speaker noted. - Previously, it was the territory of an industrial embankment. At the moment, several blocks have already been developed, a transport scheme, a small retail area, bicycle paths, and terraces have been created. The main attractor of the territory is the Church of John the Baptist.
Andrey Gnezdilov said that due to the development process of Garshin Street the authors of the project gained access to the entire territory.

The master plan for the integrated Chernigovskaya street development includes residential buildings, surface parking lots, commercial facilities, schools and kindergartens, and a fitness center. The total area of the territory proposed for development will be about 400 thousand square meters along the right bank of the Oka.
Apart from construction, a new park and public spaces are planned for this area development.

The jury decided to give the Special Award to this project.

The top 7 projects of the competition also included those from Tatarstan proposed by the Kamastroyinvest developer from Kazan. These embrace the Kastura Town residential complex, as well as the Altura residential complex in Kazan.