The spirit of change lives on the outskirts | IngradMedia, Anton Razmakhnin 10.04.2017
Architect Sergei Estrin – about the image of the future of Moscow and its evolution
WHY SHOULD I REPRESENT MYSELF, WHAT WILL THE TOWN BE THROUGH 10, 30, 100 YEARS?
Well, for example, if I know that in 20 years there will not be any personal cars in the city (for example, just for example!), Then I will not spend money on getting a driver’s license. The illusion of control over the situation is an illusion, but a calming one. IngradMedia begins a series of publications devoted to the image of the future of Moscow – as it was in different eras. About how this image is designed, we asked the capital’s architect Sergei Estrin. Sergei is a native Muscovite, a graduate of the Moscow Institute of Arts, who has worked both in Soviet and post-Soviet architectural bureaus. Now he heads his own architectural bureau.
WHAT ARE THE ARCHITECT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FUTURE? WHAT DOES IT DO – CREATING THE FUTURE OR RESOLVING ANY PROBLEMS OF THE TODAY?
The question is where this future is planned. Moscow of the future within the Garden Ring was created in previous eras. Is it possible to imagine Tverskaya Street, built up by houses on the projects of Frank Gehry, Zachi Hadid or Daniel Libeskind? Hardly. And this is definitely not the future of Moscow. Satisfaction from the city about 20 years ago was not exactly. Changed the vector for landscaping, there were greenery, backlighting, a ban on parking, and now on a warm summer evening the city looks very comfortable. Who took part in creating such an image of the future / real city? Builders? Politicians? Hard to tell. Architects – strongly I doubt.
THROUGH THE THIRD RING, ANOTHER CITY BEGINS ON SEPARATE AREAS BEGINNING. ARCHITECTS HERE IS SMALL THAN THAT DETERMINE, THERE ARE NO CLEAR STANDARDS, COMMUNITY OF ARCHITECTS, AS IT MEANS, PRACTICALLY DOES NOT INFLUENCE THE PUBLIC OPINION. Architects gather, discuss and offer reasonable things. But as such an instrument by which one could bring these reasonable things to the decision-makers – no. There must be distinct initiatives from the architectural community that will yield real results. Architects sometimes offer expressive, advanced, witty things, but they order mostly residential complexes. And the future of residential complexes all the same see the same – sectional apartment buildings. And what is the future of this fundamentally different from the present and from what was in the Brezhnev era? The facade? All of New Moscow is made of rectangles with “warts” for air conditioners! And there are many types of houses in theory – gallery, duplexes, multi-storey apartments, let there be 20 types of apartments in one complex. Why not? However, all come to the fact that 4 apartments on the floor – this is optimal and the maximum that can be done is to come up with a facade.
100 YEARS OLD BACK THE POPULAR SERIES OF FUTURIST OPENINGS OF THE CONFECTIONERY FIRM “EINEM” – “MOSCOW OF THE FUTURE” WAS BROUGHT BACK. The author of these openings represented our city with a multi-storied megapolis with incredible types of transport (for example, mass private aviation, overpasses and trams). NOW THE IMAGE OF THE FUTURE, SEEMS, ALL OTHERS – MORE HUMAN AND LESS EARTH, WITH GOOD HIDDEN COMMUNICATIONS. WHY DID IT HAPPEN? – Books and postcards about the future will always be published. Previously, not only futurists fantasized about the future, but also scientists and engineers who tried to determine the real vectors of the city’s development. Most of the ideas were associated with new modes of transport – air travel, underground. The task of the future, as it was seen in the past, is to move a person around the city at a high speed. With the development of the Internet and wireless communication, the task has disappeared. In order to do the job, in most cases, you do not need to physically move anymore. The information is sent instantly, the person no longer runs, does not go, everything you need is in his computer. At the same time, some Einem postcards reflect today’s reality in terms of architecture. Buildings from these postcards – their number of storeys, scale, spreading – are perceived today normally. It turns out that, as far as architecture is concerned, it has come true to a greater extent than with regard to transport. No flying taxi. All traffic goes only on land and underground. Why do people today dream of reducing the density of development? Yes, because in theory, the density can be increased indefinitely – to the state of development in China, where you can reach out to your neighbor’s balcony from your house from your balcony. But show an example of that urban project where the increase in density leads to a humane result! Where is a residential building of 17-30 floors with dense buildings giving positive emotions to the residents of the district?
CURRENT DREAMS OF THE FUTURE – UNHEAD HOUSES, LOW DENSITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT. IN SUCH A HUGE COUNTRY, AS OURS, IT WANTS TO DILUTE THIS DENSITY – BECAUSE THERE IS A PLACE. HOW IS THE MOSCOW IMAGE OF THE FUTURE NOW CHANGED – IN THE LAST STEPS OF THE DECADES? WHAT DO YOU SEE HIS DEVELOPMENT? – As I said, the image of the future city is now connected not with the center of Moscow. The center, it seems to me, is as close as possible to the “future”. Twenty years ago the city was associated with rotten socles, mud, drafts, with a gray color. Today Moscow is a clean city, certainly more comfortable, there are many cafes where you can sit on the veranda in good weather and hide from the weather in winter. Shopping centers became a place for leisure activities. In the city all the time there are interesting events, exhibitions, lectures, concerts. You do not need to go to the dacha for the weekend and eat shish kebabs, you can stay in Moscow and spend time much more interesting. Evening illumination in Moscow is probably one of the most progressive in the world. In a word, we already live in the future. And the images of the future now relate to areas of the city that are already far from the center.
WHAT CAN YOU DO, IF THE IMAGE OF THE FUTURE, WHICH IS OFFERED BY THE MAINSTREAM, DOES NOT ADDRESS? HOW TO CHANGE IT – OR WILL YOU ATTEMPT? “One architect can hardly change anything.” For example, I would like to see the division of the city into sleeping and business districts was not so tough. Industry in Moscow is not and probably will not be. The liberated area should be built up by all, not just business centers or apartment buildings. Each part of the city must have its own powerful infrastructure, so that each fragment is a complex. This could be the way to increase the diversity of the city that is needed. When all areas are similar – it’s bad and unpromising. How to do it? It is necessary to bring this idea to developers and various permitting bodies. Then the city outside the Third Ring will be interesting not only to those who come to earn a little money, but also to educated and well-off people who understand that comfort does not begin with the entrance of your house, but much further.