On May 32, 1773 the Duke from my favourite film “That Very Munchhausen” said the significant words: “It is amazing… It is amazing how our people harmonize with nature!”
A bit later almost his fellow-countryman Friedensreich Hundertwasser said that happiness is merging with nature. It is possible to live happily without money. It is impossible to do it without nature. Merging with nature was crucial in the life of this wonderful man, and even in his death.
We have almost learnt to live without money. But we do not want to live without nature, and we cannot. We asked...
The article presents the discussion of the issues concerning the nature in the city environment. Several measures on recovery and development of the city’s green frame are proposed.
The article features the principles of architectural development and contemporary urban planning projects. It tells about the necessity to identify the city’s ‘growing points’, as well as about an innovative approach to the transport problem in Moscow. The article also discusses designing of a vertical, multi-level city and densification of urban environment. Different alternatives for enlargement of green areas are proposed.
The article discusses designing of entertainment and theatre buildings, including theatre auditoriums with low occupant load, and peculiarities of the present-day cultural policy. It considers the possibilities for designing public buildings on the basis of social and cultural modeling and with the help of the system of cultural and welfare facilities. The use of wooden architecture is analyzed through the example of the 130 Quarter in Irkutsk.
The article tells about Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who said a prophetic word in architecture of the 20th century, and analyses the sources of his creativity. The architect’s world perception was influenced by the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas and Spinoza, as well as the theory of will by Alois Riegl. The philosophy of neo-Thomism was reflected in the structural grammar of Mies van der Rohe‘s architecture, matching the avant-garde and archaic features. Studying the structural grammar can give us some hints toward comprehension of the mystery of his creativity. Unfortunately, none of the...
Animate “nature–1” around us is transforming into supported or non-supported by man “nature-2” within the framework of the urban development of town areas. Interaction of town and nature is a bilateral process. Experts underline 4 groups of town planning risks related to the interaction of town and nature: ecological, natural and biosphere, sanitary-epidemiologic risks as well as planning and management risks. The latter is often connected with protest population activities. The magazine is looking forward to readers comments.
The urban way of life has been criticized for many centuries, as long as the cities have existed. A romantic tradition credits nature with the qualities opposite to the city: nature is declared an embodiment of purity, health and beauty. A more rational and economical view defines nature as a system capable of restoring living resources. The article shows how cities will be inevitably filled with elements of nature.
The article analyses different approaches to ‘green building’ and architecture integrated with nature. It gives definition to the regeneration principle and observes the genesis of world and national experience in roof- and facade greening and ‘hanging gardens’. The article denounces myths and misbeliefs that prevent the wide application of green roofs and facades in Russia.
The author expresses her opinion on trimming trees and bushes and supports her point of view with specific examples.
The article is devoted to the practical application of the participatory design method to the development of a public space (square), with the involvement of all users of the area.
The article studies the methodology of designing pocket parks, reveals the advantages over other types of green spaces, observes the peculiarities and basic characteristics of pocket parks, and defines their role in the system of urban greening. The article proposes the allocation of the first pocket park in Irkutsk.
The article tells about the diversity of green spaces in London, the citizens’ attitude toward these spaces, and what Russian cities can learn from this experience.
The article describes a visit to the roof garden created by the landscape designer Ralph Hancock in the first half of the 20th century. The garden is located on Kensington High Street 101-111, London.
The site of the 'Joncs Marins' is situated on the southern edge of the Paris metropolitan area. It is a natural open space with woodlands, meadows and farmland and part of the river Orge valley. Different uses like agriculture, industrial and commercial activities and recreation coexist in this space alongside legal and illegal housing constructions.As the urbanized area of the Paris metropolis is growing, these natural spaces are increasingly under the pressure of urbanisation. Recognizing the importance of these spaces, the regional government tries to preserve them from an ongoing...
The article considers new forms of relationship between city and landscape. It also reveals one of the major challenges for planning and urban governance: to use the creative potential which is formed in different pioneering or temporary uses and activities of people for sustainable development of the urban environment.
The article tells about a trip to Winston Churchill’s Chartwell estate in England. It describes the attractions of the park and tells how the great politician took part in its building.
The article tells about the Japanese careful and accurate attitude toward nature through the examples of greening in Tokyo and Nara.
The article reviews peculiarities of the architectural and spatial organization of the Barcelona Pavilion designed by Mies van der Rohe and the reasons for its rehabilitation after a long period of oblivion. The analysis of the display shows that the only exhibit item of the Barcelona Pavilion is its architecture and furniture compositions designed by the author. The characteristics of partitions, screens, glass surfaces and the position of transparent walls of this construction are of special interest. The style of the building designed by Mies van der Rohe may be referred to formalism,...
The article features the advantages of living in a private house, such as feeling of privacy and safety and redistribution of roles between spouses, which have a positive impact on the family relationships, housekeeping and raising children. Besides, living in the country allows to cut down expenses: energy efficiency of present-day building materials enables to build a warm private house with minimum expenditure on warming, and with the possibility to freely regulate the heating system.
In April 2016, arch out loud announced the winners of the international architectural competition, the task of which was to design NYC AQUARIUM & PUBLIC WATERFRONT. The first place was occupied by NYC AQUATRIUM designed by Italian architects.
The international project competition for the design of a Horse Park in Yeongcheon, Korea was organized by the Korean Racing Authority (KRA) and approved by the UIA. The jury awarded three prizes and eight honourable mentions for projects that successfully integrated the themes of horses and nature with the local history and culture.
The article features the principles of ecohouse design. The two ecohouses described in the article are designed for climatic conditions of Irkutsk, basing on the combination of thermal core and buffer zones, and using prefabricated units as well as local building materials.
The article tells about the significance of the Jerusalem staircase and the adjoining upper and lower squares in the system of public spaces in Irkutsk. The author proposes reconstruction with the use of not only stone, but also wooden cover for the lower square and the pavement along Podgornaya Street, as well as the active use of local lighting during hours of darkness.
The article presents the projects of squares worked out by Irkutsk architects by the city’s 355th anniversary, as well as the comments by the chief architect of Irkutsk Sergey Aleksandrov.
The notion of landscape is closely related to classifying and sense-making perception. The presence of an architectural object can drastically change the semantic field of the landscape. The museum complex “The Battle of Kulikovo Field” transforms a typical mid-Russian steppe landscape into an object filled with historical, mythological, ideological and other senses. As a result, a natural object becomes an object of text and book urban culture.
The article presents the functional and spatial concept for complex development of the park of the Moscow City Palace of Children (Youth) Creativity located on Kosygin Street 17, Moscow.