Lecture series

The lecture series are aimed at inviting architects, playing an active role in Russian and international architectural panorama, and giving them a space for presenting their work with theoretical and practical perspectives. Lectures debate the issues of what is architecture and for whom it is created; what are contemporary architects’ responsibility to the society. Guests share various approaches to the profession in order to discuss not only specific formal themes, but also practical project development, in terms of relationships between various players that take place in the course of the creative process.

The project was launched in 2002. Participating architects included: Odile Decq (F), Vladimir Plotkin (RU), Hans Hollein (A), Andrei Bokov (RU), Alexander Brodsky (RU), Evgeny Asse (RU), Hani Rashid (USA), Norman Foster (UK), Rem Koolhaas (NL).

Workshops

One of the main issues addressed by these international project seminars is the problem of the regeneration of city space in provincial towns left over from the Soviet time. Smaller towns are still not involved in the circuit of architectural research, as they remain excluded from the larger changes such as Moscow is undergoing now.

This is the reason why we decided to start a seminar series to focus the attention on the problems and the needs of these realities. 

After two weeks of on-the-site work invited Russian and foreign architects present proposals meeting the requirements voiced by the municipality.

All proposals are exhibited at a public presentation for the mayor and the town’s residents to discuss with the architects in open debate. Wherever the seminars took place, residents and local authorities got involved in the future of their cities; we believe this could be a starting point for supporting the revival of local architecture.