Winners have been announced for the fifth International Competition for the Design of Moscow Metro Stations in Russia. The judges awarded the first prize for designing the Prospekt Marshala Zhukova station on the Rublyovo-Arkhangelskaya line to the ASADOV Architectural Bureau, Russia, and the first prize for designing the Klenovy Bulvar 2 station on the Biryulyovskaya line to a consortium headed by Zaha Hadid Architects, Great Britain. 

The competition was initiated by Mosinzhproekt JSC, the sole operator of the Moscow metro development program. The competition is held with support from the Moscow government and with contributions from Sergei Kuznetsov, the chief architect of Moscow. 

Andrei Bochkarev, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Planning Policy and Construction, jury member: "Moscow brought back the tradition of open architectural competitions for the design of metro stations in 2014 at the behest of Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. This particular competition saw 113 bids submitted from 12 countries. It had two stages, which culminated with a decision by the jury, which choose the most unique design for the two stations."

Zaha Hadid Architects' Klenovy Bulvar 2 station proposal. Image courtesy of ZHA

Sergei Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow, Deputy President of the Jury: "We have already held five station design competitions, and each time we have had the most amazing results possible. These are always symbolic milestones for the architecture of the Moscow metro, as such things help improve the public image of both the metro itself and the modern architecture of Moscow in general. This year’s winners offered us vibrant innovations that showed that we're moving in the right direction. I firmly believe that the new stations will make an excellent addition to the city's tourist itinerary." 

ASADOV Architectural Bureau's Prospekt Marshala Zhukova station proposal. Image courtesy of ASADOV Architectural Bureau

The architectural solution for the Prospekt Marshala Zhukova station is based on the design of the Great Patriotic War medal: a symbol of courage, valor, and heroism. The concept offered by the ASADOV Architectural Bureau uses ruby-tinted light, golden accents, and sharp geometric patterns. 

The white-trimmed red star and its golden rays are brought together to evoke the image of a memorial stele. The dark sidewalls symbolize the tragedy of war and also make the station visually more spacious. Lighting also has a huge role to play. The delicate threads of golden light weave into a geometric pattern on the ceiling. 

The ruby glow of the columns’ glass sections makes the interior even more magnificent. The entrance pavilions are shaped like giant red triangles, which not only make the station’s entrance more visible, but also carry special meaning: their design harkens back to the arrows on war maps.

Zaha Hadid Architects' Klenovy Bulvar 2 station proposal. Image courtesy of ZHA

Zaha Hadid Architects offers a next-gen look for the Klenovy Bulvar 2 station, with special design methods that impact the passengers’ perception of the station in unprecedented ways. Elegant, weightless, transparent, full of light, and clean lines – the station will provide comfort and reduce the stress associated with living in a metropolis. 

Lighting is one of the project’s essential elements: the dynamic system of regulating the light’s tint will help announce an incoming train. A bright space with tall ceilings and smooth pillars, designed to look like arrow heads and blending into trails of light to reflect three-dimensional motion, allow for the station to be kept well-lit and visually indicates the platform edge.

Zaha Hadid Architects' Klenovy Bulvar 2 station proposal. Image courtesy of ZHA

Remember, Moscow brought back the tradition of open architectural competitions for the design of metro stations in 2014 on the initiative of Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. This event was preceded by 4 other international competitions. The first competition helped design the Solntsevo and Novoperedelkino stations on the Kalininsko-Solntsevskaya line, which opened in 2018. 

The others resulted in design solutions for the Mnevniki, Karamyshevskaya, Maryina Roscha, Rizhskaya, and Sokolniki stations, as well as for the Nagatinsky Zaton and Klenovy Bulvar stations on the Bolshaya Koltsevaya line.

ASADOV Architectural Bureau's Prospekt Marshala Zhukova station proposal. Image courtesy of ASADOV Architectural Bureau

The competition for development of the architectural appearance of the Prospekt Marshala Zhukova and Klenovy Bulvar 2 metro stations is the fifth such event. The number of applications broke all records and was 50% higher than the previous competition. As many as 330 potential contestants registered on the website. 113 of them (primarily from Russia) submitting applications. Italy led the foreign countries, with 8 companies in the competition. 

Italy was followed by Great Britain, with 6 companies submitting applications. The other international competitors were companies from Spain, Latvia, the Netherlands, Japan (2 from each country), Hungary, Germany, China, Poland, and Uzbekistan (1 from each country). The competition had two stages. 

At the first stage, the expert jury headed by Andrey Bochkarev, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Policy and Construction, selected 5 finalists for each metro station based on their portfolios, relevant experience, and two essays (one per station).

For Klenovy Bulvar 2:

• Architectural Bureau KPLN LLC (Moscow, Russia);
• Consortium led by Zaha Hadid Architects (London, UK), consortium members: A-project, Krost (Moscow, Russia); Arup Lighting (London, UK); Systematica s.l.r (Milan, Italy);
• ABTB LLC (Moscow, Russia);
• Blank Architects CJSC (Moscow, Russia);
• Consortium led by Buro Vozduh (Moscow, Russia), consortium members: WP ARC Plan GmbH (Hannover, Germany).

For Prospekt Marshala Zhukova:

• ABTB LLC (Moscow, Russia);
• Blank Architects CJSC (Moscow, Russia);
• ASADOV ARCHITECTURAL BUREAU LLC (Moscow, Russia);
• Consortium led by NOWADAYS LLC (Moscow, Russia), consortium members: Architects of Invention (London, UK);
• MAParchitects LLC (Moscow, Russia).

During their final meeting, the judges chose the winner for each station. The winning teams will have the opportunity to sign a contract to develop a booklet on the station’s architectural and urban planning solutions, which is needed in order to obtain a certificate of approval for the architectural and urban solution for a capital construction project and authorize the supervision of design and construction work based on their proposal.

Top image: ASADOV Architectural Bureau's Prospekt Marshala Zhukova station proposal. Image courtesy of ASADOV Architectural Bureau

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