Zaryadye Park: A New Look at Russia

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Finally, Zaryadye was opened in Moscow. A stunning park that will become the new symbol of Moscow. But today even the authors themselves underestimate Zaryadye. People see it as a good architectural project, like a cool public space. In fact, the park has a more important role - it will change the image of Russia.

A birch forest appeared opposite the Kremlin, a piece of tundra appeared, a huge meadow appeared. Zaryadye has presented Muscovites and tourists with unique views, incredibly lively and interesting. When I was walking in the park, I had the feeling that after the Soviet deficit, you ended up in a supermarket with those very 100 types of sausages. And Moscow is now perceived in a completely different way. It's just incredible, when you find yourself in a new park, you will understand it.

Zaryadye Park was opened for all visitors. You can visit not only multimedia attractions for free, but also a scientific and educational center and an underground greenhouse. A new observation deck with one of the best views of the historical center of Moscow is opened in the park. This is the so-called floating bridge. And in the passage to the embankment, a unique museum of archaeological finds was opened.

Perhaps the most interesting rides in the new park are Flight over Moscow and Flight over Russia. Surround sound, movable platform, 13-meter screen and special effects create a real feeling of flight. And in the multimedia hall "Time Machine" visitors will be transported into the past and become participants in the events of the history of Moscow from ancient times to the present day.

In the northern part of the park, you can always plunge into the winter: there is an ice cave here. This is an installation with a labyrinth, arches and columns, the surface of which is covered with ice. During the day, the temperature does not drop below minus two degrees, and in the evening - below minus five."

Foreign journalists will give a picture of Moscow through birches and pines, tourists will be photographed in the meadow, there will always be life. And visually it will be a completely different picture, not just of a park, but of Russia. In a few years, the world will perceive Moscow in a completely different way. Zaryadye is an incredible concentration of life on a small piece of land under the walls of the Kremlin. Today we do not yet understand and do not feel this, but you will soon see that I was right. From solemnly cold, heavy and granite Moscow will turn into living, open, young. To Moscow, where it is not only possible, but absolutely necessary to walk on the lawns.

And further. Putin is simply obliged to make a New Year's address from the birch forest in Zaryadye. I hope his PR people will not miss this opportunity;)

But first, a little history, so that you understand what n … t could have happened in this place.

At first, the Moscow authorities wanted to build a parliamentary or business center here. The architects and activists did not like this idea, so they created the Friends of Zaryadye movement to prove that there should be a park in this place. The officials were persuaded, and in February 2012 an open competition was announced for the best design of the park.

The competition was announced under rather strange conditions: the organizers did not provide any program and did not even announce an approximate budget for the project. They also decided not to choose the winners, simply stating that the best ideas would be used in further development. As a result, hundreds of applications were received for the competition, of which 118 projects were selected. But among them there was not a single decent one, and they all had to be rejected. That is, in fact, the competition was failed. The jury chairman Viktor Logvinov then joked that the main result of the competition was the understanding of what should not be in Zaryadye.

Easter Eggs Project

Multifunctional complex project

Project of a park with exotic plants

Concert hall project "Russia"

Project of the park "Russia" with the Tatlin tower

There was a lot of such hell.

After this failure, it was decided to hold the competition again, but according to normal rules and in an international format. It took place in two stages. At the first stage, the jury considered about 90 applications from 27 countries. Of all these candidates, six finalists were selected and given to them the terms of reference for the development of the park concept, which was drawn up by KB Strelka. At the second stage, the participants developed their projects for two and a half months for 80 thousand dollars.

Project "TPO Reserve" (Russia)

MVRDV project (Netherlands)

Gustafson Project (UK)

Turenscape Project (China)

Project WEST8 (Netherlands)

The results of the competition became known at the end of 2013. It was decided to build the park according to a joint project of several architectural studios headed by the American bureau Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

01. Two days ago there was no overcrowding because of the crowds of workers!

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03. We were in a hurry to the day of the city.

04. Editing the scene

05. Amphitheater

06. And here it is, the forest! Here they are, new views of the Kremlin.

07. This is a huge meadow. It will be possible to eat, relax, play on it … In general, walk on the lawns! The meadow offers a fantastic view of the Kremlin.

08. The trees were planted immediately by the adults.

09. Looks much cooler in sunny weather …

10. This is the main highlight of the park - the soaring bridge.

11. A unique shot - a bridge without people. You will never see this again.

12. The bridge reaches almost the middle of the river along the ravines. The views are fantastic!

13. Panorama of the Kremlin

14. Best location for shooting sunsets

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16. Today the bridge was overcrowded.

17. Going to the water

18. This is 2 days ago, today the work was finished.

19. Park

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21. The embankment is now alive. Previously, it was not possible to meet people on it.

22. Now there is life.

23. Construction continues. The park will be fully open only in a year.

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25. New views of the surviving temples have become available. Previously, they only opened from Varvarka.

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29. Now it still looks in places not very natural. But in a couple of years, when the plants take root, there will be real Russian landscapes.

30. Meadow

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34. The paths are lined with hexagonal tiles and do not have clear outlines. It seems to me that people will begin to trample the plants that have fallen into these depressions.

35. For example, such moments. I do not believe that they will be saved. They will trample. But the builders assure that everything is designed for crowds of guests.

36. The people began to actively walk on plants. There are no fences in the park, which is correct. Most likely, you will have to change paths somewhere. On the other hand, if the park imitates wildlife, then this is quite normal.

37. These are also very dangerous places.

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39. Very cool architecture. The buildings are all hidden in relief.

40. Layout

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42. Ice Cave

43. While it is closed.

44. Ice will soon appear on the pipes and people will be allowed inside.

45. A rare case when literally everything is thought out! Lights, navigation, benches.

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47. These are incredibly beautiful log benches.

48. How do you like it?

49. All plants are signed, there are even inscriptions in Chinese.

50. Some moments are not very good … Rough and unnatural.

51. A person who made such hatches in a luxurious park wants to be locked in an ice cave. Well, what kind of n … ts? How could such a collective farm be allowed?

52. That is, we make a cool landscape design, think over everything to the smallest detail, and then the foreman comes and puts such hatches all over the park.

53. Hey! What are you doing there? Do not disgrace yourself, change it urgently!

Look at how the hatches were made in St. Petersburg in New Holland. Was it poor to do in Zaryadye at the same level?

54. One more problem with ventshahtami. I think they could have been better disguised.

55. There is no such thing in the forest!

56. This, I hope, will hide behind the plants.

57. There are several places where tiles do not fit well. My heart as a perfectionist is bleeding.

58. Well, what are you doing (((

59. Russian ingenuity!

A few more photos from Instagram.

Overall, despite the minor flaws, the park is fantastic. Moscow is incredibly lucky to have built such a public space. They will now look at Russia through Zaryadye, and this is the main achievement of the authors of the project.