About Competition
The Open International Competition began on March 17, 2022. It is aimed at developing the architectural appearance of the Ostrov Mechty and Zagorye metro stations of the Biryulyovskaya line. The goal of the competition is to find the optimal architectural and artistic designs for the passenger zones and entrance halls of the stations. The closing date for competition applications is April 28, 2022.
The competition is being held with support from the Moscow government and Sergey Kuznetsov, the chief architect of Moscow. The competition is organized by the Mosinzhproekt Group of Companies, the main designer and general contractor of Moscow metro development programs. Agency for Strategic Development CENTER is the operator of the competition.
The quality and feasibility of the projects will be assessed by a professional jury chaired by Andrey Bochkaryov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow in the Moscow Government for Urban Planning Policy and Construction. The jury also includes Sergey Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow, Yuri Kravtsov, CEO of Mosinzhproekt JSC, Viktor Kozlovskiy, Head of the Moscow Metro, as well as leading Russian and foreign specialists in architecture, design, and urban planning.
Andrey Bochkaryov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow in Urban Planning and Construction, considers the construction of the Biryulevskaya line one of the most important transport projects in the capital. It will bring the metro to the Biryulyovo Zapadnoye and Biryulyovo Vostochnoye districts «The new line will improve transport services in the south of the capital, including the rapidly developing areas of ZIL and Nagatinskiy Zaton, as well as the renovation neighborhoods under construction. The plan is to remove load from the central sections of the Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya and Zamoskvoretskaya lines, reducing traffic intensity and improving the environmental situation in the areas», said Andrey Bochkarev, «At the same time, in developing the metro network, we strive to create an individual interior for each station, in line with the traditions of Moscow Metro construction».
Sergey Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow and Deputy President of the Jury, said that since 2012, the Moscow City Architecture Committee has already held more than 100 competitions, including metro development projects. At all times and in all circumstances, our primary objective is to pursue architectural standards of the highest quality, and competitions are a versatile tool for this. The Moscow Metro directly reflects the modern era. Turning points in history create not just masterpieces, but new directions in art and culture. For all artists, which architects certainly are, this is an invaluable experience and opportunity. I emphasize that we are open to working with international teams.
Yuri Kravtsov, General Director of Mosinzhproekt JSC, noted that the current Open Competition for the development of architectural designs for metro stations is the sixth one organized by Mosinzhproekt. «Thanks to previous competitions starting in 2014, we have developed unique designs for 11 metro stations. Four of them are already open to passengers. These are Solntsevo and Novoperedelkino stations of the Solntsevskaya line, opened in 2018, and Mnyovniki and Terekhovo stations of the Bolshaya Koltsevaya line, which opened in 2021. By the end of the year, we will have completed the construction of several more stations on the Bolshaya Koltsevaya line», he said. Kravtsov noted that the construction of the Biryulyovskaya line, a new 21 km long radial line of the Moscow metro with 10 stations, is another significant project for Moscow’s transport infrastructure. «We will be using modern construction materials and powerful equipment in the construction, in particular, tunnel boring machines with a diameter of 10 meters. Our purpose is to link this project with the current urban environment using digital technology», he concluded.
The practice of holding professional competitions for the development of the architectural and artistic look of Moscow metro stations was revived in 2014 on the initiative of Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
The international competition for the development of the architectural appearance of two Moscow metro stations is open to Russian and foreign architectural bureaus (with a Russian representative office or in consortium with a Russian partner) that are able to attract designers, engineers, planners, and specialists in economics and financial modeling to their team.
To participate, it is necessary to complete an application form on the competition’s official website at https://designmetro.ru/ by April 28 and, in the first qualifying stage, to provide a portfolio of relevant projects and an essay describing the key ideas in the architectural and artistic design of the stations.
The proposed concepts for station design should be harmoniously combined with the current town-planning and cultural and historical context of their locations and be in line with the spirit of the times, technologically advanced, adapted to the movement of all population categories, and also be convenient from the point of view of navigation.
In August, the jury will decide on which projects to implement in the future.
