Norilsk until 2035 an orientation seminar for the finalists of the Open International Competition for the creation of an architectural and planning concept was held on November 20–23. The northern city was visited by representatives of the three consortia, under the leadership of the State Research and Design Institute for Urban Development of the City of Moscow (GRADPLAN Moscow), the Higher School of Economics, and the Krasnoyarskgrazhdanproyekt territorial urban planning institute.
“After we decided on the finalists, it was necessary for them to be maximally acquainted with the territory and particularities of the city, to allow them to get to know Norilsk and to interact with specialists who are directly involved in the renovation of the city, and to show them all of the designs that have been implemented or are in development for the renewal of the city. To do so remotely would not have been very effective, in our view. That is why we decided to invite the architects and urban planners to Norilsk,” explained Maksim Mironov, director of the Norilsk Development Agency.
Meetings with representatives of the administration of Norilsk, of Norilsk City Council, of the Nornickel company, of the Norilsk Development Agency, and of professional communities were organized for the participants in the orientation seminar. The finalists were informed of expectations for the architectural and urban planning concepts for the renovation of the city. It is very important that the development of competition proposals take into account documents for strategic and territorial planning and then urban zoning plan, and the special conditions for construction in Norilsk must also be considered. The concepts must demonstrate a comprehensive approach to urban development and include innovative solutions which address the challenges of city’s extreme climate and geotechnical situation.
During the orientation seminar, the representatives of the consortia were given the opportunity to ask any questions that interested them concerning urban construction, property relations, utility services, the improvement of housing, and the economic and social policies of the city.
The competition finalists visited every region of Norilsk, potential development zones, key areas for renovation, and improvement facilities, and they were made acquainted with urban development enterprises at the underground training facility of the Nornickel’s Polar Division. They even enjoyed strawberries grown in the Far North on a visit to a local greenhouse farm.
On the closing day of the orientation seminar, the finalists took part in the Norilsk—2035 strategic session, which took place at the Polar State University. Representatives of the federal authorities, VEB.RF, the Fund for Assisting the Improvement of Housing and Communal Services, the government of Krasnoyarsk Territory, the administration of Norilsk, the Nornickel company, the Norilsk Development Agency, community organizations, and small businesses took part in the event, together with experts from the international consulting company McKinsey. For the majority of the strategic session, participants worked in groups on issues in four key areas which are strategic drivers for the development of Norilsk: Production; Science and Technology; Culture and Creative Industries; and Tourism.
“The strategic session has confirmed once again that the city must change, that the residents of Norilsk expect changes and are willing to play their part, and that the priorities for the renovation have been chosen correctly. There is now active work in progress for the development of sketches and design estimate documentation for the construction of new housing and social facilities. We will see the construction of new buildings by 2022–2023. The renovation will allow us to make Norilsk once again an attractive city for life, study, and work,” commented Dmitry Karasev, Head of Norilsk, “It was very important to me that the competition finalists took part in this strategic session and heard perspectives for the development of our city from residents, the authorities, and urban development enterprises. These points of view must all be taken into account in the development of architectural and urban planning concepts for the renovation of Norilsk.”
“A large international competition for the development of an architectural and urban planning concept for the renovation of Norilsk has been in progress for a few months already. There were entries from 73 companies from 13 countries. Three strong consortia, uniting Russian and foreign companies, have made it to the final. We are looking forward to the competition winner’s high-quality, effective, and interesting solutions. This competition has become something more than a simple architectural contest. It has motivated all parties interested in the renewal of the city to search for their own answers to the most relevant questions: How would we like to see the city in 2035? What do we expect from the renovation of Norilsk? What aims should the urban development program pursue?” emphasized Larisa Zelkova, Senior Vice President of Nornickel.
“This trip has not simply helped us, but has fundamentally changed our impression of the territory. There is a lot of experience accumulated here in the construction and use of facilities built on permafrost. Norilsk is not an ordinary city. That is why our recommendations cannot take the generally accepted approaches that have been taken in the transformation of dozens of other cities. We are concentrating on unique solutions which are suitable for this particular territory and which will allow us to raise quality of life in Norilsk,” noted Timur Bashkayev, representative of the consortium under the leadership of the Higher School of Economics.
The finalists have until February 17 to present their concepts. The results of the competition will be announced in March 2022.
The competition was initiated by the city administration and the Norilsk Development Agency with the support of Nornickel. The international urban laboratory CENTER Lab is the operator of the competition.
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