/2009

A solemn celebration for the winners of the VIII International Competition “Architecture Awards 2009” and winners of the VII International “Star’s House” student contest was held at Pushkin State Museum on November 26, 2009. The museum’s inner courtyard that preserved a majestic and unhurried spirit of Moscow architectural classics of the XIX century was transformed on that memorable night into an elegant saloon hosting experts and champions of contemporary Russian and international architecture. The ceremony was opened by its presenter Petr Kuleshov and managing director of SALON-Press Publishing House and chairman of the Architecture Awards organization committee, Sergey Shustov.

Traditionally, winners of the international student contest Star’s House were the first to be celebrated. In 2009, young architects were proposed to design living space for Andrei Arshavin, Tina Kandelaki, Mikhail Prokhorov, Barak Obama, Uma Thurman, and Michael Schumacher. More than 338 applications were forwarded by representatives of 24 countries, including Iran, Peru, Australia, Chile, India, Brazil, China and Cuba. The winners were congratulated by irreplaceable chairman of the contest jury, Oskar Mamleev, representatives of HP Company and the design school Le Maestro. The first award went to Pavel Prishin and Shansudin Kerimov (MARCHI) who designed a wheeled house for Schumacher; the second prize went to a red “bus” for great racer Albert Bagdasarian; the third – to a house for Andrei Arshavin by Natalia Gubina. A project of private home for Barak Obama by Valeria Pestereva and Roman Kovensky was celebrated with a special prize. All winners received valuable prizes from HP and certificates for free education at Le Maestro School. The festival was carried on by the string quartet “Infinity.”

This year’s short list of Architecture Awards features 69 implemented projects from 14 countries, including Germany, Italy, USA, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Puerto Rico and UAE. The works celebrated with special prizes from the partners of Architecture Awards were the first to be named. Ashot Arutyunian, representing the Italian brand ARTEMIDA that offers innovative lighting solutions, presented a gift voucher for products marketed under this brand to Vladislav Savinkin, Vladimir Kuzmin and Ekaterina Taminzarova for their project of a 3,290-sqm office in Moscow. Konstantin Medvedkin, representative of the Italian furniture brand FRANCESCO MOLON, presented a special gift to Elena Tokmacheva, Katy Ryzhova and Peteris Lauchka-Lovchko for their classical urban estate covering the area of 850 sq m. The company manufacturing the VELUXE dormers in the person of its chief architect Henrik Norlander Smith extolled the Evergreen community by Anton Mosin as their “best project.” Later on the guests who made themselves comfortable at round tables were treated to a change of dishes and virtuoso musical pause from Infinity.

The main award presentation agenda was opened with the Individual Dwelling House nomination. A minimalistic wooden project by Petr Kostelov was named the winner of the Tradition category, while a private home by Latvian architect Zane Tetere was proclaimed the winner of the Innovation category. The architects were congratulated by Boris Uborevich-Borovsky, Dmitry Bykov and Pavel Romanov. Nina Prudnikova and Pavel Burmakin, who designed a Berlin’s apartment interior in the ecoethnic minimalism style, won in the Residential Interior. Tradition nomination. In the Innovation category the award went to Peter Zellner, an American disciple of Rem Koolhaas for his deconstructivist work in Los Angeles.

Sergey Tchoban was presented the ArchiP award and statuette for best public interior in the Tradition category: he submitted an interior of the European Center of Culture in Berlin. In the Innovation category the professional jury prized the design of recreation venue for mixed-use complex Delovoi dom Znamenka by Oleg Popov. An undisputed leader in the Buidling/Edifice nomination was the project of an athletic and life-rescuing center in Miki, Japan, by Shuhei Endo. Alexander Kuzmin, Sergey Barkhin and Dmitry Pshenichnikov received the prize of the Architecture Awards’ Public Board from the hands of Marina Golub for their interior design for the Gusar restaurant.