Information about designing the new trade and entertainment center in industrial city would not have retained in one's memory for too long. However, when the world-famous architect is building such a complex, the city's inhabitants perceive this fact as a promise for big changes. Perhaps, not in their personal lives, but at least in their habitat. What is the story of this project?
In 2002 one of the entrepreneurs has been given the ground area to be used for building the rollerdrome. The city's administration made one condition, when it was allocating the lot, that there would be an underground parking at the new object. Thereby, the city's problem of securing sufficient parking places could be partially solved. The businessman has made a proposal to us to become his partners for this project and to build two-storey underground parking, the roof of which will serve as a base for his rollerdrome. We have agreed to build the parking lots with the aim of selling them later on. So, this is the prosaic starting point of the future project.
The partners signed a contract according to which if one Party disaffiliates with the project for some reason the other Party will have a prerogative of continuing with the building and to ownership of that land. These were the times when there was no competitive auctions, encumbrance, etc. we have already started the works on zero circle when our partner has taken a decision to abandon his intentions and disaffiliate with the project.
The question of how are we to use the space that will be above our parking had cropped up. It was obvious that it was necessary to build the object that would be in demand with the townspeople, which would be wanted by the city. After having consulted with the municipality we have opted for the building of the shopping centre, which would not only conform to the latest world standards, but would also bring in the new element into the architectural and cultural environment of the city, however, preserving the rollerdrome within its structure. This was not in conflict with diversification strategy of our business.
Furthermore, I believe that it is not right when in the city with such standard of living as Surgut, i.e. oil capital of Russia, people do not have a proper service level and a standard for spending their leisure time. After all, their demands are already formed thanks to the numerous trips around the world (business trips or tourism), which became part of life of many people.
Do I understand you correctly, this project is not simply a business project for you personally, but is a part of your social mission in the city?
It is rather a part of our firm's mission, which lies in creating the welfare for the country. I see that today the country is generally perceived as the authority/power. To my mind, country means the territory inhabited by the people, who live according to certain law. The legislation changes, people come and go, but the territory of its development remains. Everything that we build, whether it is a road, a pipeline, buildings or other facilities, they are all the objects with which the country, that is the people who live in the country and use these products, is becoming rich. The people's standard of living depends on the quality of that product. We perceive our project in the same context.
The entertainment centre inside the complex is not oriented to serve educational and enlightening function. The main aims of the centre are the visitors' entertainment and recreation. Nevertheless, it seems to me that the art projects and youth contests like CMS (Club of merry and smart) may take place here and be a way of attracting the public. Although this will not be a part of constituents of our future centre we are prepared to negotiate with the youth and creative elite. We are planning to make the rollerdrome the major element or the core of the leisure and entertainment zone. This is not simply a way for entertaining the youth but is also a unique sight that can be observed from the cafe. Jumping from slides, thrilling stunts that become part of the skating are the performances that can add adrenalin to the blood.
In the mornings and afternoons the slides can be removed and then the rollerdrome can turn into an exhibition and catwalk space, playground where your child can ride electrical cars, etc. with the help of the descending screen the rollerdrome can be transformed into the place for group watching of the sport events, thus, fan clubs may find it good meeting place.
Apart from the rollerdrome we are planning to place an artificial mountain for training and contests in mountaineering. This is also interesting to see especially for those who are not risking trying it themselves.
The times of thoughtless fast living, wasting time in bars and discotheques are giving place to active lifestyle, fitness and striving for overcoming. By the way, we are planning to name the future complex "The Top".
Numerous food-courts that are scattered around the atrium will turn into the stands during the competitions. The upper level with relative silence will accommodate dance studio and lobby-bar. It will be possible to hold business lunches, negotiations here or simply to admire the city. What is important is that you will be able to get to the lobby-bars straight from the underground parking. The working strategy is dead simple: European chefs, lounge music, relaxing interior. All of these will allow people to feel more tranquil than in the Alps.
The social and cultural concept of the complex is aimed at the creation of the microenvironment for recreation of various social groups each of which has mean, above the average and high incomes, but all of which are fundamentally different in age and life style.
For instance:
- Rollerdrome and artificial mountain are for the active young people.
- Nightclub is for the people aged 20-30 who know the modern dance music.
- Food-courts are for the families with kids, pupils and students, who value their time and money.
- Dance studio is for the children and the youth, who wish to learn to dance.
- Lobby-bar is for substantial clients who value improved comfort and exclusive cuisine.
Everyone will find their own company and their own island in this huge project.
An architect is one of the key figures in creation of space attracting people. You managed to interest Erick van Egeraat, the renowned master in your project; it has already made the future center a point of interest not only for a city but for the whole Russia as well.
We held the international tender in designing where not only architects but also consultants who know psychology of such products took part. Ten best Russian companies that showed themselves in the market and ten world companies were the participants of the tender. In the final analysis there were two candidates: one of them was Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat. When I met him first in Moscow I said that Russia was not only Moscow and St Petersburg. We managed to find common language. We talked about people and territories where it made sense to realize great projects. After I told him about Surgut and showed him its place on the map he answered: "I am Egeraat, I am the first one: when my colleagues go to Chine where oil comes to I will go there where it comes from."
Erick van Egeraat always emphasizes in his interviews that local conditions are very important for him. What were his thoughts when he saw the northern industrial Surgut for the first time?
First of all he admired our nature. As an architect using curves in his constructions actively he was interested in the guyed bridge across the river Ob and the meeting with the bridge builder. He was struck by our city built only for the last 40 years. I told him that when I was born there was only one five-storey building and now Surgut is the city with developed service and up-to-date roads that win prizes in Russian competitions in accomplishment.
He saw that there was a new culture besides oil and remembrance of the past was kept, that people not only worked here but thought about the future.
He cannot judge about buildings that were built here for the last years as the social problem to replace people from barracks to a normal comfortable dwelling has been solved during building time. It is important now to be guided by original latest ideas not trying to reiterate any avowed patterns. "Why? Why should you copy things that have been already built anywhere?" - Erick van Egeraat says - "Aren't there any ideas?" Erick took the task to create something absolutely new on the moderate 50ơ100 meters ground assigned for building, situated not far from the city center, alongside the road and near housing estates and without traumatizing the surroundings.
People make high cultural demands to the architecture in towns with not enough expressive town environments even if it is a matter of the object connected with business. You say about your wish to build a pattern of future architecture in Surgut near which people will take photos. What is artistic idea of this project?
The idea of the building image appeared from the impression of Ob where the city is situated on. Though Egeraat was here at the beginning of summer, in the time of high tide he imagined the river in ice. "People expect something functional, clamped by environment but spacious inside. I have a foreboding of a burst. I look for motives, forms based on local conditions. It can be something that reminds of rising ice made of stone and glass. It is important for my project not to arouse rejection by the environment that has already existed. It will fit it but different in logics. Among "brushwood" of dwelling houses, rectilinear polygons the center will arouse imagination by its lines proportionate to a person's perception of nature where are no straight and parallel lines as well."
According to you the architecture of the new complex promises to bring in new substance and new idea in the city environment. How could you formulate it?
The world at your feet, you happy, no words are enough
And you are just slightly envious of
Those others, who have yet to stand at the top.
Involuntarily I remember the song by Vladimir Vysotsky. It will be the definite top for our enterprise. People whose philosophy is similar to the philosophy of ascent will have a lot of tops in their life. But this is one of them. Erick says that there is no the only right formula "to do something new". Improvement of the city environment is based not so much on rules as on the principal that bare rules do not work; flair and experimental approach are necessary besides rules.
And the last question. Is this fairy Babylon filled with the latest service a supermarket or the center of cultural industries for you? Do you think about creation of any special conditions for activity development of creative people in your center?
From the culture point of view certainly our project is a project of development of life culture. But the question that you touched upon is seemed to me a matter of the future for Surgut, we need to grow up to it. And first of all not investors but municipalities that must be the guides of artistic culture in their towns need to grow up. For in the first place they must be interested in such cultural image of the city. I have some thoughts about it but I am not used to tell about dreams.
Today shopping is one of the occupations for people in Surgut besides work. Look around, we have plenty of shops and they aren't empty. People long for them and it means that we need to supply them with it on a very high level.
Culture of buying is one of the certain types of culture connected with planning and designing the everyday life. It should not be just nice but also multifunctional and convenient in all senses. People get addicted to beauty and convenience very quickly. And culture enters by way of their life. For sure our centre is planned as a place for comfortable pastime.
As for artists... There will be music and video in the numerous cafes of the centre and I think it is a good field for realization of their creative ideas.
I understand that there is a question of scale relations. Now we have a possibility for such a project and we entered it.
People need places where they can stop and look to outward things by their own eyes and not through television and after that to realize something according to their maturity. There is a tendency to such development in Russian towns and cities. We are talking about is and it means that we have already made the first step to it.
