User:NVO/draft8
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section recently underwent a major revision or rewrite and needs further review. You can help! |
 |
This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available, as is general documentation. |
The Seven Sisters (called высотки, vysotki, the summits in Russian) are seven Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow, Russia. They were built 1947-1953[1]in an elaborate style combining elements of Russian Baroque, Gothic styles and the early XX century technology of American skyscrapers. Similar buildings were built in Warsaw, Kiev and Riga.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first Soviet skyscraper project, Palace of Soviets, was interrupted by German invasion of 1941, steel frame was scrapped for fortifications of Moscow defense ring and the site abandoned. Between 1947 and 1956 Boris Iofan presented six new drafts for the same site and Vorobyovy Gory, on a smaller scale; they were all rejected. In 1946 [2] Stalin personally switched to another idea - construction of vysoltki, a chain of reasonably-sized skyscrapers not tarnished by the memories of Comintern. As Nikita Khruschev recalled Stalin's words, "We won the war ... foreigners will come to Moscow, walk around, and there's no skyscrapers. If they compare Moscow to capitalist cities, it's a moral blow to us" [3][4]. Sites were selected in between January, 1947 (the offical decree on vysotki) and September, 12 of the same year (formal groundbreaking).
Nothing is known about selection of construction sites or design evaluation; this process (1947-1948) was kept secret, a sign of Stalin's personal tight management. The choice of architects is a clear indicator of a rotation in Stalin's preferences[5]. Old professionals (Shchusev, Zholtovsky etc.) were not involved. Instead, the job was given to the next generation of mature architects. In 1947 the oldest of them, Vladimir Gelfreikh, was 62, the youngest, Mikhail Posokhin, 37). Individual commissions were ranked according to each architects' status, and clearly segmented into two groups - four first class and four second class towers. Job number one, a Vorobyovy Gory tower that would become Moscow State University, was awarded to Lev Rudnev, a new leader of his profession. Rudnev received his commission only in September, 1948, employed hundreds of professional designers, and released his draft in early 1949. Dmitry Chechulin received not one, but two commissions.
In April, 1949, Stalin Prize for 1948 is announced. All eight design teams receive awards, first class and second class according to their project status, regardless of their acrhitectural value. At these stage, these are conceptual drafts; one would be cancelled and others would be altered. Sites were cleared, regardless of draft requirements, in 1947.
All the buildings employed overengineered steel frames with concrete ceilings and masonry infill, based on concrete slab foundations (in case of University building - 7 meters thick). Exterior ceramic tiles, actually panels up to 15 square meters, were secured with stainless steel anchors. Height of these buildings was limited not by political will, but by lack of technology and experience - the structures were far heavier than American skyscrapers[6].
The toll of this project on real urban needs can be seen from these numbers:
- In 1947, 1948, 1949 Moscow built a total of 100000, 270000, and 405000 square meters of housing.
- The skyscrapers project exceeded 500000 square meters (at a higher cost per meter)[6]
That is, diverting funds and effort effectively halved housing construction rates. On the other side, the new construction materials' plants, built for this project (like Kuchino Ceramics[7]), were key in Khruchev's residential program just years later.
[edit] Moscow project
Buildings are listed under their current names, in the same order as they appear in April, 1949 Stalin Prize decree. Note that different sources report different number of levels and height, depending on inclusion of mechanical floors and uninhabited crown levels.
[edit] Moscow State University, Vorobyovy Gory
Boris Iofan made a mistake placing his draft skyscraper right on the edge of Vorobyovy Gory. The site was a potential landslide hazard. He made a worse mistake by insisting on his decision and was promptly replaces by Lev Rudnev, a 53-year-old rising star of Stalin's establishment. Rudnev had already built high-profile edifices like the 1932-1937 Frunze Military Academy and 1947 Marshals' Apartments (Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, 28), earning highest credits of the Party.
Lev Rudnev set the building 800 meters away from the cliff. Groundbreaking ceremony was followed by less glorious events - building slave camps for Gulag laborers. A so-called Site-560 (Строительство-560), run by Gulag, supervised the workforce that reached 14,290. When the structure was completed, some inmates were relocated to sealed-off 24th and 25th levels [8]. A story, anecdotal or true, exists about inmates who tried to escape the tower on self-made plywood gliders. Another anecdotal story asserts that the MGU foundation requires permanent freezing (otherwise it will slide into the river) and the basement is occupied by huge cryo freezer. Actually, foundation is stable, and a 'freezer' is an ordinary centralised air conditioner.
The main tower, which consumed over 40,000 metric tons of steel, was inaugurated September 1, 1953.
[edit] Never built: Zaryadye Administrative Building
In 1934, Comissariat for Heavy Industries initiated a design contest for its new building on Red Square (on the site of GUM). A last showcase for Constructivist, this contest didn't materialize and GUM still stands.
In 1947, nearby historical Zaryadye district was razed to make way for the new 32-storey, 275-meter tower (the numbers are quoted as in 1951 finalized draft). It is sometimes associated with Ministry of Heavy Machinery, the same institution that ran a contest in 1934. However, all public documents of this time name it simply administrative building, without specific affiliation. Likewise, association with Beria is mostly anecdotal[9].
The tower, designed by Chechulin, was supposed to be second largest afer the University. Eventually, the plans were cancelled at the foundation stage; these foundations later carried Hotel Rossia (also by Chechulin, 1967, demolished 2006-2007).
[edit] Hotel Ukraina
Ukraina by Arkady Mordvinov is the second tallest of the "sisters" (198 meters, 34 levels), and is still Europe's tallest hotel. Total capacity is 1627 beds.
Construction on the low river bank had to dig well below the water level. This was solved by an ingenious water retention system, using a perimeter of needle pumps driven deep into ground.
[edit] Ministry of Foreign Affairs
According to 1982 biography of Mikhail Minkus[10], draft studies began in 1946, and ranged from 9 to 40 storeys - at that time, Stalin hasn't issued definite orders yet. In 1947, they settled on two designs (one with layered setbacks, one streamlined); the second was given permission to proceed. Existing building is 172 meters tall with 27 levels.
[edit] Hotel Leningradskaya
The relatively small (136 meters, 26 floors, including 19 usable) buiding by Leonid Polyakov on Komsomolskaya Square is decorated with pseudo-Russian ornaments mimicking Alexey Shchusev's Kazansky Rail Terminal. It has been critisized as the least efficient design, with a 19% rentable-to-total space ratio. Khruschev, in his 1955 decree On liquidation of excesses... asserted that at least 1000 rooms could be built for the cost of Leningradskaya's 356. Following this critique, Polyakov was stripped of his 1948 Stalin Prize but retained the other one, for a Moscow Metro station.
[edit] Kotelnicheskaya Naberezhnaya Building
Another Chechulin's work, 176 meters high, 22 usable levels, strategically placed on the confluence of Moskva River and Yauza, was intended as an elite housing building. Very soon, however, units were converted to multi-family kommunalka.
[edit] Kudrinskaya Square Building
Designed by Mikhail Posokhin (Sr.) and Ashot Mndoyants. 160 meters high, 22 floors (17 usable).
[edit] Red Gates Administrative Building
Designed by Alexey Dushkin of the Moscow Metro fame, this mixed-use block of 11-storey buildings is crowned with a slim tower (total height 133 meters, 24 levels).
In this case, cryo technology was used indeed for the escalator tunnels connecting the building with Krasniye Vorota subway station. Building frame was erected deliberately tilted to one side; when the frozen soil thawed, it settled down - although not enough for a perfect horizontal level. Then the builders warmed the soil by pumping hot water; this worked too well, the structure slightly over-reacted, tilting slightly to the other side (well within tolerance).
[edit] Other cities
While many cities in the former USSR and former Soviet Bloc countries have Stalinist towers atop them, only three fall in the same league as Moscow vysotki. Of this three, Hotel Ukraina in Kiev was completed in stripped-down form, without originally planned tower and steeple.
[edit] Kiev: Hotel Ukraina
Plans to build a skyscraper on a site of destroyed Ginzburg Hotel emerged in 1948, but the design was finalized by Anatoly Dobrovolsky as late as 1954, when Stalinist architecture was already doomed. Building proceeded slowly, with numerous political orders to make it simpler and cheaper. It was completed in 1961, without tower, steeple and any original ornaments.
[edit] Warsaw: Palace of Culture and Sciences, 1952-1955
Another Lev Rudnev design, with Polish Renaissance Revival detailing. Built in 1952-1955 (topped out October, 1953).
Construction plans were agreed upon April 5, 1952 and sealed during Molotov's visit on July, 3 of the same year (after the May, 1 groundbreaking). Soviets planned it as university, but the Polish side insisted on its current administrative function. Workforce of around 7000 was closely split between Poles and exported Soviet laborers; 16 are presumed to have been killed in the process. The building remains highest in Warsaw, but looks dwarfed by the bulk of modern glass skyscrapers
[edit] Riga: Academy of Sciences
The 108-meter high Academy is not the tallest in Riga; at the time of completion, St.Peter's of Riga was taller. Unlike other vysotki, which are based on steel frame with masonry infill, this is a concrete structure, a first of its kind in the USSR.
[edit] Related development
[edit] Peking Hotel, Moscow
Many Stalinist buildings have tower crowns, but they do not belong to vysotki project and their style is completely different. This is evident in Chechulin's Peking building. Seen from a low point of the Garden Ring south, it may be mistaken for a skyscraper, but a frontal view from Mayakovsky square north is not as promising.
[edit] Triumph Palace, Moscow, 2005
This high-profile tower in north-western Moscow, topped out December, 2003, attempts to imitate the vysotki, and actually exceeds the University building in structural height. It is critisized for being placed deeply into residential midrise area, away from major avenues and squares (where it could be an important visual anchor). A close inspection reveals that this white-red tower has little common with Stalinist style, except for sheer size and layered tower outline.
[edit] References
- ^ Some work definitely extended years beyond official completion dates
- ^ 1946 attribution is tied to January, 1947 decree on vysotki
- ^ This section is based on (Russian:) Хмельницкий, Дмитрий, "Сталин и архитектура", гл.11, Khmelnizky, Dmitry, "Stalin and Architecture", available [www.archi.ru]
- ^ Own translation of Khmelnizky's citation of Khruschev's memoirs. Please find a published English translation and replace
- ^ Unlike NKVD rotations, no one of the old architects was killed
- ^ a b Russian: Горин, С.С., "Вершины сталинской архитектуры в Москве", "Строительный мир", N4/2001 (Gorin, S.S., Stalin's architectural summits), www.stroi.ru
- ^ Russian: Moscow Skyscrapers
- ^ Russian: www.mmforce.ru
- ^ Russian: Moscow Skyscrapers, also contains many drawings and elevation cutout
- ^ Russian: Варзар, Л., «М. А. Минкус», М, 1982, p.66
