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Rossia Skyscraper Will Even Survive a Nuclear Attack

"As far as I can remember, I have always been in business," says Shalva Chigirinsky, one of the most prominent Russian developers, head of ST Group. A native of Kutaisi and aluminus of the First Medical Institute, Chigirinsky, in the late 1970s, was known in Moscow as an antique dealer friendly with Moscow's art scene - from Vladimir Vysotsky to Iosif Kobzon. In the 1990s, Chigirinsky became a leading player on the Moscow real estate market and co-owner of the Moscow Oil Refinery. In 2005, Forbes magazine put his personal fortune at about $470 million.

Chigirinsky was the one who invited Norman Foster, a British architect and designer, [see Fact Box] to work on several projects in Russia. Chigirinsky's company also won tenders to modernize the Zaryadye area (the place of the Soviet-era Rossia hotel) and build skyscrapers at the Moskva City business center. In an interview with Moskovskie Novosti, Chigirinsky talks about his further plans.

Special municipal services are working there. We have no access to the area nor do we want to be there. I am sure that city utility operators will take proper care of it.

Indeed, as we started dismantling the structure, there were plenty of complaints. But it was an eyesore. It has no right to be there. It was very much in the spirit of the times. You know that logic: Why not build a swimming pool in downtown Moscow? Why not reverse the rivers? Why not build the largest hotel in Europe? And so they built one. It was not bad by contemporary standards. It was designed for delegates of CPSU congresses: They came to stay there for a few days from all over the country. In the morning, they walked in single file to the Kremlin Congress of Palaces (incidentally, also built in the same minimalist style), where they obediently raise their hands in approval of party decisions, and then walk back to the hotel. But today, Moscow needs something entirely different.

Not only the church, but also a number of other structures that used to be there. But we will avoid imitation buildings. We want our structures to blend in with the natural surroundings so that over time they look as though they have always been there.

Not exactly. Anyone can come to Moscow. There are hundreds of players on the Moscow development field, both local and foreign.

Yet it is very difficult for an "outsider" to operate effectively. Like any other city, Moscow has its own specifics.

Foster is an outstanding architect who knows how to work with space, while a new kind of society, a new kind of consumer, is emerging in Russia. People here want to know the world's state of the art and go one better. It the past, tastes were kitschy, in the I-want-more-gilt-on-that-ceiling style. But over the years, people not only got richer, but their taste also evolved. Remember what a huge success Foster's exhibition at the Pushkin Museum was. I was almost trampled on there.

Today, I actually know a young woman lawyer who does not know who Ulyanov [Lenin] was. That is to say, a new generation is emerging that does not know about these things. More than 20 years have passed since perestroika. A new generation has grown up. And this generation does not choose Pepsi, but the very best that is created in the world, and I like this very much.

Foster is yet another indication of how attractive the Russian market is today. Foster will be working not only in Moscow but also in St. Petersburg where we won a tender for the modernization of the Novaya Gollandiya (New Holland) Island. And for his part, Forster attracts the leading lights of Russian architecture. As I sit in on Foster's meetings with Aleksandr Kuzmin (Moscow's chief architect. - Ed.), I really enjoy their talk since it is a conversation between real professionals. Kuzmin is also an urbanist, and they are on the same wavelength.

I have just mentioned Novaya Gollandiya in St. Petersburg. He will also be involved in building the Rossia tower as part of the Moskva City complex, as well as in the Nagatinskaya isthmus project.

For some reason, our media keeps society in a state of constant tension and suspense. Some reports said that the Rossia tower was at risk of collapsing. So I asked the designers once again whether it was strong enough. They said: If - God forbid - there is a nuclear explosion, it will be the only building in Moscow that will stand. It will have special-grade monolithic concrete walls. Even if several airliners were to crash into the tower, they would just smash against it without so much as scratching it.

Two styles - Empire and art nouveau. Although today, there are very good eclectic structures. On the whole, I believe that modern architecture should focus more on a building's interior. In the past, priority was given to external impact: For instance, a fortress tower was meant to look intimidating and impervious. But today there are no such objectives. Today, a building should look nice from the outside and be comfortable inside.

I believe that there are real economic factors behind the ongoing boom. GDP growth is producing results, and people have more disposable income. Large numbers of people want to come to Moscow while as many Muscovites want to improve their living conditions. Some are investing into stocks: Share investment funds are mushrooming. But the majority wants to invest in something more tangible, something they understand - real estate. Of course, there are also speculators, but this is also a good sign. They are buying, they are bullish. And speculators have a very good feel for the market.

The Moscow News, 2006-21-10

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