More than 50 applications have been received for the Yekaterinburg City construction project competition.

An international competition for the best concept for the development of the Yekaterinburg City quarter has been announced for the 100+ Forum Russia high-rise and unique construction forum in Yekaterinburg. The initiator of the competition was a major developer, UMMC–Holding, which is also the main investor in the territory's re-concept project.

More than 50 applications have already been submitted. The geography of the participants covers not only Russian cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Izhevsk, Perm, Cheboksary, Tula, Volgograd, Irkutsk, Ufa, Krasnoobsk, Tolyatti, Yekaterinburg), but also near and far abroad. Applicants from France, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan will participate in the competition.

According to the terms of the competition, the Ural business center must be integrated into an existing historical building with monuments of wooden architecture, residential high-rise buildings and cultural facilities. The competition project should include a stylobate, three new high-rise buildings, residential buildings, underground parking and a concert hall. It is necessary to think over the zoning of the territory, propose a spatial solution for the complex, and find an architectural and artistic image of the object. According to Sergey Yerypalov, Director of Capital Construction and Investments at UMMC-Holding, "given the total volume of construction – more than 600 thousand square meters.m., it is necessary to take into account the local economic realities. Investors may need to "transform" facilities to meet the demands of society, and this opportunity should be provided."

There are many examples in world practice when new architecture is "integrated" into urban space and does not discord with the appearance of the city. Moreover, decisions that take into account the specifics of the territory can fill it with new meanings. For example, in Valencia, architect Santiago Calatrava transformed the former Turia riverbed into a recreational area, building an entire city of arts and sciences. It connects the Old Town and the coastal area, modern buildings – museums, an exhibition center, a concert hall, an aquarium and a park, are located on an area of 350 thousand square meters. meters. The river, redirected into an artificial channel, no longer threatens the city with flooding, and the hi-tech buildings are organically integrated into the city space. In Milan, the architectural firm of Remus Koolhaas has modernized 100-year-old distillery buildings, turning warehouses and factory buildings into an art center. The three new buildings, built on the territory of the former factory, reflect the industrial character of the complex and do not discord with historical buildings.

Philip Nikandrov, Chief architect of Gorproekt CJSC, participant of the competition, speaker of the 100+ Forum Russia business program: "Most major European cities have a centuries-old history, and their modern development challenges architects and city authorities to harmoniously combine the requirements of preserving historical heritage with the needs of a modern metropolis, in which the density of buildings inevitably leads to high-rise construction. In this sense, Yekaterinburg is no exception, although its history is not so long, and the preserved heritage does not form an urban–planning and self-sufficient core in the form of some kind of "old town". Nevertheless, the historical context exists and it must be taken into account and organically integrated into modern residential buildings, thereby enriching the architecture of the city, rather than exacerbating the conflict of epochs and scales, ignoring chamber historical buildings. Yekaterinburg has an obvious historical and urban context, and the competition is interesting, first of all, precisely because of this difficult challenge."

We remind you that professional architects and designers, as well as students of specialized universities and faculties, can take part in the competition. Applications are accepted until July 15th. Three winners will be selected, the author of the first–place project will receive 500 thousand rubles, for the second and third places - 300 and 200 thousand rubles, respectively.

The results will be announced at the international high-rise and unique construction forum 100+ Forum Russia, which will be held in Yekaterinburg from October 5-7, 2016.

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Yekaterinburg City is a business district under construction in the center of the Ural capital, its total area is five hectares, and the 52–storey Iset tower and the Hyatt Regency Yekaterinburg Hotel have already been built there.