Translated material
Skillful server
Exhibition of Sergei Tchoban in Sochi
In parallel with the investment forum, an exhibition of Sergei Choban was held in Sochi - the only architect who manages to combine successful activities in both Russia and Germany. If at the Venice Biennale this year, perhaps his most sensational Russian project, developed jointly with Peter Schweger, the Federation Tower, was presented, then visitors to the Sochi exhibition had the opportunity to appreciate the numerous works created by S. Choban over the past few years both in Germany and in Russian cities, including the future Olympic capital Sochi.The peculiarity of the exhibition is its traditional artistic atmosphere, which is generally uncharacteristic of modern art events. The ceremonial, neoclassical building of the Art Museum, built in the 1930s by Zholtovsky, largely determined the low-key format of the event. Large framed images hung on the walls of the exhibition gallery, on the floor - a kind of topographical excursion into the work of S. Choban: a map of Russia and Germany with the names of projects indicated on it. The geographical scope is so wide that the symbolic title of the exhibition “Moscow-Berlin” could easily be continued, so that it would take several lines. At first glance, it is difficult to believe that all these works belong to one architect. Among them are a variety of styles - from the smooth facades characteristic of modern Europe to Moscow reminiscences of the Stalinist Empire style. What unites them is their attention to detail - be it ornamental patterns on a stone surface, huge images printed on glass, or sculptural, bionic forms.
In the work of S. Choban, there is an unusual fusion for the modern architectural landscape of the St. Petersburg classical art school and modern technological achievements. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, he went to Germany in the early 1990s at the invitation of a German architectural bureau and - unlike many Russian architects who tried their hand abroad - made an excellent career there. Without his projects it is difficult to imagine the appearance of modern Berlin. For example, in the Domakvare complex (2004), which is located on the banks of the Spree River opposite the Berlin Cathedral, the “magic box” technique, so characteristic of European buildings by S. Choban, was used. Behind the relatively simple textured façades of the hotel lies a “focus” - an elevator shaft enclosed inside a 25-meter aquarium. As in the tale of Ali Baba and the treasure in the cave, so in Berlin, the new Jewish community center (2007) hides walnut interiors and flowing wall shapes behind the simple walls of a former transformer substation.
Unlike many foreigners who are simply trying to transfer ascetic Western architecture to Russian soil, S. Choban developed a special style for Russia - based on his own understanding of the Russian cultural tradition. Moreover, for each city it forms its own mythology: if in St. Petersburg these are refined motifs of the Silver Age, then in Moscow it is stone solidity and an abundance of ornamentation. In Russia, an architect who strives to create a bright, memorable facade texture has greater freedom of self-realization. If in Germany society is accustomed to the maximum simplicity of architecture and ornament often seems to be a manifestation of bad taste, then in Russia the formation of generally accepted architectural canons has not yet been completed. And people who appreciate the richness and beauty of surrounding forms in a harsh climate are psychologically ready for architectural experiments.
Thus, in the St. Petersburg building “Langensiepen” (2006), built on the site of the “Znamya Truda” plant, S. Choban used the technology of large-scale electronic printing on glass. Photographs of Roman landmarks depicted on the facade can only be hardly distinguished from real three-dimensional architectural details. The same technique was used by the architect during the construction of the Benoit office center (2007) on Okhta. In memory of the artist Alexandre Benois, fairy-tale characters from his theatrical sets are arranged in a checkerboard pattern on the façade. At the same time, in the Moscow projects created by S. Choban together with his Moscow partner Sergei Kuznetsov, one can feel more Moscow monumentality. Literally every millimeter of the residential complex on Granatny Lane, which is now being built opposite the Burovsky Union of Architects, is dotted with ornaments. The walls of the future business center on Mozhaisky Val will be entirely lined with limestone, covered with fine geometric carvings.
When constructing in large metropolises with an established architectural ensemble, architects rarely have the opportunity to construct a building that is expressive not in the decoration of the facade, but in its form. Buildings-sculptures, as a rule, appear in those small cities whose history goes back no more than a hundred years. Among S. Tchoban's projects presented at the exhibition, one of the most interesting examples of this kind is the building of the LSW corporation in Wolfsburg, which consists of cubic volumes located in different planes and resembles the design of a modern car in shape. This German town in Lower Saxony was founded less than a century ago as an automobile manufacturing center.
In his Sochi projects, S. Choban also made a stylistic transition from the usual building-facade to a building-sculpture. The outlines of the two projects that will soon be implemented in Sochi are bizarre and follow the movement of water. The shape of the Akter-Galaxy apart-hotel resembles an elongated drop. It is located in a place where the coast extends far into the sea, and in this case the unusual architectural solution has a practical purpose - to provide sea views from most of the apartments. The buildings of the multifunctional complex "Festival" are curved, pointed, with prominently protruding interfloor ceilings - a bit reminiscent of the shape of seahorses.
Modern architecture rarely adheres to any particular style. As a rule, this is a skillful mixture of various techniques, tested by time and tradition. The art of an architect is now akin to the art of an experienced bartender - choosing the right ingredients to suit a particular setting and serving them beautifully. Choban serves well.