BICULTURALISM IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE Pushing the boundaries of architecture in contemporary Russian and European practice and the reinvention of the private house in post-Soviet Russia Tanya Kalinina Doctor of Philosophy RMIT 2014 1 BICULTURALISM IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE Pushing the boundaries of architecture in contemporary Russian and European practice and the reinvention of the private house in post-Soviet Russia Tanya Kalinina A Dissertation submitted in fulfi lment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Architecture & Design RMIT University August 2014 Acknowledgements I would like to thank James McAdam who for over 20 years has been a dedicated partner in life and in work, and has shared with me the experience of our practice together since our meeting in 1990. Th ese thanks extend to this research in which James played a part as co-author of the works and on the common elements of this dissertation. I express gratitude to all those who have been involved with the practice, past and present, who have contributed to the architecture and resultant body of works. Particular thanks go to my children, Polina and Misha, for their patience during this concentrated process of research, and to my parents, Valery and Irina, who have always given full moral support to such endeavours. Finally I would express thanks to my doctoral supervisor, Professor Leon van Schaik, who encouraged this process and was a source of great insight. Declaration I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the offi cial commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed. Tanya Kalinina 15 August 2014 Contents 1. Intoduction / TK 710. Trubnaya, Larch House and Univermag / JM, TK 110 What are the practice’s seminal key projects and what are the drivers behind the approaches engaged? 2. The Bicultural Practice / JM, TK 10 How can two opposing cultures and places be linked through architecture, 11. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy / JM, TK 136 and what were the key bicultural moments in this process? Who are the practice mentors and what enchainments are apparent in its work? 3. Mirror, Mirror / TK 22 12. The Accumulation of Skills / JM, TK 142 What are the underlying characteristics of the partners, and how do they work in practice? How did the practice develop professionally to become what it is today? 4. Made in the USSR / TK 38 13. Happy Families / JM, TK 150 How important is life background to the mental space of an architect? What are the prevalent architectural components in the practice’s work? 5. Project Imagination / JM, TK 46 14. The Black Spot / JM, TK 156 How can one single event create the basis of practice for years to come? What is the essence of the design process? 6. Working with the Prospectors / TK 58 15. The Art of Elasticity / JM, TK 170 How can client and architect synchronize for What does the body of work comprise and what are the reasons behind it? the advancement of both parties? 16. What Architect? / JM, TK 174 7. The Emergence of the New Russian House / TK 76 How can the practice be categorized and positioned in the architectural profession? What was the practice’s role in the development of the new Russian house? 17. Learning from Le Corbusier / TK 184 8. The Practice Map / JM, TK 88 When we look at Russian architecture objectively, what do we see? How can we begin to understand the complex workings of 20 years of practice? 18. A Summary of Research and Findings / TK 196 What did the research entail, what did we discover, and how 9. The Endeavours of Practice / JM, TK 98 might this be applicable to other practices? What are the practice’s activities and aspirations and how do they combine to create the essence of the practice? Bibliography / TK 202 Essays marked (JM, TK) are common essays and those marked (TK) are individual essays. TK - Tanya Kalinina, JM - James McAdam 1. Intoduction 1. Intoduction Introduction Th is research is a refl ection on 20 years of McAdam Architects’ architectural practice. It covers a diverse range of work, from private houses and pavilions to urban planning and strategic projects. It seeks to understand the complexities of operating mainly between two countries – Britain and Russia – and it poses direct questions about how two opposing cultures and locations can be forged together through architecture. Part of our aim is to shed light on the implications of a bicultural practice at large. Th e ever-increasing mobility of people in our globalised world means that long-term cultural and professional exchange through practice are becoming normalised. Th e research explores in-depth how bicultural practice and design process can work: how relationships with clients, consultants and mentors, and within the practice, have developed. It also addresses how we accumulate skills that suit diff erent locations, and types/sizes of projects. Th is dissertation demonstrates how the bi-national positioning of the practice between London and Moscow has facilitated disciplinary change within Russia. McAdam Architects, Th is change is grounded in the specifi c environmental conditions and architectural Diagram of PhD Dissertation Structure, community of Russia. At the same time, the research shows how the practice remains Practice Research Symposium Five, Ghent connected with an external international disciplinary perspective. April 2013. This diagram shows the individual essays of the partners, Tanya Kalinina to the left, James McAdam to the right, meshing A portion of the dissertation relates to the actual practice and is common to both with common essays in the centre. the founding partners, thus demonstrating the joint underpinnings of their work. Other essays relate specifi cally to areas of individual interest and research. In These essays are identified in the both works, diff erent streams of practice work are analysed to reveal the diff erent Contents, marked (TK, JM) for common approaches and design methods used in various completed projects, competitions, essays, and (TK) for individual essays. and strategic initiatives. Key projects are identifi ed in an attempt to understand the infl uences of the two cultures on the mental space of the practice and its partners. In parallel, we reviewed the role of biculturalism in professional activities, teaching programs and architectural discourse. McAdam Architects is a trans-national practice that operates through eff ective relationship-building. Our experiences demonstrate the productive agency of The dissertation comprises a series of essays architecture during rapid and extensive political, economic and social change. covering both the research and context. For Kalinina the contextual essays On a more personal level, the refl ective process has given rise to questions about how are deliberately situated at the beginning of the dissertation, to set intellectual satisfaction is realised within the bicultural practice – the safeguarding the scene for the actual research. of ideas, architectural enjoyment, and how the practice could change direction in the future. Th ese questions punctuate the text – presented in bold type – and For McAdam the research essays are situated at the beginning of the dissertation, with a their answers are explored within the thesis. Th ose which remain unanswered, we reflective study of context following. see as continuing quests that will inform our future practice. 7 6 2. Th e Bicultural Practice How can two opposing cultures and places be linked through architecture, and what were the key bicultural moments in this process? 2. The Bicultural Practice 2. The Bicultural Practice Map of Europe showing birthplaces How can two opposing cultures and places of Tanya Kalinina and James McAdam, be linked through architecture, and what were with position of iron curtain 1961–89, the key bicultural moments in this process? and student exchange link in 1990. ‘Bicultural – having or combining the cultural attitudes and customs of two nations or peoples’. Oxford English Dictionary1. As with many partnerships, the bicultural practice of McAdam and Kalinina was established through a series of coincidences. Th e fi rst coincidence occurred as a result of Perestroika2, which enabled a student exchange between Moscow Architectural Institute3 and Canterbury School of Architecture4 in 1990. McAdam and Kalinina met and plotted extended exchange studies for a semester at each of their respective schools. Th e bicultural stance was set from the beginning. Both partners began to learn about the other’s culture, by living, studying, and socializing in the other’s country. Th is allowed cross-cultural exchange and discussion, and an early understanding of cultural diff erences. Crucially, there evolved an immovable trust and mutual desire which was the foundation for practice, and later, a family. Tanya Kalinina and Th e second coincidence was Project Imagination5 in 1992. Th is bicultural link James McAdam in the Moscow off ice enabled the initiation and organization of seminar workshops, where 20 well- of McAdam Architects, 2005. known British architects visited Moscow to run workshops with professors and students from the Moscow Architectural Institute. Th e key to Project Imagination’s success was the direct link it created between the architectural professions of Britain and Russia, as a consequence of McAdam and Kalinina placing a foot in each other’s cultures. Th e results of this bicultural activity led to a much-increased level of connection between the architects of Britain and Russia. It was the basis for multiple exchanges and the opening of a bicultural offi ce, run by McAdam and Kalinina with patronage of William Alsop6, in 1993.