Behind the Scenes of an Architectural Competition, or How a New Symbol of Russian Science Is Being Designed

A site visit — as architects and urban planners professionally refer to going “into the field” — is a first-hand inspection of the location where a future project will be built, allowing for an initial assessment of the scope of work. On the day of the first major snowfall in Moscow this winter, six teams — finalists of the competition to develop the architectural concept for the Federal Centre for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies — set out to the project site together with representatives of the competition curator (DOM.RF) and the operator (CENTER Lab).

The site visit was led by the Acting Director General of the Federal Research Centre, Vladimir Dorofeyev. Although the competition was announced only recently, participants already had many questions — it was clear they were thinking not only in conceptual terms, but also in practical categories. How can the openness of the territory declared by the initiators be reconciled with security requirements, given that the institution works with potent substances and highly pathogenic microorganisms? How should transport flows and pedestrian routes be organised on a three-hectare site, and where should parking be located? What should be done with the small woodland that has grown on the plot — should it be cleared or integrated into the project in a meaningful way?

The key task, as Vladimir Dorofeyev explained, is “to make the fullest possible use of the internal area of the future building and the adjacent territory, organising it in a way that inspires staff and visitors to productive communication and positive thinking.”

A great deal of work lies ahead. In order to clear space for the creation of a new symbol of progress in Russian science — precisely how the task is framed for the competition participants — it will be necessary to demolish outdated 1930s buildings hidden behind a concrete fence topped with barbed wire, which currently detract from the urban landscape of the Sokol district. By 2030, a new main building is to be constructed at 8 Baltiyskaya Street, becoming not only an ultra-modern research facility but also a striking architectural statement — no less iconic than the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences or the Atom Pavilion at VDNH.

“You need to go beyond conventional boundaries and present strong architectural concepts that, ideally, will set new trends. We want to create an object for the city, not a building that isolates itself from everything else just to comply with all possible requirements,” encouraged Pavel Volchkov, Deputy Director General of the Centre, after the site visit, as architects stood ankle-deep in wet snow.

And the requirements are already numerous — and highly demanding.

“Modern facilities involve working with living organisms; essentially, this is a vivarium environment. The use of analytical equipment and diagnostic tools is planned — some of this may be heavy equipment that should likely be located on the lower floors. The technological block предусматривает pilot-scale pharmaceutical production. I hope the 35,000 square metres allocated to us will be sufficient to effectively realise our plans and organise work aimed at research that will bring modern medicines, diagnostic methods, and medical devices to the market,” Vladimir Dorofeyev said.

Pavel Volchkov, in turn, assured participants that he was ready to provide continuous консультации on all aspects related to the operation of scientific institutions. Notably, just a few days later, competition participants were also organised a visit to the Skolkovo Innovation Centre to familiarise themselves with contemporary solutions.

The contestants themselves welcomed this approach.

“The site has great potential. We are inspired and ready to develop interesting, innovative ideas and are already eager to get to work,” said Valeria Lifshits, head of the project team at Wowhaus Bureau. “The constraints imposed by the specificity of the facility actually make it more interesting.”

Ideas also began to take shape immediately for Elena Myznikova, CEO of MUZA Group, following the working session after the site visit: “Everything here needs to be completely rethought in a new way, and it is already clear how. I see the path as creating a certain flexibility within the concept, with a strong architectural idea at its core. There is an opportunity here to integrate the natural environment that has emerged spontaneously and that should either be preserved or thoughtfully reorganised.”

In total, six teams are participating in the competition. These include individual participants IND and TPO Reserve, as well as two consortia: Architectural Bureau PASP + ROST Design Workshop, and AI-architects + TOLK. They are tasked with developing proposals that define the architectural image of the facility, the interior design code, spatial planning solutions, and landscaping proposals. The results of the competition will be announced in mid-April 2026.

Photo: LLC “CENTER LAB”