Lexicon of elements. Moscow analysis. by Victoria Gerasimova

Lexicon of elements Victoria Gerasimova Fundaments of urbanism 2020

Context Part 1

Edges Paths Landmarks Districts Nodes

Part 2

Terrain River and sea Squares Streets and blocks Park and garden

Moscow Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation, the historical capital of Grand Duchy of Moscow. The area of the city is 2561,5 km. The population of the city is more than 12 million. This Lexicon of elements is based on the analysis of this city.

Edges

Before the war in 1812, Moscow was divided into areas with walls. These walls we can name edges barrier, which closed one area from another. This type of edge creates a strict division of areas. Nowadays, walls were replaced with roads, and walls remained only in the Kremlin, where edgewall show the historical part of the town. Moscow is divided by circular roads: Boulevard ring, Sadovoe ring, Third ring, and Moscow ring road. Moscow Ring Road was an edge where the town ends, for a long time. For example, for me, the Sadovoe ring shows where the central part of the city ends. Another edge is the Moscow River. It divides the town into two parts, and in the center, the river created a closed island.

tek

Zemlynoy gorod Bely gorod Bely gorod

Zemlynoy gorod

Kitay-gorod Kremlin

Zemlynoy gorod

1739

Edges are linear elements, which observe considers an element, which divides a town into areas. Water or wall could be such an element.

sco

ive

Boulevard ring

Sadovoe ring

Third ring road

Moscow river

Moscow ring road

Nowadays

River as a barrier

Paths

Paths become one of the main elements for the most od observers. People explore the city when they are moving through it, that's why most parts of the town are related to their paths. On the scheme, you can see my three different paths. The blue one is the path through which I got to the Garage museum for work from home. During this path, I experienced walking and metro. It was such a common way for me that I even didn't think about where to go.

The pink one is the path to the Museum of Impressionism, where I also worked. This path consisted of walking and bus, which allowed me to observe buildings through the bus window. The purple path shows the promenade around the city. I used buses and metro as transit from home to the center. When I reached the city center, I started to pay attention to my surroundings. I always discovered something new in the city, and even I was there a hundred times.

Paths are the element, along which the observer moves: walkways, transit lines, canals, streets.

Pedestrian Metro Bus

Landmarks There are a lot of different landmarks in such a big city like Moscow. Some of them are common for everyone, and others are local. On the scheme, you can see three different landmarks - distant, historical, local, horizontal. 1. 'Moscow-city' is a distant landmark. It is visible from different areas of the city. There are also Seven Sisters (Stalin's skyscrapers) in different Moscow areas, which could be a distant landmark. Still, because there are seven of them and Moscow-city is a unique complex, they stayed only as monuments of architecture. 2. 'Aqueduct' is a bridge above the Yauza river in the Rostokino district. This landmark is more local, because of affiliation to a specific area. My friends and I usually met near 'Aqueduct'. 3. Kremlin is a historical landmark. This structure is located in the center of the city and has a long story. All citizens know what Kremlin is and where it is located. And also, the red color of the walls makes it eye-catching. 4. Tverskaya street is the main street in the city. It connects Manezhnaya square and Belorussky railway station. This street is 1.6 km long. Most cultural, political, historical take place on Tverskaya street.

1. Distant landmark

Landmarks are external point-references for the observer. Their use involves the singling out of one element from a host of possibilities. Usually it is a physical ojects - building, sign, store, or mountain.

2. Local landmark

4. Horizontal landmark

3. Historical landmark

Districts

The characteristics that determine districts consist of an endless variety of components: texture, space, form, detail, symbol, building type, use, activity, inhabitants, degree of maintenance, topography. Here we can see the sleeping district Khoroshevo-Mnevniki. This district has two crossing roads, one of them connects center and Moscow Ring Road and another connects area with nearest areas. This makes district easily accessable. It has access to Moscow river and two parks. One of the park is Serebryany Bor, which attract not only residence of the distric, bul also all Moscow citizens. Building typology is mostly common appartment buildings, accept the Serebryany Bor where private hoses take place.

Greenery Main avenue Borders of the district Moscow river Building topography

Districts are the relatively large city areas. They could be recognized as externally as internally. Also, districts are recognizable as having some common, identifying character.

Nodes Moscow is a big city where a lot of people are concentrated. This means that there are many nodes with different density. On this scheme, are visible three different nodes. 1. Node just with a bus connection. The node is quiet and not so busy. Though, during rush hours, buses could be overcrowded because of house density around. 2. The node connects the metro and buses. There are shopping mall, two universities, and apartment buildings around the node. This is a cause of busy hours in the morning and the evening - people moving in both directions. 3. One of the most prominent nodes in Moscow - area around Belorusskay railway station. There is a bus, tram, metro and railway station connection. There are office buildings on the other side of the station. And this node is located at the beginning of the Tverskaya street (main street).

B B B

1. Marshala Tukhachevskogo street, bus stop

Nodes are strategic spots, which focus inside observer and allow him to travel.

M M

T T T

M B

2. Aeroport, metro station + bus stop

3. Belorusskaya railway station + metro station + bus stop +tram stop

Terrain Protection

Moscow was founded in 1147 at the confluence of Moscow and the Neglinka river on the Borovickiy hill. The cape of the Borovickiy hill was steep and narrow. Two rivers were located on the South and East side of the hill. This became the perfect location for the city due to the security of the area. But, hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leveling and expansion of the upper platform took place during the development of the territory and creating artificial protection, such as Kremlin walls.

gli

riv

w river

Mosco

XII century

er lin

riv

ink

l eg

w river

Mosco

XII century

w river

Mosco

XII century

Terrain Water

Moscow river is a connection between some important trade routes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Volga trade route, from the Varangians to the Greeks and others.

ive ar Yau z

river Neglinka

Moscow is founded between Neglinka and Moscow rivers, but during development, the city became bigger and bigger, and the Yauza river became a part of Moscow.

Moscow is located in the center of the European part of Russia between the two most significant Russian rivers, Volga and Oka.

Moscow river

Moscow river Volga river

Oka river

Terrain Trade

Moscow became the key trade town after TurcoMongol rule. Moscow river connected Volga na Oka river, which created connection between northern and sothern parts of Russia - Novgorod and Kaspiyskoe sea. Another trade route came East - Smolensk and Rostov.

XII century

Water Moscow Trade routes IX-XIII

XII century

River

Neglinka

XII-XV centuries Adaptation of the city to its site: - link town with the North - cut/protection town from the western side Public matter: - fishing - mills were erected on the river

XV-XVII centuries Adaptation of the city to its site: - cut/protection: Neglinka were filled in the moat along the Kremlin - Voskresenskiy bridge was erected as a link with Kremlin Rehabilitation: - three dams were erected on the river - industrial production - Cannon Yard were built on one of the dams - on all of these dams were mills to produce grain, drive machinery at the Mint

XVIII century

XIX century

Adaptation of the city to its site: - during the Great Northern War, five bulwarks were constructed along Neglinka to protect Kremlin, but after the war, they were demolished

Adaptation of the city to its site: - in 1817-1819, Neglinaya was enclosed in a pipe (brick vault) for three kilometers during Moscow reconstruction after the war in 1812

Rehabilitation/public matter: - in the 1780s, an embankment was constructed by engineer Gerard, where people could promenade - fishing was prevalent

Water dilema: -floods became a big problem after enclosing the river. This happened because underground space couldn't hold so much water during the rains, but the government didn't react to this problem. It was solved only in the XX century.

Water dilema: - water in Upper Neglinniy Pond was polluted, and all this water went to Moscow river

24 nk a

Ne gli

nk a

Ne gli

riv er

mo tek a

Moscow river

1734 Samoteka

k lin

er riv

Sa eg N

ka riv

r ive

Neglin

nk gli Ne

dn ay

River

Nelinka river

Yauza rive r

Moscow river Yauza rive r

1838

Historival collector â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gilyarovsky trailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

River Yauza

History: - Yauza was the main trade route from the South during the IX-XII centuries Water dilemma: - During XIX-XX century Yauza was polluted in the town so much that there were no life forms Rehabilitation: - During the second part of the XX century, the government started to solve the pollution problem. Town sewage network expanded, the sewage system was built on the tributaries of Yauza - Factories in the city center were closed

- Floodplain of Yauza from Moscow ring ti Yaroslavl railway was declared natural monuments -Nowadays, a lot of parks are located along the river

Yauza river

riv

Moscow river

Yauza + greenery

Square 1. Agora - social place for gathering Square in the center of Boulevard Generala Karbysheva. Square is located in the middle of the sleeping area. This square is working as a gathering space for the residents of surrounding buildings. 2. Forum Romanum - market and place of political events in Red square has cultural and trade purposes. It is a historical center and was founded around the market. Nowadays, the main cultural events take place in this square. The square is surrounded by St Basil Church, Historical Museum, and Central shopping mall. 3. White square is located around office buildings and Nicola Chudotvortsa church. This square is functioning more as a transit spot. It connects three streets. There are a metro station, tram stop, and two bus stops.

1. Local lesure

3.Commercial Intersection use

2. National Historical Cultural Commercial

Streets and blocks

Moscow has circular structure from ancient times. In the begining it walls, which divided different on area from another. During developing walls became streets and avenues. This circal streets connects different areas of the city. Also there are streets, which connect circles and divide city on districts. There are differece between centre and periphery. In the center, blocks are more dence and streets are more narrow, but, in the periphery, buildings inside blocks have more space between, and streets are wider.

Zemlynoy gorod Bely gorod Bely gorod

Zemlynoy gorod

Kitay-gorod Kremlin

Zemlynoy gorod

1739

tek

Nowadays

Parks and gardens 1. Serebryany Bor is a natural landmark of regional significance. The park is an artificial island, which was formed during the creation of the Khoroshevsky straightening channel. Deep in the forest is the Gulf of Deep (Lake Endless). There are two squares, three beaches, including the largest nudist beach in Moscow, an ecological trail has been laid, on which are equipped places for visitors to relax and aviaries with rare animals and birds. 2. Hermitage garden Garden was founded in 1892 as a center of theatres by Schukin - Russian theater entrepreneur. There are five theatres in the garden: 'Hermitage,' 'Sphere', 'New opera,' Open stage of the Hermitage Garden, Schukin scene 3. Gorky Park is a Moscow park of culture and rest, a metropolitan recreation zone. The front part was built for the Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Industrial Exhibition by architect Melnikov in 1923. The central part of the park has two parallel alleys and the fontane in the middle. The main entrance consists of a semi-circular arch with a collonade.

1. Ecology Naturale landm

2. Cultural French garden

mark

3. Recreation Park

Lexicon of elements Victoria Gerasimova Fundaments of urbanism 2020