Advanced manufacturing no longer wants to look like dull, purely utilitarian “boxes”. Recalling the practice of 100-200 years ago, they strive to become architecturally significant elements of the environment, therefore, they involve not only technical specialists, but also well-known architects in the creation of new and renovation of old industrial buildings
Recently, the architects of the Osetskaya.Salov (ARCHSLON) bureau have developed and implemented a project to renovate the appearance of one of the pipe rolling shops of the Volga Pipe Plant (VTZ), located in the city of Volzhsky, Volgograd region and part of the Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK). During the modernization of the workshop at the end of 2022, the management of VTZ decided to create a fresh spectacular image of an innovative production site. The Osetskaya.Salov (ARCHSLON) bureau, invited for this purpose, was asked to look for architectural ideas for a new generation industrial space in which pipes made of carbon and stainless steels and hard—to-form alloys are created – that is, according to the definition of representatives of the plant, high-tech, elegant and expensive products.
The Volga Pipe Plant. The facade is an extension of the sky and a portal in the form of a pipe. Photo: Daniil Annenkov, Osetskaya.Salov architectural bureau
First of all, the architects decided to modify the external environment. They proposed to divide the monotonous, purely utilitarian, elongated with its entire gigantic volume along the access roads, that is, a typical factory building of former times into elements united by a common plan, into key semantic planes: the front facade with the main entrance / passage, the longitudinal side facade and the closing end facade. Each of the segments was endowed with its own idea and design — as meeting the set functional goals, but at the same time an independent art object. So, in the aluminum panels of the main facade, as if in mirrors, the Volga grasses, the southern sky, powerful structures of industrial cranes, and a water tower are reflected.
The Volga Pipe Plant. Input groups in the form of the company’s products. Photo: Daniil Annenkov, Osetskaya.Salov architectural bureau
The entrances to the workshop are made in the form of huge pipes with a diameter of seven to eight meters, so that a multi-ton truck on their background looks like an ordinary city car. Graphic lines following the facade elements (windows, gates, stairs, outbuildings) are applied to the facade oriented to the inner territory of the plant, and circles appear on the opposite facade, which can be seen from the windows of passing cars, which in motion form a “pulsating” animation.
As for the interior spaces, the proposed interior solutions are based on the image of steel, a multicomponent, ductile and malleable material. “102 colors were used in the decoration of the workshop, the sum of which resembles the characteristic iridescences that appear during the melting and further processing of metal. This color scheme is a reinterpretation of the spectrum and a metaphor for the periodic table, many elements of which are part of the VTZ products,” Osetskaya.Salov (ARCHSLON) explains.
The interior of the Volga Pipe plant. Photo: Daniil Annenkov, Osetskaya.Salov architectural bureau
It should be recalled here that the workshop is filled with production equipment and a variety of technical elements with strict design regulations. For example, air pipes should be exactly and only blue, ammonia — purple, moving and enclosing elements — signal red. As a result, the architects had to combine their own ideas of the iridescent spectrum with the coloring of the elements according to GOST. Also, seven modular units with panoramic glazing, highlighted by contrasting black composite, appeared in the workshop, which housed meeting rooms and open offices.
Color design and structural elements in the workshops of the plant. Photo: Daniil Annenkov, Osetskaya.Salov architectural bureau
Now, actually, one of the main questions is: why? What made the owners of the plant pay so much attention, spend so much effort, time and money on solving issues that do not seem to affect either the scale and quality of production or the final cost of products in any way?
According to architects and their customers, not just major repairs or modernization, but renovation of the appearance, that is, a much deeper approach to working with space helps to solve a number of tasks. In their opinion, the renovated workshop looks more like a technological art space created on the basis of an industrial zone, and to a lesser extent evokes familiar associations associated with a metallurgical plant. This allows you to create a comfortable environment for employees, improve production culture and increase the importance and internal status of specialists working in such a space, and also becomes an additional argument for applicants in favor of choosing a profession of metallurgist and specifically VTZ.
In addition, the impressive production “decorations” allow the workshop and the plant as a whole to become a prominent point on the map of industrial tourism. As part of the architectural project, a “guest route” was specially designed, planned in such a way that tourists could pass through the most impressive production sites. Moreover, the entrance and entrance areas are laconic black volumes lined with a mirror composite: imagine how contrasting they make the transition between the external and internal world.
In the workshops of the Volga Pipe Plant. Photo: Daniil Annenkov, Osetskaya.Salov architectural bureau
Everything is fine, but maybe the story with the VTZ is only a one-time thing? Do we have the right to say that today architects have become much more often involved in working on objects that used to be called “architecturally indifferent”? Do their owners set any specific aesthetic goals or follow the logic of “make me beautiful”? In conversation with BFM.ru The founders of the architectural bureau Osetskaya.Salov (ARCHSLON) Alexander Salov and Tatiana Osetskaya shared their observations.
— Is it possible to call what you did with the VTZ workshop a classic architect’s work with an object (say, residential or office), or is it still some other architectural task, a different approach?
— For us, there is no classical architect’s work as such: work on each object has its own specifics and subtleties. Offices, housing, transport projects, industrial architecture — all these have both common parameters in the design approach and their own characteristics. Unlike residential or office buildings, where the emphasis is most often on comfort and aesthetics, industrial architecture focuses on functionality, manufacturability and safety. The common thing in working with each of our objects is a conceptual approach. The starting point is the basic idea that all other elements and parameters follow. The idea is based on a deep analysis of the territory and the issues of the project, as well as on the features that need to be identified during the design. For example, the key idea of the architecture of the VTZ workshop was to reflect the features and properties of stainless steel as the main element of production.
— How often do architects receive offers today to work with factory workshops (while maintaining function) and other objects that are traditionally considered architecturally neutral?
— Architects are involved in the development of such buildings in any case. If we are talking about a unique, image-based approach, then this is rather a special case. A hundred, two hundred years ago, not only technical specialists were involved in the design of industrial facilities, but also well-known architects: factories were the heart of the urban structure and had to meet high aesthetic requirements. Over time, the approach to such facilities has become more typical and scalable, the emphasis has shifted from architecture to the speed and cost of construction. We think that if the architecture of large—scale industrial production is considered as part of the urban environment and to see it as an integral part of human life, then the approach to designing such facilities should be somewhat similar to the approach to designing housing or offices – after all, most of the time a person spends in the workplace. It seems to us that there is now a trend to involve specialized specialists in the development of unique projects, but this is not yet a trend.
— Are there clear architectural requirements that the customer adheres to in this case, or does he just say: I want it to be beautiful?
— In commercial facilities, the customer’s focus is on completely different issues. As professionals, we understand that aesthetics is an inseparable part of the project, so this issue is not even discussed, but the subject of attention is the result of changes, updates or new construction. The most important criterion for the effectiveness of an architectural solution will be the achievement of strategic business objectives set by the customer. Moreover, such tasks may include changing the company’s image, attracting attention, increasing capitalization, and others.
— From your point of view, will there be a growing interest in architecture among the owners of such facilities and why?
— It is important to understand what specific projects we are talking about. Sometimes factories that were city-forming enterprises since the last centuries are a national treasure and are integrated into the urban structure. There are also objects that are located at a considerable distance from cities and perform completely different tasks from an architectural point of view. There will be a different approach to such objects from both the customer and the architect. Interest can grow only among those customers who understand that investments in intangible assets provide a significant business advantage. As a rule, the trigger of interest in architecture is large-scale socio-economic changes, it is during this period that a request for external transformations appears in society, followed by internal ones.
So, it’s already a trend, but not yet a trend… BFM.ru I talked with other “production workers” and found out their attitude to the possibility of making industrial volumes architecturally attractive, and therefore especially interesting for tourists. As follows from the words of the director of the Viola plant in the Moscow region, Arkhip Baranenko, the food industry, for example, has a special attitude to both.
Arkhip Baranenko, director of the Viola plant in the Moscow Region, “The design of industrial enterprises, as well as any other buildings, has long been subordinated primarily to urban planning standards. For example, during the construction of the Viola production site in the Moscow region, we had to take into account the proximity of the cultural heritage site — the Olsufyev estate, which offers a view, including of the plant. This limited the height of the building, as well as determined its color: the blue and gray colors and shades allowed the building to merge with the sky, not to stand out when viewed from the side of the estate. In order to obtain a construction permit, a visual landscape analysis was carried out and a corresponding conclusion was obtained. From the point of view of the shapes of the plant building, the decision was made by analogy with the production sites of the Finnish concern (taking into account the rich experience of building enterprises in Finland). These are concise and simple forms, on the one hand, typical for architectural solutions of the Nordic countries, and on the other hand, they are quite appropriate for utilitarian factory functions. There is a certain amount of creativity in the architecture and design of factories, but there is much more mathematics, accurate calculations and compliance with numerous requirements, normative legal acts and technical regulations – in the field of occupational safety, fire safety, environmental legislation and much more. At the same time, of course, if architectural solutions within the framework of legislative norms can increase the comfort level of employees, the company as an employer will be interested in this. For example, regulatory legal acts strictly regulate the illumination of certain rooms. Even the presence or absence of windows, as well as their percentage in the room, may be determined by specific requirements: For example, in boiler rooms, easily removable windows are important from the point of view of ensuring safety and efficiency. A striking example of a creative solution to the utilitarian task of ensuring a level of natural lighting is anti—aircraft lanterns and smoke extraction skylights. These are holes in the roof, closed with transparent plastic — there are such holes in the premises of the Viola production in Yershov near Moscow. Among other things, they allow you to achieve the target level of illumination and perform, in a sense, the function of decorating the room, it is not for nothing that light lanterns have become one of the signature features of the famous Finnish architect of the XX century Alvar Aalto. From the point of view of tinting rooms (both industrial and office), neutral light colors are widely used, which allow you to visually enlarge the room, affect the illumination and at the same time do not distract employees. Concise, bright interior design has long proven to be the most effective in terms of a positive impact on productivity — there are a number of surveys and studies confirming this. The absence of excess, the availability of free space, conciseness is also a security requirement. The arrangement of production lines is carried out according to a strictly coordinated scheme, taking into account the requirements for technological gaps and the width of passages, even at the design stage, workplaces, their area, places for storing tools are planned — a production employee must move freely, without the threat of stumbling or catching on. Separately, we emphasize that in the design of enterprises, requirements for the safety and quality of finished products, sanitary and hygienic standards are critically important (for example, separation of clean and sterile zones, organization of changing rooms). Yes, at least: under no circumstances can you directly get from the milk acceptance hall, where the milk truck stops, to the packing hall or to the hall where the raw materials are stored. And these aspects are also regulated by the relevant regulatory legal acts, and in the case of the Viola enterprise – in addition, more stringent internal requirements of the company. As for industrial tourism, we believe that this is an interesting and useful initiative that allows consumers to learn more about production, and businesses and companies to fight consumer myths and increase loyalty. At the same time, visits by a wide group of people to enterprises, especially those specializing in food production, are risks that must be eliminated. Visiting enterprises by tourists should be safe for both guests and products. To do this, it is necessary to design additional corridors and provide infrastructure. In the case of the Viola plant in the Moscow region, excursions can only be realized by reconstructing the building and making significant changes to the project — initially the plant was not intended for a wide audience. But in our expansion plans, we are considering this possibility.”
Architects and the MAMI metalwork plant have a special relationship. According to the general director of the plant, Alexander Tsarev, “we have been cooperating with architects almost since the foundation of production, since 2010, and these were interesting projects that the plant brought to life. The production of frames of typical buildings is a routine job, there is no highlight in it, but the production of frames of buildings with interesting architectural forms is already a more difficult task. I prefer difficult tasks, real challenges — the invention of new ways of welding alloys, unusual designs. This is the specialization of the plant — to do what others cannot do, to do something for the first time in the country or even in the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that architects, including world-famous ones, began to apply to our production.”
The General Director of ZMK MAMI is Alexander Tsarev. Photo: Marat Daminov.
The plant’s landmark projects are the restoration of farms and columns for the HPP—2 Cultural Center and the Patriarch’s pedestrian Bridge: both projects were commissioned by Italian architect Renzo Piano. And ZMK MAMI also manufactured the gates of the Evolution Tower in Moscow City and structures for the Stalker Sports Palace in the capital. “Now we are mastering the production process of fully sliding metal structures — there are orders developed by architectural bureaus, these are high-profile projects and I cannot name them yet. “I can only say that the interaction of manufacturing companies and architects has a great future: both in terms of the appearance of industrial buildings designed by architects, and in terms of manufacturing complex structures that creative minds come up with,” says Alexander Tsarev.
The expert does not hide that “cooperation with creative people, of course, made me think: if there is any expansion of production, construction of new areas, they will definitely be beautiful. This is exactly what is happening: new buildings of ZMK MAMI are being built right now, and the design was completely developed by a Russian architect with a name.”
Alexander Tsarev, General Director of the MAMI Metal Structures Plant, “The plant’s workshops must first of all be functional and meet safety requirements. At the same time, the administrative and household building adjacent to them is designed in the spirit of the times. It was designed by architect Ilya Kononov, and we set him the task of adding a bright, cheerful note to the architecture of the building. Welding of metal, manufacturing of metal structures is not such a bright process, in the workshops there are mostly gray shades, although photographers and videographers sometimes like to make a bright frame: bright sparks, cold blue or sunny orange scatter during welding. In real life, the picture is not so bright, the workshops are huge and not every square meter and not every second is welding work. Therefore, we decided to add some color to the production, and the facade of the building is designed in a rather unusual way. Plus, the architect worked on the geometry of the building itself, made windows of a special configuration. Construction is underway, we’ll see what happens soon. And I completely agree that an architecturally pleasant environment affects labor productivity, increases the level of employee loyalty to the employer company. We produce interesting metal structures, we weld high—strength steels – something that is just entering production. Each of our workers in production is proud of what the plant does, while it is important not only to be proud of the result, but also to enjoy the process, so I think you need to see the beauty around you every day. The environment affects productivity: when we see something beautiful nearby, our mood rises, productivity increases, and it all adds up to a single motivational story.”
As for industrial tourism, as Alexander Tsarev recalls, the idea that excursions to production are very interesting came to his mind back in 2003, when he headed another plant. Today, ZMK MAMI constantly greets guests, customers often come, sometimes journalists, but it will most likely turn into some kind of commercial story with the opening of a new plant that will look like an architectural object, the expert believes.
“We even planned to make excursions to the factory for the children of the employees. There was such an idea, now it is on pause due to safety precautions. The child’s eye is more vulnerable to radiation from welding, and increased dustiness is formed during certain operations, so we are still thinking how to do this. If all safety requirements are met, you will have to stop production and arrange a show, that is, children will not see the real process. But from the point of view of industrial tourism for adults, we are ready to implement everything,” Alexander Tsarev shares his plans.
Of course, it will be very timely to mention the small town of Vyksa in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where the Vyksa Metallurgical Plant, which is part of the United Metallurgical Company, is located — one of the Russian leaders in pipe and wheel rolling production and one of the most prominent players in the industrial tourism market. “A real park on the walls is being created on the territory of the plant. The factory buildings are decorated with huge murals — so far there are three of them, but in ten years, namely for such a period the project is designed, exactly ten should appear. By the way, one of them — “Evolution-2″, which the artist Misha Most, together with five assistants, created on a surface of 10,800 square meters for more than a month, is recognized as the largest graffiti in Russia and the Old World, the work is even listed in the national Book of Records,” wrote BFM.ru a few years ago.
But here, perhaps, it is worth taking a break and remembering that there are objects on the market that have so far been considered even more architecturally indifferent than production facilities, for example, warehouses or data centers. Is the situation changing there, do they also want to be aesthetically attractive now? And are the architects ready to support their aspirations? More on that next time.
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