Moscow’s Monorail transport system. Revitalisation.
| concept |
Directors: Oleg Shapiro, Dmitry Likin
Curator: Irina Golovitskaya
Lead architect: Anastasiya Izmakova
Development team: Yanina Smagina, Zhanna Galut, Fyodor Naumov, Konstantin Andreyev, Tatyana Chernomashentseva, Daria Golubeva, Sofia Yestrina, Yekaterina Anikina
Consulting: Maksim Liubavin (KB23), Konstantin Palivoda (KB23), Ilya Petrasov (JSC VDNKh), Denis Romodin (Presnya Museum), Aleksandra Boyarskaya (Nike), Dmitry Stepchkov (Unitary Enterprise MOSGORTRANSNIIPROYEKT), Vladimir Muraviev (Moscow Monorail), Vadim Kokhtev (JSC Alfa-Bank)
Moscow Monorail began its operation in 2004 connecting a number of areas in the north-east part of the city. At the moment the rail is only suitable for sightseeing as the trains run with 30 minute intervals. Nearby tram line renders the rail functionally obsolete, unprofitable and will lead to its eventual closure. It is not clear of what will happen with the currently existing infrastructure.
To redevelop obsolete infrastructure as public space.
Monorail support system will be employed as a foundation for a 4.7 km. long multi-use public trail connecting several areas in the city. To meet the social needs and interests of local residents in respective areas each section of the trail will house additional facilities: winter gardens, cafes and even swimming pools.
Urban context:
Russian State Agrarian University, Ostankino TV Tower, VDNKh, Cosmos Hotel, Museum of Cosmonautics, Worker and Kolkhoz Woman Monument and various parks are all located in the close vicinity to Moscow Monorail.
Monorail connects transportationally isolated and closely positioned areas with one linear trail for pedestrian and sports-related activities. Functional zoning separates it into sections that accurately meet the demands of particular environments.
Agrarian University is located very close to the Monorail section stretching from Timiryazevskaya to Milashenkova St. rail stations. This section is most likely to be visited by the University’s students and staff, so it starts with a public winter garden.
Dream garden with its fruit-bearing trees and an open-air amphitheater is located in the section between TV Center rail station and Novomoskovskaya Street. It offers panoramic views of Ostankino mansion, nearby pond and a church building. This area also harbors an infinity pool, a sporting pool with adjacent changing rooms, showers, saunas and fitness centre and a beachfront with wooden promenade.
Section between Novomoskovskaya St. and VDNKh rail stations is designed as a family friendly area with various playgrounds suitable for kids of all ages, a cafe and a “green tunnel”.
“Green tunnel” leads to an intercepting section and a cultural section that occupy the area between VDNKh and Sergey Eisenstein St. rail stations. We call the respective section intercepting, because that’s where Monorail enters the spatial competition with one of the main tourist attractions – VDNKh, and there’s a certain need to distribute the flows of visitors.
Here we have an experimental winter garden informed by the historic context of VDNKh. Winter garden leads to a hanging garden with swings, hammocks, light art installations and a food court.
This section connects professional sporting grounds with cultural institutions. It houses a medical aid center, a coaching room, freerunning and parkour tracks.
Monorail Depot accommodates an independent theater and Moscow Transit Museum, which is currently awaiting suitable premises. The Museum will bring alive the history and evolution of transport heritage through a site-specific monorail train car exhibit.
Monorail project implies functional enhancement of obsolete infrastructure making it a safe, convenient and attractive pedestrian zone. A comfortable elevated multi-use public trail links together multiple areas, parks and landmarks to become a new attraction point in the capital.
