Moscow apartment with a total area of ​​180 m2 Alexander Burykin, Elena Shkredova

Passing the gallery

Interview prepared: Olga Korotkova

A photo: Sergey Morgunov, Ekaterina Morgunov

Architect: Alexander Burykin, Elena Shkredova

Performance Manager: Georgiy Gachechiladze, Edward Tsiklauri

Magazine: N5 (72) 2003

Customers chose the apartment for a long time and prudently. The center of Moscow was not included in the plans, searched in those areas that are farther from the center, closer to nature. I liked the new house in a new building immediately, and when the apartment offered by the realtor was on the top floor, two-level, with a sloping roof and roof windows, the decision matured completely. It is here, it is this apartment. Even without finishing, quite “damp”, the apartment made a strong impression: the ceiling is two stories high, has many windows ...SALON: Your style preferences are known: natural themes in the interior. What you call "house in house". As for this apartment, it seems completely different than your previous work. Alexander Burykin: - Not at all. The topic remains the same. Really "house in the house". And the fact that the interior is completely different, this is normal, it should be so, isn't it? In the formula "house in the house," I put my own understanding of the apartment in the city. I am sure that the interior in an apartment building should be "opposite" to the atmosphere of the city. And the more contrast he stands in relation to the urban space, leaving "in the direction of nature" - the park, country estate, rest in the open air - the better. Therefore, the style in which I prefer to work (although the style in this case is a more than conventional notion) is minimalism with ethnic splashes. Both Africa, and Malaysia, and Indian prototypes, in general, exaggerated presence of nature in the interior.S: Did the location of the house - on the border of the city and the countryside - affect the style decision, the choice of finishing materials, furniture, etc.? - Absolutely no effect. If this house were on the Garden Ring, but with the same layout, the idea would have remained the same. Indeed, the space itself, the layout is much more important for the development of "thought" than the location. The two-level composition dictated the possibilities: a second light in the attic roof bevel, a winter garden instead of the former loggia in the living room and kitchen. Another thing is that, on the whole, it is not bad, in particular, the layout had a number of shortcomings, which had to be managed competently. So, the roof was sloped at a very "wrong", ugly angle. The proportions in architecture are paramount. They greatly influence the perception of space: a person can not guess what exactly creates discomfort, but this discomfort necessarily arises. And here the proportions, frankly, left much to be desired. The roof-ceiling was beaten in an amusing way: we rounded a ridiculous angle - the intersection of two planes - and sheathed the ceiling with whitewashed clapboard ("barrel", as we called this decision). The hostess trusted us in everything completely. For example, in the case of the “barrel,” we also decided to experiment: the ceiling surface was plastered over with foil, and through the gaps between the boards it gives glare, reflecting the included lights. Such an unusual idea.S: If the layout was pretty decent, as you say, then there were no problems with zoning? - How to say ... In general, I said, the layout is decent. But such a thing, for example: the bathrooms were located one above the other in the corner of the living room ... Where there is now the most cozy corner - a sofa with armchairs by the fireplace. We transferred bathrooms to a more suitable place for them. So they do not play a major role in the living room. You must admit that this is much more reasonable, right? And the zoning is quite usual: the first floor - a living room with a kitchen, the second - a bedroom, an office, a nursery, a dressing room. Since the living room occupies most of the first floor, we paid much attention to it. The main fireplace here is undoubtedly. They thought about it for a long time, it turned out, in my opinion, not bad. The staircase to the second floor, the mezzanine, was allowed to "bypass" the fireplace: it smoothly bends around the chimney and rises without taking the living space from the living room. The fireplace fences off one recreation area (on a small podium), another area naturally arose in front of the TV - there is a dining room and television. Plus a winter garden. It turned out at least three fairly well-defined "points". But at the same time, both spatially and “ideologically” are common.S: In your past work, you took a "trip to Africa": the apartment is made with a pronounced African character. What countries and continents have you "visited" this time? - I can’t name anything concrete, and I wasn't going to, to be honest. The ethnic paradigm in the broadest sense - so, perhaps, it will be right. Because the main idea was not stylization, but the creation of natural associations in general. There are many natural materials in the interior: wicker furniture, teak plank floors, pebbles, "preserved" in the stair railing and "flooded" into the floor, straw, which is decorated with a huge fireplace plane, and "straw" wallpaper in the bedroom. It seems to me that everything in the living space should remind about rest: the forest, the sea, the beach, the gazebo - this attribute is well perceived in the conditions of a city apartment.Larisa, the owner of the apartment: - We are familiar with Alexander Burykin for a long time. Of course, we knew that he was an architect, but there was no need to communicate on professional topics. When we bought an apartment, there were no thoughts to turn to the services of an architect, we thought we could handle it ourselves. Sasha was asked only for advice, to express his opinion. When he looked at the apartment and really gave two or three tips: “round” the ceiling bend, align the line of windows (they were asymmetrical), slightly “lower” the openings closer to the floor), they realized that they could not do without him to persuade him to lead the project completely - from A to Z. I was born and raised in the center, but now I would never go from here to anything. We immediately liked it here, and now, when the apartment turned out so cozy, so wonderful, and even more so. We live in a new place for six months. Over time, it often seems that something could have been done differently. This has not happened to us. No matter how many wonderful interiors we see during this time, ours seems to be the best.Alexander Burykin: “This apartment continues my favorite topic, which I call“ house in the house. ”Natural motives in the interior are very important for me. And although this is expressed every time in its own way, the main line is an installation on a“ natural ”solution to the“ housing problem ”. This organization of space, and the abundance of light, and colors, and materials, and furniture - in general, absolutely everything. "