The jury of the Galiasgar Kamal Tatar State Academy Theatre's open competition has announced its list of 8 international finalists. The competition called for the development of an architectural concept that takes into account sustainable development and Kazan's history, creating a theatre that blends harmoniously into its surroundings while becoming a new unique landmark.
The design principles of the competition included respect, future orientation, independence, continuity, and urban inclusion. It was crucial for the participants to maintain Tatar's national culture and language, and develop a new format of public spaces that promote a sense of community and work efficiency. Out of 26 consortia and 13 individual competitors from 14 countries, the jury, which is chaired by the city's mayor Ilsur Metshin, selected 8 proposals ranging from international architecture firms to upcoming local offices for their appealing design and contextual relevance. Read on to discover the selected architects that are now qualified to create a design proposal, along with some of their most prominent completed projects.
Novikov Architectural Practice, with Borgos Pieper and Theatre Projects
Metropolis with Coop Himmelb(l)au
Rozhdestvenka Architect Bureau with BURO SMART
Megabudka Architectural Bureau with Architect Bureau: FORM and ZARF architects
Kazan State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering with DA! Architects and Dialog urban planning
Wowhaus Bureau with Kengo Kuma & Associates and Werner Sobek
PRIDE Creative Production Association with Zaha Hadid Architects, Atelier Ten, and Theatre Projects
Bespoke Architects with Asif Khan Studio
The competition's Jury members include Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan, Farrokh Derakhshani, Director of the Aga Khan Award, Farid Bikchantayev, Chief director of the Tatar State Academic Theater, and David Basulto, ArchDaily Founder, among other notable individuals.
The International Competition of the Galiasgar Kamal Theatre was launched on July 23 by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the Galiasgar Kamal Tatar State Academic Theatre. The Competition is supported by the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Executive Committee of Kazan city, and the Institute for Urban Development of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund. The operator of the competition is the International Urban Laboratory CENTER Lab. At the end of October, online seminars about the urban and cultural context of the territory will be presented to the finalists. At the end of November, they will travel to Kazan to explore the site in person to further develop their proposals. And finally, in February, the final results of the competition will be announced.
