Placemaking with a Twist

In the early 2010s, the city of Moscow shifted from talking down to its residents to speaking with them as equals or like-minded partners. To do so, it required a new language that Wowhaus developed in collaboration with Moscow’s authorities. Gorky Park, Krymskaya Embankment, and Olive Beach by Andreevsky Bridge kicked off discussions about public spaces and launched the capital’s makeover.

As more streets, courtyards, parks, and embankments were modernised, it became obvious that public spaces should be not only well-designed, but imaginative and engaging. Such designs call for an extensive research phase: economic, functional, and recreational potential of the site must be assessed and planning restrictions taken into consideration. In our work, we rely on comprehensive data analysis, quantitative and qualitative surveys, and integrate an upgrade of utility systems into every project. Modern landscaping often matches a masterplan in terms of the volume of research work involved, but only this way can one reconcile the interests of all stakeholders within the allocated budget and achieve not just an acceptable, but an exciting and iconic result.

Urban renewal has become an economic factor. Its main objective is revitalising public spaces, creating conditions for business and social interaction in squares, streets, and waterfront areas. For developers, this is a major selling point. 

Unexpected effects happen, too. In 2018, a new Wowhaus-designed riverfront area opened in Tula, by the Kremlin. As a result, Tula did not just come alive, but became a popular tourist destination. Local residents began exploring the new promenade and its surroundings, and investors followed.

Over time, industrial companies joined municipal authorities and developers in requesting human-scale designs. Today, they are able to offer their employees landscaped territories with a vibrant life of their own both within production complexes and around them.

More and more architects are getting involved in urban renewal. Many well-known specialists learned how to do this when working at Wowhaus.

The language we developed in the early 2010s is evolving, like any living language. New techniques emerge, new materials appear, new types of spaces require new solutions. Taking current trends into account, we keep the main principle in mind: public spaces are a way of speaking to people about what really matters to them.