The final jury meeting of the Open International Architecture Competition for the development of a Master Plan for the territory adjacent to the Almetyevsk reservoir on the Stepnoy Zay River took place today. Experts reviewed the three finalists’ concepts and chose the best design. The jury selected the consortium headed by OBERMEYER Consult LLC.

The finalist teams – consortia headed by IND Architects LLC, OBERMAYER Consult LLC, and IQ Studio LLC – presented the results of almost ten months of work in person. The experts evaluated the finalists’ work according to a number of criteria based on the key principles of development of an important urban territory, namely: optimization of resource use, formation of a single landscape layout structure, long-term positive social and economic effects for city residents, balanced development of functional zones, and integration with the infrastructure facilities of the adjacent territories.

”The competition participants were tackling a difficult task. They had to integrate the new territory with our life, our city, our ecosystem, our infrastructure. Each of them solved this task in their own way. Summing up the competition results is only the beginning. We will discuss, including with local residents, the following steps."
-Nikolay Glazkov, Deputy General Director of TATNEFT for Capital Construction

As part of the competition, the participants presented different design concepts for the territory of more than 1,700 hectares (including about 270 hectares of forested land outside the city limits) adjacent to the Almetyevsk reservoir on the Stepnoy Zay river in Almetyevsk, the most improved city of Tatarstan.

Based on the finalists’ presentations, the jury chose the competition winner. It is the consortium headed by OBERMEYER Consult LLC (Moscow, Russia), including:
• Cushman & Wakefield LLC (Moscow, Russia)
• OBERMEYER Planen und Beraten (Munich, Germany)
• ICES IPO (Moscow, Russia)
• GK Goroda LLC (Moscow, Russia)

The key idea of the winning project is “greening” and intellectualization as a new type of attitude towards the environment in the context of the development of the competition territory. The competitive advantages of the project are the result of a synthesis of the ideas of the consortium’s cross-disciplinary team, social analysis, the competition organizer’s tasks, and the opinions of world rating agencies.

The economically beneficial “greening” of the environment is directly related to the intellectualization of society, which begins with educational programs for the schoolchildren of Almetyevsk and will be developed in parallel with the life cycle of the park and the territory. The popularization of “green thinking” ideas starts for schoolchildren at the Museum of the Future, in online lecture halls and projects for monitoring changes in the environment, the life of animals, and the flora of the park. The principles of environmental education will naturally continue at the Almetyevsk State Petroleum Institute as part of vocational and higher education.

“Thanks to Tatneft, Almetyevsk is for the first time hosting an international competition aimed at the development of our city, where world-class opportunities and the implementation of the best practices are opening up before us.”
Timur Nagumanov, Head of the Almetyevsk Region of the Republic of Tatarstan

The second place finalist of the competition is the consortium headed by IND Architects LLC (Moscow, Russia), including:
• Bureau B+B (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• JTP Studios (London, United Kingdom)
• ARCHDESANT LLC (Kazan, Russia)

The consortium proposed a comprehensive solution for the restoration of the landscape and flood prevention. Their design includes the connection of the territory to the city with walking and cycling routes, as well as a new network of roads and public transport. The master plan is designed in such a way as to integrate the existing infrastructure and provide new points of attraction. The territory will be given new functions and meanings that will improve the living standards of citizens, motivate young people to stay in Almetyevsk, improve health and raise awareness, and make the city more attractive for living. The master plan includes the following design solutions: a health center, an energy-efficient hotel, a PROFCamp youth camp, a new educational campus, the Almetyevsk Hall event site, an urban eco-farm, a pontoon pool, a landscape park, the reconstruction of the Maidan, the spring-board center, the equestrian center and hippodrome, and, of course, the construction of new residential areas of various typology and numbers of floors.

The third place finalist of the competition is the consortium headed by IQ Studio LLC. The members of the consortium are:
• Graeme Massie Architects (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
• Adjoubei ScottWhitbyStudio (Moscow, Russia; London, United Kingdom)
• AECOM (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
• Alphabet City (Moscow, Russia)

The project concept is an innovative model of sustainable development for the prosperous city of Almetyevsk. The development of Almetyevsk to the north is accompanied by the creation of new development clusters on the banks of the Almetyevsk reservoir and in the valley of the Stepnoy Zay River. These “islands” define a new image of the city—a city that combines architecture, landscapes, and waterscapes into a coherent example of an environmentally friendly and sustainable future. The territory has the potential to turn from a peripheral territory to the central territory in the life of the city, defining its image for both Almetyevsk residents and guests from all over the world. The main idea was to create a unique space for living, working and recreation in harmony with nature and the city.

“For six months, we have been waiting for this day, when the competition finalists present their projects and the best one is chosen. It is very important that true professionals and experts from all over have directly participated in this unique process. I hope that the competition winner’s solutions will be implemented and Almetyevsk will become an example for other cities in Russia and the world.”
Guy Eames, Founder of the Russian Green Building Council (RuGBC), international competition curator

The main goal of the project for the improvement of the territory adjacent to the Almetyevsk reservoir is the transformation of the of the territory into a landmark public space for the city’s residents; this public space is to promote Almetyevsk’s mission to become a city with a high standard of living, be recognizable from outside the city, and form part of the city’s image.

“Almetyevsk is developing very rapidly and, of course, it needs new public spaces for the recreation of residents and guests of the city. The most effective way to develop a city with such ambitions is to hold an international professional competition, which will provide the city with a world-class strategic project.”
-Sergei Georgievskii, CEO of the Agency for Strategic Development "CENTER", Head of the Competition’s Organizing Committee

The competition began at the end of November 2019. There were 44 applicants, from 37 cities, in 16 different countries. The total number of potential applicants who registered for the competition reached 243, representing 48 countries and 6 continents. The competition’s organizing committee received properly filled-out applications from 115 companies: 9 individual entries and entries from 35 international consortia composed of 106 companies. The competitors represent 37 cities from 16 countries. 73 of the companies are from Russia. Over one third of the competitors who submitted an application were from abroad.

The initiators of the competition are Tatneft PJSC and the Administration of the city of Almetyevsk. The Competition is supported by the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan. The operator of the Competition is the Agency for Strategic Development CENTER.

Below are the three proposals: