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A first-of-its-kind event for the National Award of Russia in Landscape Architecture and Garden and Park Art took place as part of its business programme — a master class by Petr Lary, founder and owner of the L. BURO studio. In his presentation, the Best Landscape Architect of Russia 2023 demonstrated how two landmark sites in Moscow will be transformed: the area in front of the Prague Restaurant and the garden of the Top Tower. Both projects received festival awards — a silver and a gold diploma respectively.

The area in front of the legendary restaurant, where a hotel is planned to be created following restoration and adaptation for contemporary use, will be separated from the sidewalk by a low fence and shrubs. The 1,200-square-metre site will accommodate parking for ten cars, as well as zones for quiet relaxation and a summer café.

The key element, however, lies in the landscaping concept itself. As Petr Lary explained, small lights will be embedded into the paving in front of the building entrance, referencing the commemorative brass plaques traditionally set into the cobblestones of the Czech capital. Parking spaces will be marked with brass inlays. This same material, taking the form of a ribbon, will decorate the flowerbeds along the façade.
“The associative narrative emerged during the design process: the idea was a combination of plant motifs, traditions, femininity, and brass. We turned to the biomorphic language of the Art Nouveau era and expressed it through a central element — a brass ribbon that runs throughout the entire site, appearing in parking markings, small architectural forms, lighting fixtures, and details, referencing the work of Prague’s most famous Art Nouveau artist, Alphonse Mucha.”

According to the architect, this is how a concept is born: the site itself can suggest core meanings, generating associations that are later embodied in decorative elements. However, the idea emerges only at the final stage of conceptual work — after the designer has assessed the site’s feasibility and safety, defined its functions, planned movement routes, and developed the overall spatial composition. Starting with an abstract idea, he noted, risks creating an “inharmonious, formal garden that is uncomfortable to use.”

The same approach underpins the garden located on the fifth-floor level of Top Tower — a 300-metre-high building currently under construction in Moscow City. The design process began with wind-load calculations and the definition of priority functions, including secluded relaxation and event hosting. The result is a 2,600-square-metre project featuring public and event spaces, a water feature, secluded seating areas, a greenhouse, and a summer café. The planting scheme includes deciduous trees, deciduous and coniferous shrubs, and perennial flowerbeds.

“Three metres of glass separate our garden from the street, protecting it from gusty winds. Taking aerodynamic flows into account, we avoid planting isolated specimens — all vegetation is arranged in massed, clipped forms. The exception is multi-stem shrubs with higher canopies, but these will have small, dense leaves. We are also installing sensors that allow us to monitor plant and soil conditions: moisture levels, acidity, tree tilt, and growth rates.”

According to Petr Lary, the role of a landscape architect is to ensure that the client comes to love the project because of its underlying idea. But such an idea can only emerge through thorough research, competent functional zoning, well-considered logistics, and a strong compositional framework.
“This is when your value increases in the client’s eyes — when their dream aligns with yours. The notion of price disappears, and the notion of value takes its place. And it is value, after all, that we want to live in — not price.”

The business programme of the 16th Festival National Award of Russia in Landscape Architecture and Garden and Park Art was organised by the Agency for strategic development "CENTER", while the company’s co-founder Sergei Georgievskii chaired the organising committee of this key professional event for the industry.

Official ALAROS Award website: alaros.ru/festival-main.

Photo: Nikolai Sokolov