The Presidential Academy Updates Its Campus in the South-West
The competition to modernise the architectural image of the Presidential Academy has concluded as part of the national project Youth and Children and the programme to create a network of world-class modern university campuses across Russia. The key objective of the forthcoming transformation is for the Academy to become a model of contemporary public administration, reflecting its values and best practices. The project is planned through to 2035. The competition was organised by the Agency for strategic development "CENTER".
Leading architectural bureaus from across the country took part in the competition to define the architectural image of the Academy’s territory, buildings, and facilities. The winning proposal was submitted by the GORA + DAL + KARST consortium, led by the GORA architectural bureau from Nizhny Novgorod.
All five finalist projects contained strong and noteworthy ideas, noted Alexey Komissarov, Rector of the Presidential Academy:
“Each of the projects is very interesting, and there is something valuable to take from every one of them. Thank you for an approach marked by deep immersion — not just an architectural concept, but a genuine desire to make our campus truly iconic.”
Over the past 40 years, the expressive image of the campus in the south-west of Moscow has gradually dissolved into the surrounding urban fabric. The goal of the new concept is to restore its significance and transform the campus into a model of modern public administration that conveys its values and best practices. The key proposals of the winning project include opening the Academy to the city, upgrading infrastructure, developing a system of interactive public spaces, and reinterpreting the campus’s heritage and history.
Commenting on the winning proposal, jury member and Chief Architect of Moscow Sergey Kuznetsov highlighted the project’s careful and respectful approach:
“It is clearly new and contemporary, yet it does not argue with modernism or mimic it — instead, it complements it in a very thoughtful way.”
Integrating the campus into the urban environment involves the creation of public city-wide spaces, including coworking areas, cafés, and a sports and wellness centre accessible to residents; a public urban zone with sports elements and comfortable pedestrian and cycling routes; as well as the opening of a free interactive admissions pavilion-museum, where visitors can learn about the profession of public administration and the history of civil service in Russia.
Another key idea of the project is the transformation of the campus into a single, well-designed environment featuring zones with different atmospheres and functions — infrastructure for study, work, recreation, and comfortable living.
“The demand for new, modern educational infrastructure is one of the key trends in our field, and it became especially evident this year. The competition for the best concept to modernise the Presidential Academy campus is perhaps its most illustrative example. It is one of the most inspiring and life-affirming trends, creating conditions for the development of younger generations and shaping the country’s future. We are glad that such a leading national university as the Presidential Academy is at the forefront of this trend, and that we are contributing to its transformation,” emphasised Sergei Georgievskii, Co-founder of the Agency “CENTER”.
The modernisation of the Presidential Academy’s territory and architectural image is being carried out within the national programme to create a network of world-class university campuses, which currently involves more than 20 regions across Russia.
Photo: press service of the Presidential Academy.