Trianon Dialogue and University Campuses at Moscow Urban Forum 2019

Trianon Dialogue and University Campuses at Moscow Urban Forum 2019

4 July 2019

The business program of the Trianon Dialogue during the Moscow Urban Forum focused on university campuses and the architecture of educational spaces. Discussions on this topic started on July 4th with the panel session «Greater Paris — Greater Moscow. Sustainable Development Practices».

Government representatives and experts from both capitals mulled over the different approaches and best practices for the sustainable development of new territories.

Vladimir Zhidkin, Head of the Department for the Development of New Territories of the Moscow Government, spoke about his experience in successfully implementing urban planning projects in Greater Moscow, underlining the importance of transport issues. Vladimir Zhidkin described the current projects to create educational clusters, with technological parks and universities acting as drivers for the development of the new territories.

The President of the Greater Paris Metropolis, Patrick Ollier, shared his experience of implementing environmental measures, including a ban on «non-ecological» cars in certain zones in the Metropolis. The speaker emphasized the need to take into account all social and environmental factors in the economic development of these areas.

The CEO of «Krost» Alexey Dobashin presented different projects, which led to the creation of agreeable residential complexes and new initiatives in the educational sphere. The Senior Executive Vice President at SUEZ, Diane Galbe described her company’s policies regarding the preservation of water and air resources and the recycling of waste, which will soon be introduced in Russia. Maurice Leroy, who initiated the «Greater Paris» project and was involved in the implementation of the «Greater Moscow» project, underlined the successful track record of cooperation between Russia and France in urban design projects and the productive role of holding regular meetings during the Moscow Urban Forum.

A part of the session was dedicated to the architecture of the educational space. MGIMO’s Vice-Rector for General Affairs Artem Malgin spoke about the projects already under way on university campuses in the framework of the Trianon Dialogue. Last year’s work on urbanism was deepened this year by the Dialogue and was given an educational focus during the MIPIM Real Estate Salon with a session on university campuses, as well as a seminar in the Technopark of the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. The topic was further discussed in the new Trianon Dialogue project: the Russian-French competition of young architects «Architecture of the educational space and university campuses». Artem Malgin presented the project during the session and invited the participants on July 5th to a separate session dedicated to this project on the platform of the Moscow Urban Forum.

The founder of «QuiteWhite» Anna Kurbatova, and the CEO of the «A101» group of companies Ignatiy Danilidi, also gave their opinion on realizing projects in the educational space.

The Co-Chair of the Foundation Moscow Centre of Urbanistics «the City» Aleksei Raskhodcikov, shared with the audience the results of research on the development of the New Moscow territories and emphasized the importance of educational clusters in these areas.

June 5th, discussions regarding the organization of educational space and the design of university campuses were pursued during the design session «Architecture of the Educational Environment and University Campuses» of the Moscow Urban Forum. The session had for key purpose to discuss the Russian-French competition of young architects for designing a campus, organized in the framework of the Trianon Dialogue.

Artem Malgin kicked off the session, remarking that university campuses have a special role in urban development as they are integrated into the economy. There is much in common between the development of the educational space in Russia and France and the joint competition could help to find solutions to the current challenges linked to organizing the educational space in both countries. Dominique Fache, a member of the Board of Directors of Sophia Antipolis Technopark, who contributed to the creation of the unique campus in the south of France, spoke about how the educational space of the Technopark was set up in the 1970’s. Dominique Fache emphasized the idea that university campuses today should be open, as the nature itself of universities has changed due to many new influences including that of digital technologies. Aleksei Raskhodchikov mulled over the idea of creating a competition for designing university campuses within the framework of the Trianon dialogue, underlining how it could be of strategic importance for the development of the urban economy.

After the presentations by experts, working groups of students, graduate students, young architects and faculty members from universities such as the Moscow Institute of Architecture, the Peoples’ Friendship University, MGIMO, and the Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry discussed the different themes. They then presented their vision of the educational space of the future.

The conclusions of the session will be taken into account during the official launch of the Russian-French competition of young architects to design campuses at its official launch, which is scheduled for the second semester of 2019.