Architecture Competition SKYHIVE 2021 Skyscraper Challenge 3rd prize winner – Moscow Architectural Institute

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 3rd prize winner of our “SKYHIVE 2021 Skyscraper Challenge” competition – Vladislav Dudyrev from Russian Federation!

Vladislav Dudyrev from Russian Federation!

Currently, I am a student at the Moscow Architectural Institute. I devote almost all of my time to studying architecture and taking part in architectural competitions. In the case of competitions, I have been mentioned as a winner and shortlisted participant in several architectural contests. One of the projects I was involved in was printed in a competition book. Moreover, I have arranged a few architectural discussions in Clubhouse, where students and actual architects exchanged their thoughts about modern problems and trends in architecture. On top of that, I used to organize architectural trips with my friends to foreign countries to visit architectural masterpieces and investigate them. Nowadays, I am working in a team with my friend on a research project in Gorky Park. The purpose of the project is the redevelopment of a former pavilion for exhibitions, made by Ivan Zholtovsky. To sum up, I am trying to develop my professional skills in the institute, and outside of it I take part in different events and projects. My major aim is the creation of my own architectural style and language.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been involved?

To be honest, I reckon it is important to be a flexible architect. In turn, the projects that I have developed are different in scale and context. The biggest and most important project which I have designed is the State-of-the-art Plaza. However, there have been a lot of small-scale architecture projects, such as private houses, observation towers, and pavilions.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

I have a firm opinion that architecture is the most significant part of our social life, surrounding us on a daily basis. From my point of view, architecture is a great tool to adjust our environment and life quality. It is able to solve a vast number of problems, such as social, economic, natural, and so on. In the hands of wise and competent architects, it has the opportunity to enhance life conditions and make our world a better place. Another option is that architecture is an aesthetic thing, which has a possibility to broaden people's cultural horizons and to cultivate the right attitude towards the environment people live in.

If we are talking about the role of architects in my society – first of all, I live in Russia that has a large number of architectural masterpieces. In its turn, some regular people realize architects' importance and ability to create better environment. The Russian community knows that the architect is able to find problems and propose proper solutions. However, some of Russian people don't pay enough attention to architecture and architects. For them, architects are just builders. I reckon it is probably due to ignorance of architecture. Personally, I believe it would be better to introduce a separate subject on architectural profession and architecture at schools to increase the amount of architecturally educated people. Probably, this attitude would help to inform people about architects' significance in society. This approach would also save Russia from inappropriate architecture and create support (in the construction of sophisticated and beautiful architecture) from ordinary people, not only architects.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Architectural competitions allow me to challenge myself. They offer unusual tasks and uncommon contexts, which I have to solve and propose the proper solution for in my projects. Therefore, it develops me as a flexible architect able to cope with different tasks and issues. Another thing is that international competitions give the best opportunities to declare myself and promote my ideas and philosophy among the worldwide architectural community.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

It is essentially important to participate in architectural competitions. In the case of winning, it allows students and young architects to promote themselves in an international arena. Also, it is significantly beneficial to develop skills in contests, because the more projects you create, the better skills you have. Even in the case of losing, participating will give you an important experience and allow you to analyze your mistakes and become better as a professional.