The Museum of Architecture Hosts a Debate on Demolition and Construction in the Historic Zone of Ivanovskaya Gorka in Moscow

The Museum of Architecture has provided a venue for a debate on the demolition and construction of buildings in the historic zone of Ivanovskaya Gorka in Moscow. The background is as follows. On Kolpachny Lane, within a protected zone, a five-storey business centre is planned, complete with glazed attic, car park and underground garage. The residents are unanimously opposed, and a petition to ban building work and the erection of the business centre has gathered thousands of signatures. Archaeologists and historians clutch their heads, the developer shrugs and assures us that it intends nothing untoward, Mosgornasledie has approved the project, although it plainly contradicts the regulations on protected zones, and is going to court for the developer's right to demolish historic buildings. In short, nothing strikingly new. I shall keep you posted from the field of debate. I see Artemy Lebedev on the premises; we shall see which side the celebrated designer takes. Three representatives of the developer, Ginzburg Architects, will speak, along with representatives of the public and experts. Do not adjust your set.