Golden A' Design Award Winner 2020
Polina Nozdracheva's Emerald Equestrian Complex commands immediate visual attention through its masterful integration of warm honey-toned timber lattice work against the deep cerulean twilight sky, creating a chromatic dialogue between natural warmth and atmospheric coolness that establishes the work's fundamental aesthetic tension. The triangular geometric armature dominates the façade, employing an intricate diagrid pattern of equilateral triangles that creates a rhythmic crystallographic structure across the entire elevation, with each timber member illuminated by integrated linear lighting that traces golden lines along every edge, transforming the structural framework into a luminous veil. The compositional architecture operates on multiple scales simultaneously, from the macro rhythm of the repeated triangular modules to the micro articulation of individual joint connections, establishing a visual hierarchy that rewards both distant contemplation and close examination. A sculptural white monolithic form penetrates the foreground, its angular planes creating dynamic contrast against the orthogonal grid, functioning as both wayfinding marker and artistic counterpoint. The surface treatment distinguishes between the textured grain of the timber members, suggesting tactile warmth and organic materiality, and the smooth rendered surfaces of the sculptural element, which catches ambient light differently and reads as cool and refined. The wet pavement in the forecourt creates a mirror-like reflective plane that doubles the composition vertically, extending the triangular geometry downward and amplifying the luminous quality of the integrated lighting. Spatial depth is articulated through the transparency of the lattice screen, which permits glimpses of interior volumes and secondary structures beyond, creating layered planes of visual information. The lighting paradigm suggests the blue hour, that transitional moment between day and night when artificial illumination achieves maximum contrast against the deepening sky, imbuing the architecture with theatrical presence. The stylistic vocabulary speaks to contemporary parametric design sensibilities while honoring vernacular timber construction traditions, achieving a synthesis of computational sophistication and craft heritage.
Holistic architectural & spatial projects image unites all six equestrian buildings reveals functional identity of each. Extended facades of arenas & stables directed to administrative composite core. Six-sided building as crystal grid rests in wooden frame as in necklace. Wall triangles decorated with scattering of glass as emerald details. Curved white construction highlights main entrance. Facades grid also is part of inner space, where environment perceived through transparent web. Interiors continue theme of wooden structures, using scale of elements to more proportionate human scale.