A Covered Journey: Water, Memory, Reflection

FINALIST of London Urban Retreat: Haggerston Public Baths

+ FINALIST

London Urban Retreat: Haggerston Public Baths

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A Covered Journey: Water, Memory, Reflection

Team

Name: Kerim Haydarov

Instagram: @kerim_porrykov

Nationality: Turkmenistan 

Institution / Company: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)

Name: Aglaya Baranova 

Instagram: @aglayab_arch

Nationality: Russian Federation

Institution / Company: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)

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The form and ideas are derived from the concept of the covered wagon. It portrays a wandering puppet theatre, creating a family atmosphere reminiscent of that rainy childhood day when a child’s gaze creates exceptional water worlds in every puddle and raindrop. This project is an attempt to return to people of the city the morning experience of a carefree childhood, drop by drop. 

The two main ideas of this retreat are:
– creating a water theatre
– creating water relaxation using artificial rain in the auditorium and a stream in the pool

The stage is the entire perimeter around the pool, including the upper tier, and the pool itself is the stalls.

These main ideas reference the primary function of this forgotten space – bath house. The need to unify collective memory leads us to the idea of ​​not separating people from the context of the past and not tearing them from the context of the present but rather stabilizing these two interconnected principles. This can be achieved by organizing an urban space that not only gives people the opportunity to engage in self-reflection, but also itself lived this feeling, thereby synthesizing the space of a cultural phenomenon.

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Jury Comments

– Josefine Fokdal

Rather poetic approach but still rather abstract. It does have strong references to the bath house – literaly working with water.