How 'pyramid' was invented in Kazan
The complex with a capacity of 2,500 people cost the TAIF Group of Companies $40m
Realnoe Vremya continues the special project TAIF-25 dedicated to the anniversary of the multisectoral holding. In 1997, TAIF undertook the construction of the first fully-fledged in Kazan and one of the largest in Volga region the Piramida Culture and Leisure Complex. This issue of the special project gives information about a painful search of the image of the building, deep significance of the building, its harmony with the environment, the possibilities that were built into and what wrong functions people attribute to the pyramid in popular science literature.
From star to pyramid image
In the 80s, a massive rectangular facility of the cinema Russia was situated in the immediate vicinity of the Kazan Kremlin. Finally, it didn't appear. By the way, the cinema was supposed to be the largest in the city. It was a never-ending construction project and was demolished only in the 1990s. In 1996 in that place a new construction began, and its high fences generated guesswork and rumours.
Firstly, the wide scope of the construction, secondly, an unusual configuration of the building and silence of the press intrigued citizens of Kazan. As it turned out, it was a construction of one of the largest culture and leisure complexes in Volga region. It could offer everything what a human needs for leisure under one roof: multifunctional concert hall, bowling, fitness club, café and restaurant…
The idea of the erection of the fascinating complex in Kazan belongs to Radik Shaimiev. He was trying to find an image of the future building with some American designers first, but they didn't succeed. In 1995, there was a construction, which managed to attract the attention, and it was close to the end. The story is about the office of the savings bank Tatarstan, a quite untypical and large edifice that occupies 15,000 square meters. The work was carried out by architects Gulsine Tokareva and Viktor Tokarev. Radik Shaimiev offered them to transform and improve the project of the star-shaped culture and leisure complex that was created by an American designer. However, at the stage of general preparation of the project, it was obvious that it wasn't an architectural unit, it represented a culturological phenomenon, in other words, a symbol of the city.
'Having studied the national and world experience, we came to pyramid. We chose the way of creation of a very modern architecture based on the associations with ancient architectural forms. Then a compositional idea of the decoration of the centre appeared that organically continued the architectural idea. The form of the pyramid was close to domes of the Kremlin towers and ancient edifices of the Tatars and the Bolgars. And its seven levels repeat tiers of the legendary Suyumbike tower, which also is reflected in the mirror tiers of the pyramid,' said Gulsine Tokareva.
It seems that in ancient times a pyramidal form was used for energy concentration. This is why, according to Tokareva, in popular science literature causes and consequences get mixed up. For instance, pyramids have a connection with tombs. On the contrary, the main feature of space form of pyramids, which let change physical processes in the body and help to provide an 'energetic connection with eternity', the cosmos, was easily and efficiently used in Ancient Egypt.
The pyramid form was chosen for other reasons: it corresponds to the dynamics of the youth culture or, more precisely, to the principal purpose of the establishment, and the pyramidal form doesn't shadow the panorama of the Kremlin as well.
'The symbol of our aspirations'
In December 1997, the construction of the first units of the complex began. In December 1998, they started to build the main part, in the foundation of which a time capsule was put. Non-standard finishing materials and up-to-date construction and technological solutions were used in the erection of 'Pyramid'. The exterior and indoor constructions, as well as the interior of the building, were executed in modern Hi-Tech style.
In 2002, five years later, the construction of Piramida terminated. The complex, which cost the TAIF Group of Companies $40m, had a seating capacity of 2,500 people. Raised ridges of Piramida are well-seen from the Volga River, the railway and the hill of the Kremlin.
The twenty-metres building widely glazed along the ridges with dark blue tinted surfaces has a panoramic outdoor elevator (20 m high). There is a sculpture in the lounge under the multilevel fountain that symbolizes the Egyptian sacred cat and the national symbol of Tatarstan – Ak Bars (White leopard) at the same time. The glass floors lead to the restaurant and to the second floor. And through the glass it's possible to observe the exposition of ancient Tatar adornments and different household goods.
On the opening ceremony of the Piramida Culture and Leisure Complex with a concert and laser light show the first President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev called Piramida 'a symbol of our aspirations' and the ex-President of Russia Boris Yeltsin, who arrived for a visit, declared that 'as a person who graduated from Construction Faculty and visited sixty countries' he hadn't seen anything like Piramida of Kazan.
For the construction of the culture and leisure complex that represents more than just an architectural establishment. Gulsine Tokareva and Victor Tokarev, the authors of architectural design, were conferred an honourary title Honoured Architect of Tatarstan according to the order of the President of Tatarstan. In 2004, the Russian Academy of Arts gave silver medals to Radik Shaimiev, the major advisor of the director general of the TAIF, for the idea and construction of the complex and to the architects – for planning.
From municipal to world level
The Piramida has a number of aesthetic and technical possibilities. So, the centre of the complex is a multifunctional hall that seats 1,200 people. The hall has nine programmed transformations. The installation of the equipment takes a couple of hours: in the evening, it's impossible to recognize whether it is the place that you visited in the morning or at midday. There is an interesting detail: the acoustics of the hall is that being in one of the six bars, which are situated in niches, you won't disturb with talks other guests in the hall.
Many official, cultural and sports events from municipal to world level are held in Piramida. Summits for Islamic Business and Finances, the World Fitness and Bodybuilding Championships, Free Pyramid International Billiard Tournament, stages and festivals of Russian contests of KVN (Club of the Funny and Smart) were organized here. Piramida is a standing place for the annual Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema, the Tatar song festival and for the Miss Tatarstan, Executive of the Year, Sozvezdiye-Yoldyzlyk (Constellation) contests, etc.
In 2005, the year of the millennium of Kazan, Piramida became famous not only in Russia. The opening and closing ceremonies with the participation of the first persons of governments during the Millennium celebration and the CIS Summit were held in the Piramida Culture and Leisure Complex.
What is more, Piramida of Kazan 'flew to the intergalactic space'. In 2005, a star bearing the name of 'Pyramid' appeared in Orion constellation. The certificate was issued by Cosmos-Earth Joint-Stock Company.
Nowadays Piramida has its own establishments: night club, fitness club, beauty salon, panoramic two-level restaurant that seats 150 guests under glass top of the pyramid, coffee bar and the studio of the TNV Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. The parking space for 200 cars is located near the building, and there is an underground parking too. The establishment has a powerful autonomous energy and heating station and high-grade automation. The total capacity of indoor is more than 14,000 square metres. Multifunctional Piramida is still one of few modern large buildings of this form in the world. It is still a symbol of the past, the present and the future at the same time.