The project presents a network of “real virtuality” centers in small towns across Russia including Sortavala near the border with Finland, in an effort to put them on the map. The connection “Points” are multipurpose buildings equipped with modern communications technology, providing the possibility of video-conferences, spreading music from a concert hall into the streets, holding meetings or lectures, etc. It involves people in real communication by virtual interaction with its own citizens and with inhabitants of other towns.

By participating in this network, small towns will raise awareness of their own values and reinforce the identity of their citizens.

Read project feature in 4th Holcim Awards 2014/2015 (flip-book)

Aleksandra Tyron sees the key points of her Holcim Awards prize-winning project combine social, ecological and economic aspects. “Net Point: Civic center virtual network, Sortavala, Russia” won the “Next Generation” 2nd prize, with the jury noting its innovation as an “architectural instrument” to promote political awareness and discourse.

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The winning projects of the Holcim Awards 2014 for Europe illustrate how sustainable construction continues to evolve – developing more sophisticated and multi-disciplinary responses to the challenges facing the building and construction industry. An ecological reserve and remediation project in Southern Italy, a low-cost flexible university building in Paris, and a participatory urban neighborhood in Vienna won gold, silver and bronze.

The jury was primarily interested in the idea of creating an “architectural instrument” to promote political awareness and discourse both within the physical domain of the city as well as the virtual realm of social communication. An appropriate strategy for assembling architectural components is offered, forming a type of bricolage that can adapt to specific conditions. Furthermore, a scalar principle underscores the approach, which aims to connect the small-scale properties of local circumstances with the large territory of a nation, while promoting identity across different civic constituencies.

The project presents a network of “real virtuality” centers in small towns across Russia including Sortavala (Со́ртавала) near the border with Finland, in an effort to put them on the map. The connection “Points” are multipurpose buildings equipped with modern communications technology, providing the possibility of video-conferences, spreading music from a concert hall into the streets, holding meetings or lectures, etc. It involves people in real communication by virtual interaction with its own citizens and with inhabitants of other towns. By participating in this network, small towns will raise awareness of their own values and reinforce the identity of their citizens.