A large-scale creative "sausage" was created at the National Centre RUSSIA during an architectural workshop
Visitors to the creative space "Children’s Architectural Workshops" at the "The Birth of Scale" exposition took part in a workshop with an unusual name, "Architectural Sausage," on March 23. The event was led by instructors from the ANO DPO "Studio of Architecture and Design 'FA-SAD'," Inna Salikhova and Valery Salikhov.
During this unique creative lesson at the National Centre RUSSIA, participants worked together to create a large-scale graphic composition titled "Tower" on multiple A0 sheets. Under the guidance of the instructors, the children divided the paper into sections and, within a set time, developed their ideas on them. Then, they exchanged sections, continuing the work started by another "architect."
The finished collective artwork truly resembled a sausage in its length, with "ingredients" consisting of small and large details drawn using liners and markers.
According to Valery Salikhov, an architect and instructor at the "FA-SAD" Studio of Architecture and Design, the "Architectural Sausage" workshop not only develops creative skills but is also beneficial in terms of effective teamwork.
"It is very important that during this workshop, the children interact as a team. They are not just creating — they are getting to know each other, communicating, showing and suggesting ideas to one another. Since an architect is not just an artist or a creative individual but also part of a collective, today's activity closely mirrors the work of real architects. And if, for example, conflicts arise during the creation of the composition, they must learn to resolve them — this, too, is part of an architect’s daily work," said Valery Salikhov.
The architect noted that similar workshops are regularly held at the "FA-SAD" Studio of Architecture and Design, offering participants the opportunity to learn a great deal in a short time.
"At first glance, this type of graphic work might not seem directly related to architecture, but in reality, it embodies the very essence of an architect’s skills. We hope that the thoughts, ideas, and techniques developed during this workshop will take root over time. And it's not even necessary to become an architect in the future, because ideas are the most important thing — not only in architecture but also in mathematics, physics, and any other science," concluded Valery Salikhov.
Not only children but also adult participants gained new and valuable experience from the workshop.
"I came to the workshop with my child, but I also gladly joined the creative process. It was fascinating to watch the children — some were drawing repeating clock-like shapes and other figures, while others focused on lines. I also found it very interesting that we switched places to work on different fragments of the overall composition. We had the chance to work on small details, refine, and correct some elements left by others. And the most surprising part was that there were no disagreements like ‘I’m an artist, I see it this way, don’t interfere, please.’ We created in perfect harmony, as if we had known each other for a long time, even though we had just met here," shared Natalia, a workshop participant from Moscow.
The architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale" at the National Centre RUSSIA is dedicated to Russian architecture and urban planning. It showcases the grandeur of Russia through its architectural legacy. Among the exhibits are unique building models, blueprints, and scale mock-ups. A separate section is devoted to children's creative studios, student workshops, and works by young architects.
The partners of "The Birth of Scale" exposition include DOM.RF, the Ministry of Construction of Russia, Gazprom, the State Research Museum of Architecture named after A. V. Shchusev, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Yakov Chernikhov Architecture Foundation, and the HSE School of Design.
Workshops and other educational events within the exposition can be attended free of charge with prior registration. Up-to-date information is available on the National Centre RUSSIA website, russia.ru, in the "Events" section.
The exposition "The Birth of Scale" continues to run at the National Centre RUSSIA.
Young architects can take part in the "Creative Hub" competition organized by the National Centre RUSSIA.
