SPEECH Tchoban & Kuznetsov

SPEECH Tchoban & Kuznetsov is a trendsetting and international architectural office in Moscow. The architects - the German Sergei Tchoban born in St. Petersburg and Sergey Kuznetsov from Moscow - are rooted equally in Western and Eastern Europe with their architecture and engage in applying the building culture values of each of these cultural spheres to the other. In Russia there is demand for functionality and planning culture, as well as western building standards in terms of expertise and technology, whilst in the west the architects see the need to fill the gap as regards architecture as an art form, emotionality, and love of ornamentation. They publicize their views on building culture and building standards through their own bilingual architecture magazine called "speech", exhibition activities, and a design for the Museum of Architectural Graphics in Berlin, as well as through their many buildings and urban development plans in Russia. The book presents the philosophy, values and themes of the SPEECH project and shows how they were concretely put into practice in the buildings created by the office.