Authors: Pavel Panshin, Anna Zheltikova, Anna Kazachenkova, Maria Ogorodnikova, Anastasia Tkacheva, Anna Zakharova, Tatyana Chesnokova, Anna Khachatryan
Institute: Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
Diploma of the winner. Nomination: conceptual approach and original solution. VI All-Russian educational project "My River", 2024
Egoistic Archipelago is an experimental urban design challenging cohesive city planning by drawing on Ungers’ and Koolhaas’ “Berlin Green Archipelago.” It proposes fragmented, self-sustaining urban islands, each operating autonomously with distinct architectural logic.
Our concept is that city of the future will not lead to horizontal expansion, but result in extreme compression.
The five islands — Steam Biome, Wind Catcher, UnderEarth, Pocket Mountain, and Fragmentum — are ecological and spatial experiments. Steam Biome explores the fluid interplay of architecture, water, and vapor, while Wind Catcher forms neural connections through wind patterns. UnderEarth pushes structures below ground, Pocket Mountain toys with verticality, and Fragmentum transforms industrial remains into layered urban narratives. The islands come together to form an Egoistic Archipelago.
Project redefines urbanism as a pluralistic, self-contained ecosystem where division spurs innovation.
