MVRDV, Dutch architecture and urban design firm, issued a statement this morning condemning the violence that has erupted on European territory in the aftermath of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reckless invasion of Ukraine. The company also stated their support for everyone who is “defying and protesting this war.”
The company goes on to say that the atrocities have “put on pause” its initiatives in Ukraine, as well as its activities in Russia “until further notice.” The move comes as Europe and the US continue to work together to isolate and punish Russia for its illegal war against the people of Ukraine, a neighboring sovereign nation.
To the best of AN’s understanding, MVRDV, based in Rotterdam, is the first major European architectural firm working in Russia to issue such a declaration. The Netherlands has blocked its airspace to Russian aircraft and declared that it will provide important military equipment to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons and air defense missiles. In recent days, major anti-war rallies have taken place around the Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam, Nijmegan, and The Hague, a city that has been on many people’s lips recently.
One under-construction Russian project, according to MVRDV, is the mixed-use RED7 project in central Moscow, which is being built by GK Osnova. Despite the fact that MVRDV has designed and master-planned numerous projects in Russia, none appear to have progressed beyond the competition/design phase, according to the firm’s website, except for the nearly 56,000-square-foot RED7, which would include luxury apartments, retail, event space, and more.
Courtesy of MVRDV
MVRDV’s statement on the invasion of Ukrainian land in full reads:
Until recently, we walked the streets that are now a war zone. Our heartfelt sympathy and thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. We are thinking about our friends, partners, and clients that are in danger at this moment. We support our colleagues who are worried about their country and their loved ones.
We stand in solidarity with all the people who are defying and protesting against this war, and we strongly condemn the violence. As architects and urbanists, we work in many countries to make a difference and we believe wholeheartedly in international dialogue and in peace. For this reason, we have immediately stopped our involvement in projects in Russia until further notice.
As a practice, we are affected twofold. Our projects in Ukraine have sadly been put on hold by the atrocities. Right after the start of the invasion, we began contacting our Ukrainian friends and partners in support and we try to remain in touch. They are brave and they are experiencing incredible hardship. We have stopped our Russian projects, even though this means we have to stop collaborating with people we have known for years, and who are dedicated to bringing a more collaborative international outlook to Russia.
