Guillermo Penalosa Rated Kazan’s Public Spaces at KazanForum
Guillermo Penalosa Rated Kazan’s Public Spaces at KazanForum
16 May
Public spaces as a driver of real estate development were discussed at the XVI International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum”. The speakers of the press scrum were Guillermo Penalosa, the world expert on the creation of public spaces, President of Gill Penalosa & Associates, Oleg Shapiro, Candidate of Architecture and People’s Architect of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as Nikita Vykhodtsev and Anastasia Andrianova from the Arkanika Architectural Workshop.
“I have been to Kazan several times – both in winter and in summer, so I appreciated the infrastructure designed for all weather conditions. Russians bear winter in their mentality – there is no bad weather here, only bad clothes. I am impressed with the number and quality of parks. I think that Kazan has a chance to be better than St. Petersburg and Moscow in terms of organising public spaces: it is important that the population is always a priority,” said Guillermo Penalosa.
Modern architecture is always an open scenario, noted Oleg Shapiro before the start of the profile session dedicated to “Adaptable Spaces in a Rapidly Changing World”.
“We live in a rapidly changing world, so modern architecture is more about a process than a result. We do not know what the author will come up with in the process, because space changes and develops continuously. The architecture scenario is now open. History is accelerating, so at the KazanForum session, architects will try to understand how to change the approach in order to keep up with the modern world,” Oleg Shapiro reported.
Anastasia Andrianova and Nikita Vykhodtsev, as experts in the design of sacred spaces and regenerative architecture aimed at restoring ecosystems, noted that, despite their great experience, they gained new knowledge at KazanForum.
“We have been working in the sphere of religious, sacred architecture for the last 7 years, but we saw a lot of new things at KazanForum. Here you can share experiences and learn how colleagues are approaching global challenges in climate and inclusive terms. KazanForum is an opportunity to look at already known things from a new angle,” Anastasia Andrianova shared her observations.
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The International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum”, which was granted federal status in 2022 by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, is being held for the 16th time on 13-18 May 2025. The Programme includes 200 events such as a Congress of Ministers of Transport within the Islamic countries; a Congress of Ministers of Culture within the Islamic countries; a Congress of Prosecutors General within the Islamic countries; a Congress of Auditors within the Islamic countries; the world’s largest conference on Islamic finance; conferences on the halal industry; a forum of Chambers of Commerce and Industry within the Islamic countries; as well as international exhibitions on economy, trade, and real estate held over 40 thousand sq. m. Representatives from 103 countries registered to participate in 2025. In 2024, the Event gathered more than 20 thousand participants from 87 countries, 87 constituent subjects of the Russian Federation, along with more than 40 diplomatic missions
“I have been to Kazan several times – both in winter and in summer, so I appreciated the infrastructure designed for all weather conditions. Russians bear winter in their mentality – there is no bad weather here, only bad clothes. I am impressed with the number and quality of parks. I think that Kazan has a chance to be better than St. Petersburg and Moscow in terms of organising public spaces: it is important that the population is always a priority,” said Guillermo Penalosa.
Modern architecture is always an open scenario, noted Oleg Shapiro before the start of the profile session dedicated to “Adaptable Spaces in a Rapidly Changing World”.
“We live in a rapidly changing world, so modern architecture is more about a process than a result. We do not know what the author will come up with in the process, because space changes and develops continuously. The architecture scenario is now open. History is accelerating, so at the KazanForum session, architects will try to understand how to change the approach in order to keep up with the modern world,” Oleg Shapiro reported.
Anastasia Andrianova and Nikita Vykhodtsev, as experts in the design of sacred spaces and regenerative architecture aimed at restoring ecosystems, noted that, despite their great experience, they gained new knowledge at KazanForum.
“We have been working in the sphere of religious, sacred architecture for the last 7 years, but we saw a lot of new things at KazanForum. Here you can share experiences and learn how colleagues are approaching global challenges in climate and inclusive terms. KazanForum is an opportunity to look at already known things from a new angle,” Anastasia Andrianova shared her observations.
***
The International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum”, which was granted federal status in 2022 by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, is being held for the 16th time on 13-18 May 2025. The Programme includes 200 events such as a Congress of Ministers of Transport within the Islamic countries; a Congress of Ministers of Culture within the Islamic countries; a Congress of Prosecutors General within the Islamic countries; a Congress of Auditors within the Islamic countries; the world’s largest conference on Islamic finance; conferences on the halal industry; a forum of Chambers of Commerce and Industry within the Islamic countries; as well as international exhibitions on economy, trade, and real estate held over 40 thousand sq. m. Representatives from 103 countries registered to participate in 2025. In 2024, the Event gathered more than 20 thousand participants from 87 countries, 87 constituent subjects of the Russian Federation, along with more than 40 diplomatic missions
