Plans to dismantle iconic Shukhov tower postponed

The planned demolition of the Shukhov radio tower, an iconic piece of avant-garde architecture in Moscow, has been postponed for now, according to a statement from the Ministry of Communication released yesterday. Although conservation group Archnadzor reported yesterday that the ministry had cancelled the demolition, deputy communication minister Alexei Volin told news agency Interfax that the original plans for dismantling the structure were not completely off the table.

Volin told Interfax: “We are not entirely rejecting the idea of dismantling the tower, but because nobody at the moment wants to solve the problem comprehensively, we will take immediate measures to strengthen it.”

The ministry also announced plans to launch an international open competition for the restoration of the structure, calling on prospective entrants to “propose further use for the Shukhov Tower and prepare proposals to define the sources of financing the winning project”.

The tower, unveiled to the public in 1922, has been lauded as one of Russian architect Vladimir Shukhov’s greatest achievements, and is widely considered to mark a turning point in architectural design in the country. Originally built as a radio broadcasting station, the tower has since fallen into disrepair, with officials from the communication ministry claiming that loose bits of rusted metal from the tower pose a serious health hazard to people walking below. Conservationists have fiercely countered this claim, arguing that the tower can be renovated where it is.

Efforts to save the Soviet structure redoubled following an announcement by the Ministry of Communication in December in which they promised to disassemble the tower. The statement sparked outrage from preservationists, the architect’s great-grandson Vladimir Shukhov and even the Ministry of Culture. Some of the architecture world’s biggest names, including Lord Norman Foster, Rem Koolhas and Kengo Kuma, also backed the appeal to save the tower; the number of signatures added to a petition against the ministry’s plans has risen from 2,300 to over 18,000 since the start of the year.