Dutch architect MVRDV attempted to reconcile its commitment to sustainability by proposing a wooden headquarters for Russian fossil-fuel producer Gazprom Neft, co-founder Winy Maas has revealed.
MVRDV's proposal, which would have been the world's largest timber building, came second in an international competition for the company's new base in Saint Petersburg earlier this year.
"For instance, with the Gazprom building, we were in the end second, after a lot of discussions," Maas said in a live interview with Dezeen last month. "Our building was on purpose for Gazprom in wood to reduce [carbon emissions] in Saint Petersburg."
MVRDV entered competition "after considerable debate"
The Dutch architecture studio made the decision to enter the competition for Gazprom after internal discussions over the merits of working for a client that is a heavy polluter. "After considerable debate as to whether MVRDV should engage with one of the top-three producers of global carbon emissions, MVRDV decided to uphold our dedication to sustainable design," Maas said at the time.
MVRDV designed a timber office for Gazprom Neft
MVRDV's design for Gazprom Neft's headquarters would have been the world's largest timber building. The office block would have been raised above a park on a "forest" of 119 wooden columns.
However, the company, which is the oil arm of Russian energy company Gazprom, rejected the design in favour of a proposal from ...