Project
“Chudo-Yudo the Whale Fish”
Category
Best Implemented Architectural Lighting Project in Russia
About the project (provided by the applicant)
“Chudo-Yudo the Whale Fish” is a play art object installed in the courtyard of the residential complex “Heart of Siberia,” commissioned by the developer Strana Development.
According to the architects’ concept, this courtyard was envisioned as a Courtyard-Lake — a smooth oval space, in whose “waters” the fairy-tale character “Chudo-Yudo the Whale Fish” appeared. It became the central element of the composition and a symbol inspired by Siberian folklore, the works of Pyotr Ershov, and traditional fairy-tale motifs.
“This is not just a play structure — it’s a whole world you can immerse yourself in,” says Maria Kutay, co-founder of the architectural bureau VESCH!. “We aimed to create not just a functional small architectural form, but an object children will remember for a lifetime. The Whale Fish with a city on its back, with an interior space for play and storytelling, makes the courtyard recognizable and unique.”
Location
63/3 50 Let Oktyabrya St., Tyumen, Russia
Project implementation year
2025
Project website
https://archvesch.ru/kit
Extra visual materials
https://disk.360.yandex.ru/d/7me0kTFnKUYnpQ
https://disk.360.yandex.ru/d/qEr5bcBP0_QN3g
Applicant
Architectural bureau VESCH!
Founded in 2016, VESCH! specializes in designing public spaces. The bureau emerged at the dawn of the modern urban improvement wave in Russia. Since then, its team has completed more than 200 projects in 53 cities across the country. Each project carries a unique concept shaped by the site’s history, toponymy, and character.
Author of the project
Architectural bureau VESCH!
Maria Kutay, Evgeny Kutay, Anton Belov, Anton Borisov – co-founders of the bureau
Natalia Nefedova – architect
Ekaterina Zharkova – graphic design and layout
Alexander Krutov – visualizer
Photo
Evgeny Khanai, Alexandra Borisova
Customer
Strana Development
Status of the project
Implemented
