MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT ON SHELEPIKHINSKAYA EMBANKMENT

Authors
A. Gnezdilov, A. Skokan, Yu. Plokhov, S. Pomelov, O. Ponomarenko, D. Stupina, T. Hvorostyany, Yves Lion, Aleksandra Gutnova, David Jolly, Juliette Lafille, Claire Minar, Jérôme Stablon

With the assistance of
M. Vorotnikov, P. Zhuravlev, K. Kapustina, O. Klimacheva, G. Pronyakin

Address
Moscw, Moscow, Shenogin St., estate 1

Client
JSC Don-Stroy Invest

The total area
857 865 sq.m

Start
2012

The Moskva- river embankments are a show-window of the city. Today, when Moscow aspires to the status of the European metropolis, the former industrial areas in close proximity to the river are exclusive sites for its future development and forming of the capital center. The development is to become a part of the capital center which is formed along the river as a continuation of the City area.

 

According to conditions of the competition there are two devised options which are enough contrast from the composition point of view, but ideology-related. We have two possible ways of urbanization of the territories located in close proximity to such powerful geographical element as the river:

 

- to develop lengthways - to stretch, to creep, to line up lengthways;

- to prolong / stretch the influence of river landscape inside urban fabric, in depth of the site.

 

Option 1. «Extrovert»

 

Our solution in this option is the involvement of the river landscape inside, in depth of the block and therefore two large public spaces do structure new block, as if «opening wide» it towards the river, and at the same timeallowing the river to penetrate into depth of the territory. Fitting into the existing topography of the site, the project is located on two platforms which descend to the embankment. Instead of providing the first, privilegedfront of development with a view of the river it seemed important to us to “grant” the maximum number of inhabitants of the block with fragments of the river landscape. This principle determines geometry of arrangement of residential volumes, and their orientation. Office buildings line up as a wide belt along important existing and planned traffic arteries. The filling of the project with high-quality public spacesenables them to function fully even during winter periods. The organization of private spaces, beautification of the courtyards emphasize the effect of «forming an island».

 

Option 2. «Introvert»

 

If the first option provides for more optimistic scenario of development of the city and society and presupposesgreater openness of inner spaces of the block, and their greater involvement in the city life which, as it isassumed, will be around with the lapse of time, then the second one proceeds from more conservativepredictions and follows the path of extrapolation of the existing situation oriented to more closed character of the organization of residential settlements. Here it is supposed that city life - retail, offices and any other function open for external access, is localized around the periphery of the block, and the residential yards arefaced or turned inside - into the intrablock public space belonging to all inhabitants of the block. Excessive density of development is compensated by the opening of internal space towards the river through five 6-storeyarches and through four much larger northeast arches. The configuration and number of storeys are caused by insolation. The complex presents two terraces 100 m wide (block A and block B) which are built up with 5 –40-storey buildings with underground parkings below them and the central green valley.