The site where the new multifunctional center is supposed to be built is located in the south-west of Moscow, not far from the Prospekt Vernadskogo metro station. The complex is supposed to grow in the depths of the residential area and will face a one-way passage, along which you can go directly to the avenue. The narrowness of the existing transport "channel" on the one hand, and good pedestrian accessibility on the other (only 500 meters to the metro) have become a decisive factor for architects in choosing a strategy for the development of this territory: even before deciding whether they are demolishing the existing volume or reconstructing it, they realized that it was necessary to create a developed public space around it. Without such "backlash", the building, whatever it may be, simply blocks the block from the inside. Certain restrictions on the projected volume were also imposed by the very close proximity to a high-rise residential building located on the other side of the driveway. Between it and the projected object, at best, 30 meters remain, so it was impossible not to take this landmark into account.
With such initial data - the need to create a comfortable public space, take into account the existing pedestrian connections and the close proximity to the tower - T + T Architects and started work on the project. And before answering the question of what the new complex could be, the architects had to decide whether to demolish the existing three-storey volume of commercial and social purpose on the site or to reconstruct it. Naturally, this building, built in the late 1980s, is not a monument, but it managed to become an integral part of the daily life of the quarter, therefore, in order to weigh the pros and cons, the architects developed two concepts for the development of the site at once. In each of them, T + T Architects described in as much detail as possible what factors affect the appearance and subsequent functioning of the object, depending on whether they are working with an existing building or rebuilding it.
Option 1. Cannot be demolished The existing three-storey building on the site is a typical "local scale" shopping center, familiar to everyone who has ever been to a residential area. The building, which has a rather chaotic and asymmetric composition, is literally crammed with all kinds of household services and small shops - there is no aesthetic value, but everyday convenience for residents of the surrounding houses is at the very least provided. Following the path of its reconstruction, the architects had to remain within the boundaries of the existing complex, but had the opportunity to somewhat increase its height. However, it was not enough to simply put a "beam" of one more floor on top of the building - in this case the volume turned out to be too bulky and even more disorganized. Therefore, in order to give it orderliness and proportionality, architects are taking several cardinal measures at once. First of all, they combine the two middle floors, returning the volume to a clearly legible three-part structure. Then they close the U-shaped contour not only of the uppermost new floor, but also of the combined middle levels, leaving an arch at the level of the first floor. This made it possible not only to significantly increase the area of the building without affecting its boundaries on the first floor, but also to create the courtyard of the complex. The intimate isolation of the latter is also emphasized with the help of cantilevers at the level of the second floor, and the visual lightness of the complex as a whole is given by the continuous glazing of the last level, which the architects recessed somewhat into the depths and covered with an elegant flat roof.
Keeping the volume itself, architects carefully restore its main function - social. The first floors of the renovated building are dedicated to trade, service and a restaurant. On the second floor, offices are partially appearing, but, naturally, with a separate entrance, but they already occupy the third floor entirely. The architects made the layout of the last, fourth floor more flexible: both offices and apartments can be located here, and both of them will be able to boast of comfortable roof-terraces.
But the architectural solution of the reconstructed volume is fundamentally different from the original one. T + T Architects do not leave even a hint of the confusion of the concrete language of the late 1980s: their complex is emphatically elegant and boasts a memorable appearance, in which there was a place for ceramics of a warm cream shade, and rough brick, and the subtle gloss of glass, and snow-white roof extensions. …
Such a wide palette of materials helps to create a clear coding of the facade - one glance at the building makes it clear that several functional blocks are concentrated in it. And the most expressive, of course, turned out to be the central office "belt": the combined floors are covered with textured skin made of terracotta bricks, which are cut through by high window openings, emphasized by strict rectangular frames of the slopes.
Option 2. Can't be left Developing the option “from scratch”, the architects took a parallelepiped for the initial volume, the volumetric characteristics of which determined the permissible building density and the maximum allowed height for a given site, and then subjected it to deformation under the influence of the context.
First, it was moved as far as possible from the residential building. First, the parallelepiped had a developed stylobate and a residential block displaced to the side opposite to the house. But since the problem of creating a comfortable entrance to the territory of the complex was no less urgent, the architects, on the contrary, drowned the stylobate part by hanging consoles around the entire perimeter of the building. It should be admitted that this was only beneficial to the volume surrounded by residential buildings: from a rather bulky chest it turned into a visually lighter and more friendly structure.
An even more open character is given to it by the window openings deployed relative to the plane of the facade. The architects were forced to apply this technique because of the proximity to the already mentioned residential tower, but if in the zone of visual discomfort they make a blind “plate” on the facade, only occasionally broken by inverted bay windows, the rest of the facades are vertical “steps” formed by a geometric turn of the openings in the plane of the wall generally. And since in the case of new construction, the number of storeys of the complex can reach 8 floors, the authors combine the levels in pairs, enhancing the vertical rhythm of the building and at the same time enlarging its horizontal perception. It is also important that the facade facing the intersection and the metro acquires an additional turning angle: the blocks of floors shifted relative to each other not only give the building a memorable tectonics, but also create a more friendly welcoming image (in the four-story reconstructed building, this role was played by the arch leading to courtyard).
By demolishing the existing building, the architects preserve its social function: the two lower levels are completely devoted to trade and services, as well as a restaurant. And again, the coding of the facade comes to the fore - the volume is structured in such a way that it is clear at first glance: several functional blocks are concentrated in it. Public floors are also additionally highlighted with solid glazing, while the upper levels are solved in the same way and differ only due to active tectonics. This is a deliberate decision of the architects: in this case, to combine different finishing materials meant to make the volume more visible and variegated, which is not so important for an eight-story building being built in the depths of a residential quarter.
Park is the head of everything As already mentioned, in both concepts, T + T Architects paid close attention to the improvement of the adjacent territory, trying to introduce the principles of the architectural solution of the complex itself into it as much as possible and thereby make the latter an integral part of the urban environment. On the site itself, due to the very limited area, there were few opportunities for this, but two triangles of urban land that are not subject to building are adjacent to it, and the architects suggested that the developer use them to organize a full-fledged park around the new center with a recreation area, a playground and mini-stage. The triangular shape of these sites turned out to be very useful - the landscaping supports and develops the theme of the architectural solution of the building with its shifted (or recessed, as in the first case) floors and turned windows (or the archway). According to the head of T + T Architects Sergey Trukhanov, the customer, having studied both concepts, in the end gave preference to new construction. Of course, first of all, he was guided by the cost of implementation, which in the case of new construction is always lower, but no less decisive factor was that the construction of a new facility made it possible to take into account the peculiarities of the existing development to a greater extent. In particular, the ability to incorporate a greater variety of public functions into the project made the new complex more useful to local residents, and the ability to completely separate them from offices guaranteed the convenience of all users. However, the variant with the reconstruction had its indisputable advantages: a more stylish and verified architectural solution, the presence of a courtyard, and the compactness of the volume itself. “It was fundamentally important for us to work out both scenarios for the development of this site, having studied not only the actual architectural, but also the socio-economic factors affecting its future, and in this sense, this work became a very interesting experience that allowed the customer to justify his decision”, - says Sergey Trukhanov.
