Alexey Ivanov's team has already worked with this site - a vacant lot in a densely built-up part of the city of Zheleznodorozhny near Moscow, next to the Nosovikhinskoye highway. More than ten years later, the same customer again turned to Archstodesign, directed by the city administration - the administration remembered the previous project as the most convincing proposal for the site; which, however, has slightly decreased in size over the past time. The customer came to Alexey Ivanov with a request to create a vivid image that can revive the monotonous environment. That became a key element of the project assignment, unless, of course, we consider the need to obtain 6,000 m² of public and retail space at the output.
The five-storey building is almost square in plan, with one rounded corner. The central entrance to the shopping area is located at the rounding point, it is oriented towards the highway and is visible from afar. In front of the entrance there is a paved area that is as spacious as the plot allows. It rises slightly following the relief. The square is separated from residential buildings by a strip of greenery. Parking is located on one underground floor and partly on the first, adjacent to the lobby. The next three levels are dedicated to shopping, entertainment and social functions. The simplicity of the volume allowed us to offer rational layouts with the location of shops and boutiques along the perimeter and in the center of the floors with a circular passage. The uppermost level with ceilings over five meters is occupied by offices.
As you can see, the design and content of the shopping center is rational and quite traditional. It was because of the bright appearance. “This place, which is quite obvious, lacks a color accent: panel multi-storey residential buildings, a lack of greenery, a dusty highway. In an effort to saturate it with bright colors, we proposed an option with rich cherry facades. The narrow ceramic panels that are proposed to be used for cladding differ slightly in tone, which gives an interesting play on the walls of the building."
But the architects gave themselves much more will, working with volume. Instead of the “box” expected with such a layout, a smooth shape emerged with a noticeable expansion at the top and an almost completely transparent first floor. A giant glass hemisphere appeared on the main façade facing the highway. When looking at it, it may seem that there is a second half of the ball inside - but no, behind the glass there are only escalators and observation platforms. “The facades in this version are mostly deaf,” says Aleksey Ivanov. - It has long been known that glazing is the enemy of shopping centers. Therefore, we only use glass in the administrative part, in the entrance area, so that visitors can spot it unmistakably, as well as in the area of escalators and stairs, where we allowed ourselves to realize a strong, easy-to-read image of the planet. " The result is a voluminous sign - "a fragment of Mercury" marks the entrance.
The second option is quieter, and there is much more glazing in it. The deaf parts that set the beaten rhythm, the architects propose to finish with composite panels and vertical slats imitating the texture of wood. There are also options with white and silver panels. The division into floors is emphasized by a spectacular wave that slightly changes its trajectory at each level. The upper office floor is displaced two meters inward relative to the main volume of the building. On the vacated part of the roof, an open terrace for employees is organized in front of it. A neat glass railing makes the terrace space comfortable and safe. The image of the planet is also present in this version - in the form of a sculptural ball, cut into the volume of the building in the area of the central entrance.
According to Aleksey Ivanov, the customer liked all versions, and so far he has not made a final choice in anyone's favor. But whichever style wins in the end, the authors hope that now a project that meets the needs of the city and fully fits into the limited budget will still be implemented.
