In 2013, Eric Valeev's bureau, which had previously designed MOPs (common areas - editor's note) and entrance lobbies, unexpectedly won a closed competition. Unexpectedly, because then the avalanche of competition launched by the chief architect of Moscow, Sergei Kuznetsov, only picked up speed and increased its volume, “bringing” ever new names to the light and to the public's judgment. IQ Studio was among them: at the ninth meeting of the revived Arch Council, her project bypassed the venerable bureaus of Alexei Vorontsov, Boris Levyant and the Asadov family.
Three years for the implementation of such an object is a worthy result, especially considering that the result is strikingly close to the competition concept. And in general, after Triumfalnaya Square, this is the second "swallow", announcing that the contests bear fruit, and not only work for the reputation of their participants. The case with IQ Studio is just synergistic: as the project "Good!" collected awards at professional shows, the studio's fame grew and strengthened - along with the walls of the new building. At the finish line, the shopping center opened, and Erik Valeev received the highest award from Zodchestvo - “gold” for the construction.
“The task was to create an object outside the style, which would look beneficial in context and would be as comfortable as possible for all groups of visitors. We paid great attention to the improvement: this allowed us to create not just a retail space convenient for buyers, but also a full-fledged environment for relaxation and communication. The project was implemented practically without changes to the original concept - in my opinion, this was one of the factors that made it possible to obtain the Golden Sign of Architecture, - comments Eric Valeev, head of the architectural bureau IQ Studio.
Initially, the shopping center had a working name "Polezhaevsky" - because of its location at the intersection of Khoroshevskoye Highway and 4th Magistralnaya Street, next to the metro station of the same name. Despite the proximity of Mnevniki and "expensive" quarters near Khodynskoye Pole, this particular area did not differ in architectural delights. The development here is heterogeneous: there are five-storey buildings and modern apartment complexes. There are many industrial zones - one of them was put under the tap to build a shopping and entertainment center.
An impressive area - not a giant neighbor Aviapark, but still more than 100 thousand square meters - was interpreted more as a disadvantage than a virtue. I had to occupy almost the entire plot on the corner of two streets, opposite the nondescript typical housing of the 1980s, next to a rather busy highway. And at the same time, from somewhere to carve out a place for ground parking, public and pedestrian zones, to make them attractive and comfortable. In one of
interview Eric Valeev called his main professional principle in this project “working with constraints”, which he tried to “transform into positive design drivers”.
Neither "mirror-glass" compositional solutions, nor simple or complex geometrical forms were up to the "positive". The visual monotony, especially along the lengthy facades of the building, was defeated by Erik Valeev with his lively, albeit technically technical, façade plastics. The first technique: both from the side of 4th Magistralnaya Street and from the side of Khoroshovskoye Highway, the building resembles a pie with "layers" shifted relative to each other (which does not interfere with clearly reading four ground floors). The second technique is subtler: the facades of a mother-of-pearl shade seem to be deaf, but as they approach the main entrance, the metal sashes, as if in a natural way, under gusts of wind, "rise" - and "freeze" at different angles, exposing the window panes.
Despite the fact that the main facade faces north and is always in the shade, the shape, color and rhythmic arrangement of its elements give lightness and texture to large surfaces. Just as the masters of architectural drawing recreate any volumes, proportions and play of light and shade with "monotonous" parallel strokes, the architects of IQ Studio draw colorful and dynamic images with one-dimensional panels. They managed to find the same size "opening" facade lamellas and blind sandwich panels. The height of these elements, 6 meters, corresponds exactly to the height of the floor. In addition, only 12% of the metal panels needed to be made non-standard. Thus, the "sculptural" solution of the facades also turned out to be economical.
After dark, "architecture games" get an extra dimension and acceleration. LEDs are integrated into the slats of the facades, located at an angle, and in the evening the building is literally "filled with color". The backlight is synchronized with three media screens located on different facades. Color dynamic scenarios can be changed or created independent, without the participation of advertising plasmas. Subtle automation reacts to the time of day, weather conditions and lighting conditions. But, one way or another, the facades flicker in a single rhythm, and the building turns into the light and color dominant of the square, diverting attention from the unsightly surrounding buildings. That is why the architect calls his object a “media organism”.
Glazing is irregular: rows of blank panels alternate with transparent ones. Moreover, there is no contrast - as you move along the facade, "chaotically scattered" glass rows become more and more. The picture is completed by a glass "explosion" - a completely transparent central entrance, which simultaneously "cuts" into the depths and "climbs" onto the roof. There it turns into a skylight, letting the sun and air into the interior.
Inside, the complex has a standard layout: downstairs there is a grocery hypermarket and two-storey underground parking, two more storeys, and on the top fourth floor there is a food court and a cinema. Architecturally, the most interesting is the entrance zone - the semantic point of attraction, the "magnetism" of which is enhanced by several spectacular strokes.
Firstly, on the porcelain stoneware floor, the light penetrating from above "duplicates" the glass "grid" of the roof in the spirit of Norman Foster. Secondly, not "protruding" outward, but, on the contrary, the deepened entrance group becomes a continuation of the street square and seems to "lure" passers-by inside. The pattern of the paving of concrete tiles echoes the pattern of laying porcelain stoneware and, becoming more complicated near the central entrance, unobtrusively "directs" the flow of people where needed.
Now, for example, it is pleasant to walk along a shopping center - despite the proximity to a dusty highway. The promenade, the trajectory of which repeats the facade "shifts" and does not let you get bored, is fenced off from the road by a "buffer" of greenery and benches - with backs twice as high as usual. Although there is very little space left around the formed building spot, the architects of IQ Studio added artificial hills and living lawns here. Even the lampposts are reminiscent of trees with branches - it turned out, in the words of Eric, "an urban grove." If we develop this allegory, then the building of the mall appears as an urban mountain range, with picturesque "ledges", "faults" and "gaps". What is definitely good for the dull landscapes of Magistralny streets! And even great.
