The spit of the peninsula in the western part of the Nagatinskaya floodplain is planned to be developed as part of a comprehensive reorganization of the territory of the former ZIL - the Likhachev Plant. From the backwater, on the opposite bank of which the large-scale complex "Zilart" is being built, the site is separated by the complex of the Capital Shipping Company and the residential complex "Technopark" with facades from SPEECH. But the southern border of the site goes directly to the Moscow River. From the east, the territory is bounded by Andropov Avenue, behind it is the Nagatinskaya Floodplain Park.
The concept of the complex development of the Nagatinskaya floodplain was developed within the framework of a closed competition. The customer, having in his hands a ready-made project for the planning of the territory, was looking for new images and spatial solutions. According to Yuri Vissarionov, the participants were tasked with "surprising with architecture." Vissarionov understood his mission somewhat differently. Nagatinskaya Poima is a unique place for Moscow: the spit of the peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, with a park that occupies its entire eastern half. In such a rich natural environment, according to the architect, only ensemble recreational buildings with a lot of greenery and a comfortable public embankment are appropriate.
It was the proximity to the park and the proximity to the water that determined the theme of the project. The resort theme, beloved by the architects of Vissarionov's bureau, was taken as a basis. “The site is surrounded by water, therefore a recreational planning scheme has emerged, the main factor being the view of the water,” explains the architect. “We have proposed three development lines that change their character as they move away from the water. Such an organization of space can be compared with an amphitheater, a theater hall, from which every spectator can clearly see the main stage - the river and the park."
The three lines typical of seaside resorts include three types of development - quarter, recreational and point development. Sometimes they intertwine with each other, imitating a heterogeneous and different height "natural" urban fabric. Rounded towers, freely spaced around the site, together with low extended houses along the embankment and regular blocks in the depths of the peninsula, create a vibrant silhouette of the area. Curving, diagonal and straight pedestrian streets, similar to park alleys, unite the space, organizing a common landscape promenade. The theme of planning curves is supported by the embankment improvement and oval tower plans with protruding stylobates.
The first line is formed by a park area near the water. Here, all buildings with long facades are turned towards the river. They are literally woven into the green fabric of the park, which provides future residents with the most comfortable scenario for living in a metropolis - surrounded by urban nature. These "landscape" houses house mainly large apartments for families with children. Each apartment offers a panoramic view of the Moskva River and the green embankment. All the first floors of houses facing the river are given over to commercial functions. Complemented by glass stylobates, annexes and separate buildings, they form a lively, human-scale street with small boutiques, restaurants and terraces of outdoor cafes.
A series of public and recreational spaces are designed for walks with children, sports, outdoor recreation in the shade of gazebos. Despite the fact that there is a roadway along the coastal line, a wide park area stretching parallel to it with fountains, lawns and flower beds gains a connection with the water thanks to overground pedestrian crossings. In addition, in the central part of the embankment, a pontoon restaurant was placed on the water, reclaiming additional space for a person from the river. The square, surrounded by lightweight pavilion structures, together with the semicircle of the pontoon restaurant, embodies the idea of an amphitheater. This image is well read when viewed from above, from the windows of residential buildings.
The peninsula arrow in the project was left free from building. Here, the authors of the concept propose to set up a community center, and in front of it to lay out a park with a city square and a fountain. The embankment encircling the new residential area connects it with the Nagatinskaya Poima park and due to this it becomes a part of the public zone not only of regional, but also of city-wide significance.
The second building line is the tower-type comfort class houses. The four 25-storey oval towers, as well as the first line houses, provide excellent views from the windows of the apartments. The apartments themselves are smaller here and are designed for people with average incomes. The towers are positioned so as not to obstruct the river view of the houses behind them. The point location does not imply private courtyards; instead, residents will have access to open landscaped spaces connected by a system of pedestrian streets, playgrounds and squares.
On the periphery of the territory there are quarters with semi-enclosed courtyards open towards the Moskva River. They are separated from the first two development lines by a quiet inner street. Quarter complexes are compact and private in a European style, and at the same time, the opening of the courtyards towards the river, as well as the increase in the number of storeys of individual sections, allows using the view advantages of the site.
The architectural solution of all types of houses is designed to support the main idea of the project - harmonious coexistence with the natural environment. For facing the facades of "landscape" houses, the authors proposed a natural terracotta brick. Glass bay windows and bulky brickwork support the shape of the buildings and the smooth curves of their facades. Quarter complexes look a little more relaxed. The buildings that form the quarter seem to be assembled from cubes stacked on top of each other with a slight offset. It was proposed to decorate them with clinker tiles of different tones: at the base, these are mainly restrained gray and brown shades, while the upper parts are accented with pastel yellow and pale green. The color accents obscure the height of the buildings, and they should also help with orientation. Panoramic windows provide views of the river. The towers seem to be entirely made of glass: blank lintels made of facade panels of neutral shades are lost in the reflections of the glass. Stylobates with shop windows are completely transparent.
One of the tasks of the authors of the concept is to give the future inhabitants of the area the opportunity to choose in which environment it is more comfortable for them to live: in an open and close to nature or private, isolated. Designing a way of life, creating a concept of living is one of the main goals of the workshop of Yuri Vissarionov. In this project, which recently became a diploma winner of the festival "Golden Section 2017", it was successfully implemented. On one site, the architects have combined several basic types of urban space and different types of modern residential buildings, while achieving a holistic perception of heterogeneous buildings. “Russian architecture is characterized by ensemble character,” explains Yuri Vissarionov. - Therefore, it was important for me to create an urban planning ensemble complex that is sensitive to location. The architectural embodiment in this sense turned out to be secondary”.
