Hotel Cosmos 4 *, Novy Arbat, 2 Project: TPO "Reserve"
Customer: UK LandProfit
Capacity: 253 rooms
The existing building was built in 1965 as a telephone exchange and a communications house. Together with the Prague restaurant, it opens up the perspective of Novy Arbat, an arch in the central part of the building leads to Merzlyakovsky lane. The facades of the 1960s building consist of "tape" windows, which echoes the strict style of the "book" houses of Novy Arbat and at the same time meet its technical purpose. However, during all recent years, the building has been completely covered with construction nets and advertisements, and after the transition to the digital format, the switches are not used for their intended purpose.
The former automatic telephone exchange is planned to be reconstructed and turned into a hotel. According to the chairman of the council, Sergei Kuznetsov, the idea has been under consideration for more than two years and quite a few options have been proposed. The chief architect of Moscow also noted that he was very pleased with the appearance of Vladimir Plotkin as a designer, and that many different options were also sorted out and considered from TPO "Reserve", since the importance of the site is great. “The shown project is the tip of the iceberg,” stressed Sergey Kuznetsov.
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zooming 1/3 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 2/3 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 3/3 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
All geometric parameters and elevation are recorded in the GPZU, and the presence of security zones allows only reconstruction within the dimensions of the existing building. From the north, three tenement houses approach it with their ends, all communications and structures of the underground part had to be preserved, while a mechanized parking was arranged under the hotel, which, according to the architect, entailed many complex decisions. The load-bearing structures of the old building are supposed to be used partially, where possible, since the existing height of the floors is 4.5 meters, and the column spacing is 6 meters, completely unsuitable for a modern hotel building.
Vladimir Plotkin began presenting the project with significant environmental accents: the Kremlin, the City and the Ukraina hotel are in line of sight, next to the Morozov mansion and Mosselprom, all these objects are significant and characteristic of their time, according to the architect, they “recorded the time stages of the city's development and even determined its direction."
“I consider this place worthy of the appearance of a landmark object of our time. The decision to support the style of Novy Arbat would, in my opinion, be boring and unfair here,”the author emphasized. So one of the first options, with a tape-striped facade solution, according to Vladimir Plotkin, the architects rejected almost immediately. In addition, the planned operator, the Kosmos hotel, also gravitated towards a bolder and more interesting solution that would be consonant with the hotel's “space” name.
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zooming 1/1 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
Eight options were shown, but throughout the discussion it was felt that there were many more. As a result, the architects of TPO "Reserve" proposed the most daring and plastic version with a large diagonal grid of the facade, which Vladimir Plotkin called an exoskeleton, since the lattice in front of the structural glazing is structurally load-bearing. In the lower part, the plate of the building is "cut" on both sides, freeing pedestrian paths, the arch is widened.
The end facing the Kremlin is glass and offers excellent views, both from the restaurant on the top floor and from the suites grouped here. Inside the hotel rooms, large diagonals of the façade are neatly inscribed in a window module made up of one rectangular and one triangular glass.
The extension of the stepped console facing the Kremlin is small, about 5 meters. On the adjacent firewall, the authors proposed to place a media façade, which should add modernity and brilliance to the solution. In addition, being reflected in the glass, the historic house will receive a visual continuation, stressed Sergei Kuznetsov during the discussion.
The first floor is occupied by public and commercial premises, the second is supposed to be a conference area, and there is probably a fitness area. Above are the hotel rooms, on the last, 10th floor, there are restaurants with panoramic views. Entrance to the mechanized two-tiered parking lot and loading are arranged from the side of Merzlyakovsky lane.
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zooming 1/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 2/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 3/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 4/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 5/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 6/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 7/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
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zooming 8/8 Hotel on Novy Arbat, 2 © TPO "Reserve"
Vladimir Plotkin proposed to his colleagues two options for the facade: a silvery-white and a golden-copper one made of relief panels, which, according to the author, were once advised by Sergey Skuratov. The discussion of the project - and the meeting of the Archcouncil was held remotely for the second time - was brief, experts supported it, speaking in favor of the copper version, and Mikhail Posokhin - because of its color difference from Novy Arbat. Alexander Tsimailo asked if there was an option in which the volume of the hotel would be completely “cut off” by the firewall and the latter would be completely open. It turned out that this option was, but was rejected due to the impossibility of significantly changing the approved volume of the parallelepiped. The option with a grid on the "Kremlin" end, which Andrei Gnezdilov asked about, was also rejected - because of the too rigid adjoining of a bold and large modern drawing to the historic house, as Vladimir Plotkin explained, as well as in order to fully reveal the best species panoramas. Regarding the strip at the corner of the same end, the author explained that its appearance was caused by plastic considerations: the mesh should not end too abruptly at the corner. Nikolai Shumakov, described the building as follows: “Strong, with a new scale, surprisingly firmly settled in this place,” but expressed doubts whether the media facade would not interfere with the residents of neighboring rooms. The Council supported the project in a golden-copper version; Summing up the discussion, Sergey Kuznetsov wished the customer a high-quality performance.
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Multifunctional residential complex, Prichalny pr-d, vl. 8 Project: JSB "Ostozhenka"
Customer: JSC SZ "Inspire"
The second issue on the agenda is a multifunctional residential complex at Prichalny proezd, vl. 8 is a new iteration of a solution that was already reviewed and even approved by the Arch Council in 2017. Then the project was developed by UNK project. But the customer changed, a closed competition was held, in which Ostozhenka won. In this case, the previously issued GPZU is still valid, so the LCD parameters are the same. This is a very high-density development, but still, as Sergei Kuznetsov assured, housing, not apartments.
The site is located next to the Shelepikhinskaya embankment, in the direction of which the extension of Krasnopresnenskaya embankment is planned - an important artery to the already very active development in the former industrial territories. The adjacent plot on the embankment is occupied by the residential complex "Heart of the Capital", right next to the residential complex Headliner, the residential complex "Kandinsky Bauhaus", opposite on the other side of the river - the residential complex "Beregovoy", the residential complex "Filigrad" - all of them are part of the area of the so-called Big City.
The previous UNK solution outlined the same boundaries as the current project, but it was much more difficult and more open to the water side. In Ostozhenka's proposal, the towers formed a more coherent compact composition, which seemed to be visually simple, but in fact required a fair amount of skill.
“Our idea was to form a whole organism,” explained Valery Kanyashin, “which, at the same time, is composed of independent plate objects. In each of them, the axis of symmetry is "sewn up" so that the shape does not become too bulky. Plates are gathered around the common area of the yard. The group turned out to be quite strong, it stands next to the "Heart of the Capital" and from the lowest points, and looks quite confident against its background from the bridges … ".
Four buildings with different storeys surround the courtyard space, never merging anywhere, but when perceived, superimposing contours on top of each other, which is why different angles appear from different points. Towards the embankment, the mass “diverges”, uniting the space of the courtyard with the recreational area along the river, towards the railway, on the contrary, it closes up, forming the most massive facade.
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zooming 1/5 Plan at around -4.455. Mooring © AB Ostozhenka
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zooming 2/5 Plan at around +0.00. Mooring © AB Ostozhenka
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zooming 3/5 Section 1, buildings B and D. Berthing © AB Ostozhenka
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zooming 4/5 Section 2. Along the lower stylobate along buildings A and C. Berthing © AB Ostozhenka
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zooming 5/5 Section 3. Mooring © AB Ostozhenka
The figurative side of the architectural solution of the complex is based on the metaphor "earth and sky", which also has a completely practical side. The plane of the plates is fragmented into an upper, more compact and transparent part, and a lower one in clinker facing under terracotta. With this material, the residential complex in Prichalny Proezd pays tribute to the "Heart of the Capital", and the very idea of tiering volumes - Moscow City. From close-up angles, a rather rich feeling of the facade surface arises, because the clinker tiles have a variegated composition of many different shades and textures. Moreover, in the masonry of the lower part of the towers, the technique of washing or reverse "stretching" the gradient upwards is used - i.e. from light to dark.
The buildings literally "descend" along the relief, the drop of which on the site is from 5 to 8 meters. Due to the difference in the layout of the courtyard, two functional levels stand out - “children's”, where playgrounds prevail, and “adult”, with areas for recreation. They are connected by stairs and an open amphitheater, which, along with many other objects, is part of the interior landscaping of the residential complex.
The courtyard is located on a stylobate - there are two levels of parking and a level of public functions located along the perimeter of the complex. This includes a shopping gallery with an entrance under the arch from the side of the embankment, a fitness center, a supermarket, and a cafe. The office space, which occupies the semi-underground floor, is partially hidden in the “folds” of the relief.
Council members unanimously expressed their support for the presented decision, noting the outstanding execution by simple means. “The composition is simple, in a good way, monumental, readable, although it is a colossal density in a small area,” Sergei Tchoban responded to the project. Vladimir Plotkin noted the unusual layout of the gradient with a light tone at the bottom and dark at the top.
Sergei Skuratov drew attention to the hyper-scale issue, which is difficult for this case: to reduce this density on the ground, while simultaneously completing the "Heart of the Capital". On the whole, I support the project, but I doubt that this proportion of the facade will be halved - the height of the brick part could be lowered by 5-6 floors."
The project was approved with an amendment to the preliminary design of the transport scheme, as the construction of an overpass and other transport facilities is planned nearby, due to which the current scheme is likely to change.
