The recent conclusion of a series of international competitions has forced the future, new look of Moscow to the forefront. And it is a future marked by some stunning buildings and completely revamped sections of the city.
For years, Zaryadye Park has been closed to citizens, but this central section of the old centre is about to reopen. It should restore a sense of balance to the surrounding areas, providing a wonderful and practical link between the narrow, calm streets of the very urban Kitay-Gorod area and the lush, but scrupulously manicured Kremlin lawns. Wild Urbanism summarises the approach adopted by the team of designers led by the Diller Scofidio + Renfro architectural practice. The terms “natural” and “artificial” are no longer opposites, but two parts in a complex, dynamic exchange that is nowhere more visible than in the paving used in the park. Here, paving stones are placed more densely in areas of high foot traffic, but then more sparsely as flows drop off, throwing out the conventional notion of rigidly marked paths and embracing multiple options for visitors to move around. This has the added benefit of making the ground very permeable and helping to attain sustainable water management. As the park moves down from north-east to south-west, it reproduces four Russian biotopes - tundra, steppe, forest and, finally, wetland - that end with some ponds that collect and treat the water that drains here from the entire area. The architectural structures are located on the edges of these biotopes and have been careful integrated into the lie of the land.
The plans that MVRDV, Proektus and Laplab have are even grander, as they seek to regenerate the old Serp & Molot steel plant and to transform the area into a modern, attractive district for 19,000 residents and 16,000 workers. The project has been built up by carefully studying the context, streets, buildings and historical structures, including the giant walkways...
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