The Kuntsevo Centre, designed by The Jerde Partnership, will provide a new stage for dynamic public activity and distinct commercial offerings in central Moscow. The pedestrian-oriented center will establish a vibrant leisure, shopping, business, and residential complex reconnecting the urban fabric of the historic Kuntsevo district, while creating a new landmark for the city. Delivering a modern community gathering destination rooted in art, nature, and urban connectivity, the project’s design enhances its potential to become a continuously active public realm. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The project’s key urban design principles establish vital connections to the surroundings, including to the nearby transit line with a grand public plaza at the front entry closest to the metro, and multiple entryways and accessibility from the various streets, taking advantage of the site’s unique topography and grade change. Consisting of over 200,000 square meters of GFA, including 70,000 square meters of spectacular light-filled retail and entertainment spaces, plus three contemporary designed Class-A office buildings, and two high-rise residential towers with lush rooftop park terraces, the new complex will deliver an innovative and one of the first truly integrated mixed-use destinations in Moscow that will attract regional visitors and serve as a catalyst for future sustainable development.
Through its synergistic combination of retail, entertainment, dining, cultural uses, state-of-the-art office and modern residential, within a single, world-class facility, all designed at an experientially articulated pedestrian scale, Kuntsevo Centre will further enhance its respected, historic city, breathing new life into Moscow upon its completion in early 2014.
Located in a district featuring a rich collage of universities, city administrations, medical facilities, and residential amenities, within a prestigious neighborhood admired for its natural beauty, clean air, and deep history, Kuntsevo Centre is designed as a place for the local community, business people, and visitors alike. Innovative design and planning, based on contextual and historical inspirations, create a compelling, site-specific addition, as well as a new heart and urban living room for the Kuntsevo district.
Within the project, nature serves as the fundamental element to host unique visitor experiences. The notion of nature and the celebration of the four seasons draw visitors into the complex as an extension of the surrounding green spaces and vegetation, resulting in a sense of public pride and ownership in the project. Once inside, the natural flow of the pedestrian streetscapes, plazas, courtyards and the spectacular indoor/outdoor green park terraces will create a sense of discovery and public exploration.
As a district historically preferred by artists and writers, Kuntsevo Centre takes queues from the Russian Avant-garde art movement, incorporating intricate geometries and bold colors to create an iconic building composition inextricably linked to its host-place. Equally important is the project’s role for local residents as a key urban connector within the Kuntsevo neighborhood. Driven by its axial relationship to the adjacent State Aviation Technology University, the road and pedestrian connections approaching from the metro station, sightlines and view opportunities, the project’s key planning strategies are based on the relationship of the building to the existing urban patterns found around the site. This circulation and strategic layout allow the community to naturally flow through the project, seamlessly connecting commuters and visitors arriving from the nearby subway to the northeast, to the residential neighborhoods on the southwest side of the development.
Set above the pedestrian street is a multi-level commercial street consisting of local and international brands, restaurants and entertainment functions. A cluster of state-of-the-art office buildings and two residential towers overlooking the roof-parks and public activity below complete the composition, creating visual connectivity and integration between retailer, visitor and worker.
Drawing guests further inward are memorable arrival experiences. A grand, light-filled arrival atrium at ground level is filled with cafés and specialty retailers, while serving as a flexible indoor/outdoor space for a variety of public functions. Escalators and grand stairways lead visitors up park terraces, each terrace offering additional specialty retailers and restaurants, with views of the live events and activity below, extending through the nature-inspired “Canyon”—a three-level retail/restaurant experience featuring a centerpiece restaurant hovering above the reflecting pool in the atrium.
The project sets out to achieve the highest standards in both environmental and social sustainability. The use of various local materials are emphasized, maximum exposure to the sun and extensive use of natural light is implemented throughout the project, and green rooftops will reduce cooling loads and offer additional public open space, all unifying to promote a model of economic, social, and environmental sustainability for Kuntsevo and all of Moscow.
Architects: The Jerde Partnership Location: Moscow, Russia Developer: ENKA Expected Completion: Spring 2014
