The V-A-C Foundation has selected Renzo Piano Building Workshop to re-develop a two-hectare area in Moscow, converting a former power station into a center for contemporary arts and culture. Located on the Moskva river in the city’s Red October district, the GES2 power station was built in the early 1900s and once supplied energy to the city. The project envisions the recuperation of the power station’s original form as well as the reconfiguration of the entire site into a 150 meter by 150 meter square.
The site will be divided into three sections: a welcoming area, an exhibition area and an educational area. The Welcoming section will include a sculptural garden, birch trees and an outdoor/indoor piazza in addition to a library, bookshop, café, auditorium, and space for permanent and temporary art installations.
The Exhibitions sector will consist of the main galleries, which will be able to host exhibitions of a wide range of styles and sizes, and a 100 meter-long and 23-meter high Central Nave. The educational section will permanently host V-A-C’s Curatorial Summer School in addition to new courses and workshops on contemporary art, an artist residency block and classrooms.
An amphitheater for screening movies and hosting events will surround the GES2 structure. The project also contains a sustainable focus, maintaining the power plant’s chimneys for natural ventilation and to maintain low energy consumption. Solar cells and geothermal sources will also be incorporated.
Construction of the site is supposed to wrap up by the end of 2018/beginning of 2019.
