Multi-functional office complex on Novodanilovskaya naberezhnaya

The planned complex is the latest stage in the development of the territory of the Danilovskaya Manufactory, a project which is one of the most successful instances of revitalization of an old industrial zone in Russia. Here a multifunctional cluster of residential, work, and public spaces has been created in place of manufacturing plant which has been moved to outside the city centre. The new building stands right next to the embankment of the River Moskva and has been given forms which are emphatically recognizable: the sharp facets on the façade are made from brick in the same shades of terracotta as the rest of the complex and are an eloquent symbol of this district’s dynamic future. The building’s ‘jagged’ outline reflects a design concept based on the image of a speeding comet. This effect is attained by breaking up the building’s façade into pointed segments which are symmetrically positioned in relation to the building’s main axis and at an angle of 75 degrees to one another. This outline gives the building a dynamic feel while also ensuring the maximum amount of office space with the best views. In order to reinforce the impression of a dynamic and fast-moving comet, the office storeys are raised 10 metres above the ground and project 10 metres in front of the first two storeys. The chosen finishing materials – clinker brick and glass – are a tribute to the site’s industrial past and complement the existing look of Novodanilovskaya naberezhnaya, while also asserting this building’s claim to be a new landmark. The ground floor of the building contains a lobby, a waiting area, and a café – but also several offices with their own entrances, a beauty parlour, a bank branch, and a mini-supermarket. The second floor has a canteen, a cycle studio, and a cross-fit centre, as well as the office of the building’s management company. The 3rd to 17th floors contain office spaces of different configurations and sizes. The top, 18th, floor has a restaurant with a terrace facing the river. There is a separate lift to take diners straight from the lobby to the 18th floor. The project also provides for a two-level underground car park with an entrance from the western façade. The landscaping of the building’s grounds develops the theme set by the architectural design for the building, symbolically reproducing the outline of the building’s projecting part in the paving. The shape of this outline develops gradually towards the river, its pattern delineated by the different directions in which the brickwork has been laid. The clinker brick is continued in the clinker tiles used in the lobby, thus creating a visual link between exterior and interior; it is as if the direction of this brickwork is guiding us towards the reception desk.