Case study: Moscow rules

Project Orange’s approach to an old Moscow office block is redefining the way the Russian capital views corporate design

Russia presents a challenge for designers in the UK. Not only is it an unknown quantity, where we probably don’t even speak the language, but it is also surrounded by a cloud of mythology fuelled recently by international political crossfire. But this is to miss the fact that in the past 10 years there has been a steady stream of UK designers working in there, and in particular the capital Moscow, only a three-and-a-half-hour’s flight away.

David Adjaye designed the dynamic Moscow School of Management in 2010, while John McAslan + Partners has completed a number of high-profile projects in the city, most recently in 2015 with its Bolshevik Factory. While the city suffers from the familiar urban problems of congestion on the streets, air quality and housing provision, there has been much focus at a local level to improve the infrastructure and provide more resources within the city.

Public atrium by night

One of the most recent practices to find work there is Project Orange, a London-based architecture and design firm. Having worked on a residential project for a London client, it was then commissioned to design his family apartment and new-build summer house in Moscow. During the process the client mooted the idea of collaborating on converting a former industrial factory into a new kind of office space that could nurture SMEs and young talent looking to invest in a culturally forward-facing community.

The 22,000 sq m former factory is situated on the edge of one of the city’s three ring roads, in what could be loosely termed an industrial business quarter. There is a cement works opposite and a state tax office next door.

With the 2016 opening of a new Metro station 500m away, however, it was clear that the area was about to change. As it stood, the existing three-storey factory building, completed in the Soviet style during the early Seventies, was constructed of a reinforced concrete frame and single glazed with additional metal cladding. Inside were a number of double-height spaces for tall machinery as well as a city-owned nuclear bunker in the basement, which was accessed from the car park outside.

The architect’s challenge was to find a cost-effective way of converting the building while pushing a sustainability agenda as much as possible. The solution was to use the existing structure by stripping off the facade completely and hollowing out two large atria, creating communal spaces on the ground floor. These are top lit by specially designed industrial glazed roofs, designed to take a heavy snow load, which can also open, thereby creating a stack effect for summer cooling.

The exterior of the building was then refaced with an insulated cladding system complete with triple-glazed windows, using a black brick Kinker tile as the finished surface. This simple idea is made dynamic by the sliding rhythm of the windows across the facade and the fact that the ground floor is fully glazed, cleverly sitting in front of the existing steel structure painted bright red. The device of exposing the original steel frame exposes a number of quirky anomalies, relating to its historic use, raising a sense of curiosity when viewed from the public realm. At night the building appears to hover and an eerie green light filters through the coloured glass, denoting escape stairs.

View of main stair from staff entrance

While the building is surrounded by car parking, the project team worked with Suffolk-based Janey Auchincloss Designs to soften the edges, creating areas of formal seating next to the cafe area, juxtaposed with wild-flower natural planting interspersed with Siberian larch. In terms of numbers this amounted to 3,000 sq m of lawn and shrub and 1,600 sq m of pathways – one of which connects to the new Metro station as well as a safe provision for bicycles. While all of this may seem best practice, it is clear that for Moscow this integrated approach is only just beginning to have traction.

Approaching the front door, the architects make reference to the Russian constructivist movement with the oversized ‘number one’ signage and projecting steel canopy. Moving inside, the scale of the atrium becomes clear having walked beneath a bridge connection and seeing the existing concrete frame – rough at times and smooth at others where there have been repairs or new fabric. Flashes of yellow appear at the base of the columns that lead the eye toward the reception sitting in front of another red steel structure, this time the internal staircase.

Adding to the sense of drama the polished, blackgranite floor creates a reflection of the structure and the roof, which is particularly apparent at night. The glass security barriers are discreetly situated in front of the lift lobby, clad in the external black brick, and lit using reconditioned pendant lights from the former factory. The second atrium to the rear of the lift core is designed to be a breakout space for co-working or informal meetings.

Lift Lobby second floor

Moving though the building the corridors are characterised by their graphic use of colour with green walls, yellow doors and red steel work. Dramatic, with its drama tempered by the poured grey resin floor. Curiously there is no tradition in the city of fitting out offices for tenants, so once through the door there is an empty space. Those early adopter tenants, including the Russian Junior Chess League, have taken a simple and cost-effective approach that is in harmony with the building, despite being basic.

While not necessarily a ground-breaking project in terms of its massing and form, this thoughtful approach goes a long way in redefining how old, but not special, buildings in peri-urban locations can be repurposed. Project Orange has brought its technical expertise as well as confidence in designing interiors to create a refined yet characterful statement.

The client is to be commended for its vision in wishing to create an alternative working environment to the rash of second-rate, glazed high-rise buildings populating the Central Business District. Although many have only just been completed, the theme-park approach to creating an architectural zoo feels dated, yet will dominate the skyline of the city for decades to come.

Time will tell whether the building fills up with a mix of tenants that thrive in this unique context, though the signs look promising. In many ways this feels like the future – changing incrementally the urban fabric and the quality of people’s lives for the better.