Chief Architect of Moscow Sergei Kuznetsov yesterday announced MVRDV as the winners in the competition for the refurbishment of the Serp & Molot (Hammer & Sickle) factory in Eastern Moscow. The design by MVRDV is respectful of the history of the 19th-century steel factory, reinterpreting the existing fabric of the site into 1.8 million square meters of mixed-use space, including housing, offices, retail, schools and a local hospital.
Read on after the break for more project description
The Serp & Molot Factory was historically used as a stronghold during the Russian revolution. Its name, referencing the symbol of the Soviet Union, is a demonstration of its historical importance, but in recent years it fell into disrepair. MVRDV's design answers the question "how could the remarkable history of the steel factory be combined with the demands for the creation of a new, attractive, modern urban neighbourhood in the centre of the Russian Capital?"
MVRDV used the existing structures on the site as a guide, retaining the existing factory streets and incorporating structures such as chimneys into the design. The factory buildings themselves are replaced by new structures which follow the existing built footprint, but incorporate green courtyards into the buildings.
The design also repairs and incorporates a transport ring which was part of the existing factory, reinterpreting the structure as a three-dimensional public park and walkway, including playgrounds, sports facilities, open air markets and pavilions, and providing views over the neighborhood.
The new neighborhood is planned for completion in 2021, and will provide space for 19,000 inhabitants and 16,000 workers.
