February 22, 2005

The high-profile public ceremony in Moscow on February 9 officially set off construction on the “Federation” towers in the city’s future financial district. The “Federation” will be the kernel of the planned Moscow-City, an area four kilometers northwest of the Kremlin where most government and business activity will be relocated by 2010.

Billed as Europe’s tallest skyscraper and the keystone in Moscow’s ambitious urban redevelopment, the “Federation” was designed by German architects Peter Schweger of ASP Schweger Assoziirte Gesamtplanung GmbH (Hamburg) and Sergei Tchoban of nps tchoban voss (Berlin).

Preparatory works have been underway since April of last year, including a geological survey of the site. Two asymmetrical glass towers will stand on a stylobate which also supports a centrally positioned spire perforated by elevator shafts. The antenna atop the spire rises to the height of 1,425 feet. The towers will contain 84 and 57 floors each and feature multi-functional space that includes offices, apartments, and a five-star hotel. The unifying ground platform will house stores, restaurants, and banks.

At the base of the spire is a 65-foot high aquarium wrapped around a panoramic elevator – a concept derived from Tchoban’s earlier design for Dom Aquarèe in Berlin. Construction is expected to be complete by 2007 at an estimated cost of $500 million.

Paul Abelsky

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