Maxwan

IFC | International Financial Centre . MOSCOW

Maxwan

This International Financial Centre is tailor made for the financial world: the best possible place to work and do business. But this is by no means an isolated business quarter. This IFC works as a catalyst for a complete city and the development of a fantastic river landscape park. Vibrant city life and real nature, all at walking distance.

First nature oriented IFC in the world: ‘Banking in the green’
The complete masterplan for the IFC is based on an optimal relation with the surrounding landscape. It maximizes green surface and minimizes hard surface, it finds many different ways of enjoying the water.
The unique green character and high ecological value of the masterplan will provide excellent branding opportunities.
The grid: most flexible recipe for an unknown future.
The grid layout in the neighborhoods is very flexible, it allows for easy phasing, natural growth and quality from the beginning. This generic form allows for different uses, different plot sizes. Therefore the masterplan also works in case the IFC doesn’t happen, if the city doesn’t reach its maximum size, or if growth happens at a slower pace than predicted.
Variety of Lifestyles
Besides the core of the Moscow IFC, which is situated in the Central Quarter, this masterplan contains a variety of residential neighbourhoods. The diversity of living atmospheres will appeal to the many different users that will live work and visit in this city. Russian or international. True variation is a rare quality in Moscow. It makes this city more lively and socially durable; a real community. Every neighbourhood in itself is complete with daily shops and services, schools, daycares and recreation.
Top Public Spaces
Successful IFC’s have one thing in common: they have compact public space, consisting of streets and squares, and a strong relation between inside and outside. This makes streets more attractive and human-scaled, livelier and socially safer. The masterplan takes the grid as a base. The special public spaces form the exception. This makes orientation easy. Urban green like trees, parks and roof-scapes add attractiveness to public space.
Great Architecture
The buildings of the IFC are tailored to the business culture of the future: flexible, people-friendly, environmentally-conscious, open and transparent. In the Central Quarter the principle of the ‘setback’ is applied. This principle allows building in a high building density in the Central Quarter while keeping light and human scaled streets. The visual character of buildings is timeless, high quality, with strong appearance. The building-shape defines public space, facades relate to the street, adding to the feeling of openness.
Smooth Network
The masterplan offers a sustainable mix between modes of transport. This helps to reduce congestion, reduces domination of the car in the streetscape, and lowers environmental impact. Within the IFC, walking and cycling will be a natural thing to do. Distances are short, logical comfortable and attractive, also during winter. For longer distances, public transport will be the more logical choice (over car use). The periphery location of the IFC also requires a relatively high car component, to compensate for the axial public transport system that is mainly focused at Moscow Centre.
Be Feasible
The simple street grid, in combination with a strong structure of key public spaces, forms a clear backbone for this masterplan. It is the most flexible recipe for a long and unknown future. It allows easy phasing, natural growth and quality from the beginning. This plan is made by smart integration of design and financial feasibility. A method that increases profits lowers financial risk and lowers risk of plan failure.

Credits:
program offices 1.9M m2, hotels 156,000 m2, residential 1.8M m2, retail+leisure 145,000 m2, social infrastructures 161,000 m2, cultural facilites 31,000 m2
client Sberbank
country Russian Federation
city Moscow
scale XXL
team leader Kris Schaasberg
partner in charge Hiroki Matsuura, Rients Dijkstra
team Artur Borejszo, Rene Sangers, Valentina Chiappa Nunez, Veronika Kommova, Nobuki Ogasahara, Aleksandar Hrib, Harm te Velde, Igor Sladoljev, Niels Baljet
collaboratorsReserve, Juurlink [+] Geluk, ARUP, Pegasus, GVA Sawyer
awards One of 3 finalists.