In Moscow, the glazing of the first building of the Lomonosov Science and Technology Cluster at Moscow State University has been completed, with construction scheduled for completion in 2023. The concept was developed by Moscow's chief architect Sergey Kuznetsov and the chief architect of the KAMEN bureau, Ivan Grekov.
The ten-story building with mirrored facades will house laboratories, coworking spaces, and recreation areas. The glazing area will exceed 35,000 square meters.
“On behalf of Sergey Semenovich Sobyanin, we tried to create a landmark building, because this is a flagship cluster,” said Moscow's chief architect Sergey Kuznetsov. "If you imagine it standing on the main entrance road, where a new street is being formed between Vernadsky and Michurinsky avenues, it is like an inviting object that marks the entire valley. Therefore, the task was to create an important, symbolic image that would truly be a symbol, an icon of the place. And that's how it turned out. This complex is an example of top-notch architecture, dynamic and impressive."
According to Ivan Grekov, head of KAMEN Architects, the idea behind the Lomonosov project is primarily linked to the main function of the building, which will become an educational and research center.
The building is divided into two parts: a stylobate base, solid as fundamental science, and a light, floating silhouette top, a metaphor for striving toward the future and developing innovation. Thanks to the plasticity and carefully selected materials, both parts of the building are closely connected to each other. In this way, the architect reveals the theme of upward movement and the desire to fly. This is conveyed through the dynamics of the consoles and the complex plasticity, which is formed in part by the glass facades.
The mirrored facade of the Lomonosov building will reflect the surrounding environment: the movement of the sun, sunset, and sunrise. Magnetron-sputtered glass will make it possible to emphasize changes in nature, in part through plasticity.
“The facade is dynamic, even though the architecture itself is relatively static: we move, and the environment around the building changes — it begins to shimmer, ‘float’ and exist in time,” explains Ivan Grekov. “At the same time, the fundamental lower part of the building has slightly less glazing and slightly more aluminum. This allows us to ‘ground’ ourselves: to make sure that not the entire building ‘flies,’ but only part of it. At the same time, both the bottom and the top have the same glass — a material that unites the present and the future.”
According to Ivan Grekov, Moscow is actively supporting the creation of recognizable architecture. According to this concept, buildings in the capital should be iconic, and each object should essentially become a point of attraction for tourists and city residents. Thus, despite the fact that the task of building a scientific and technical cluster was initially conservative, the architect managed to realize the concept of a modern future and emphasize the movement of the city.
While working on the project, the team of authors—Sergey Kuznetsov and the KAMEN Architects bureau—thought through the location of the Lomonosov cluster in relation to the metropolis and its main transport flows in advance. The building will be the first and benchmark project in the large master plan for the future scientific valley of Moscow State University, which will house more than 10 clusters. Therefore, the first building is oriented towards the main point of perception – the highway that runs along the southern side of the site. In addition, the building stands on a hill and its “wings” are turned towards the park, from where it will look just as harmonious. This will visually support the open urban space that is formed in front of the entrance to the new building.
The first building of the Lomonosov cluster has already been glazed. The project uses Silver 60 and HD Platinum 67 multifunctional glass, developed in 2021 for such large-scale projects. Mirrored glass with high light transmission, neutral and without tints, will not only allow the architect's visual ideas to be realized, but also create maximum daylight in the rooms of the innovation center. At the same time, thanks to the energy efficiency of the material, the building with panoramic glazing will be comfortable to work in both in hot and cold weather. Another feature of the project is the glass grilles designed by KAMEN Architects.