The sky of Moscow is not so far as it seems... just need to know
how to get there.
Nikolai
likes to look at the sky, he feels closer of the truth, of the honesty, of the
dignity human (obviously, is young).
Understood perfectly that the ancient cathedrals were built high and beautiful,
from a distance, these buildings (such as the Saint Basil's Cathedral) beautify
the space, from the proximity imposed, leave you speechless. Now, beginning
the twenty-first century (only have spent 15 years), the need to get to heaven
is more linked to the use of that space and not to design or beauty, but
Nikolai find more inspiring the second option.
Nikolai
is studying the master of architecture in the Rudn (University in Moscow, Russia), is very
popular because also studied many people from other countries, all a cultural
mix. His best friend is a Spanish woman, he never remembers very well her
region...is Extremadura, Murcia or Catalonia? And she does not like, "the Spanish women are rare, which
importance will have in to born in a corner or another?" Nikolai
thinks sometimes, but with Sandra (her name is this) everything is always new
and difficult also.
But
Nikolai thinks that the difficulties give meaning to life, he accompanies
Sandra (and she accompanies Nikolai) in the breakaways by Moscow. "This city is unique, with its own
personality and a frightening cold", says she. One of their favourite sites is the international business centre of
Moscow (Moscow City), this Centre was planned by the Government in 1992, in
Presnensky district, to the West of Moscow, on the Bank of the Moskva River.
They feel very close to this place, among other things because like them, the
site has a promising future, and eager to exploit it (aside, of course, have
approximately the same age).
They
spend hours contemplating and analysing the different towers, improve mentally
the buildings and give them different uses, and, when they can, assail to the
operators or the users of the buildings. They do not like the Evolution Tower
and the Imperia Tower, they worship the Mercury City and the Naberezhnaya
Tower, they entertain much with the Capital city (with its set of volumes), but
they love the Federation Towers. Before
of visiting the site for the first time already knew that their architects were
Mr Peter Schweger (from ASP Schweger Assoziierte Gesamtplanung GmbH, Hamburg) and Mr Sergei Tchoban (of NPS Tchoban Voss Architekten BDA, Berlin).
The
complex consists of two towers and an antenna that fits in the middle. The
highest Tower reaches 374 meters and, although it is not yet in operation, soon
it will do so, becoming the largest skyscraper in Europe, the antenna will
reach 506 meters of height when it is completed and the date for completion is
2016, although it is likely it is delayed. The constructions are born from a
base where are located the vestibules of apartments, offices, restaurants and
various shops, below this, four underground floors for engine rooms, various services
and parkings.
The
buildings are of mixed use: residential and office, the promoters boast that you
no need to leave the resort to make life complete (if you so wish, clear). From the base, two structures with form of
a equilateral triangle (with slightly curved walls) go narrowing while it rise
to sky, the lower reaches the 63 plants, has 244 meters high and was put into
operation in 2008. Nikolai likes to call each building by its name, the
"small" is the tower Zapad and tower Vostok the least
"small", Sandra likes to merge them and always speaks of the
Federation complex, which has 443.000 square meters of floorspace in total.
The
structures are of a reinforced concrete of extreme hardness, the double of the
conventional, achieving a greater slenderness and durability. The foundations
of the complex are composed of 14 thousand cubic metres of concrete and,
according to its website, have
earned their record in the Guinness Book of
the records. When two
buildings of different sizes (and weights) are anchored to the same point, we
should choose to make sure that there will be no displacement by the
differential movements. This can be achieved of two ways:
separating the two structures in such a way that function independently, or
anchoring its foundations in a big (and stable) slab immovable (in theory). In
this building, they chose the second.
The
Vostok Tower has 93 flooring of height and includes, in its interior, offices
of type A + (with one of the most important banks of the globe), luxury
apartments, a hotel five star Grand Hyatt Moscow,
restaurants, boutiques and it will have a public viewpoint on floor 87. The engineer Thornton Tomasetti count us, there will are footbridges on
the 32 and 64 floors. Also he speak that every 25 to 30 plants are stabilizers,
which ensure that the movements of the structures, caused by winds or
earthquakes, will cause the least possible damage. For the
construction and the design have been taken into account all the parameters of
security, as well as the forecasts by computer techniques.
The
facades have also received special treatment. In first place this facade is
decorated with the abstract image of clouds, to create the feeling of buoyancy
in the skyscrapers. The windows are panoramic (from floor to ceiling), some
plants reaching the 5.5 meters of height and 1.83 meters wide. Do not have
anything that obstructs the view of the city, a great idea, of course. But the glasses have a
very special secret: are filled with argon. This is achieved through the
inclusion of the gas in the intermediate Chamber between two or three glasses.
The argon is a noble, odourless,
colourless, and tasteless gas. It is used because it is denser than the
atmosphere, and therefore offers a greater resistance to thermal conductivity,
and an insulating better than air chambers. The principal
fear facing is the impact that it will have if the gas escape, well, the argon
gas is non-toxic, in fact, exists in the air naturally in a rate of 2 percent.
The argon also minimizes the condensation that accumulates on the glass by the
temperature difference between the two faces, so if you have a glass with argon
and it is tarnished, you are calling the manufacturer. A last data, also
reduces the transmission of sound even in 3 decibels.
Nikolai and Sandra are not say bye bye
when they finish the course and she had to return to her country of origin. "We will again be together"
promised him, "you can be sure"
assured her, in their hearts the passion of the youth, in their minds the
freshness of the intelligence, in the future a great incognito.
