The Sky of Moscow

The sky of Moscow is not so far as it seems... just need to know how to get there.

(Edición en español)

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.