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LA based architecture firm, 5+design is helping to revive one of Moscow’s 209 industrial zones with the new Riviera project.
Located near the Moscow Kremlin on the edge of the Moskva River, Riviera will bring 100,000 sq m of high and mainstream fashion, electronics, hypermarket, restaurants, multi-screen cinema and other entertainment attractions.
The project’s overall design was inspired by its spectacular riverfront location that sits adjacent the Moskva River. Using light and its relationship to the river as driving forces for the design, the Riviera Mall goes beyond the common aesthetic of retail centres to exist as an organic form derived from the land. Moscow has a remarkable quality of light that is ever changing throughout the year, from dramatic and magical snowy winters, to the long golden evenings of summertime.
Its exterior is clad in iridescent blue panels that feature a wave pattern to evoke the movement of the river and reflections of sunlight on its surface. To create movement and texture, three different profiled panels were arranged along the 400 metre long façade in organic wave-like patterns. The raised profiles of the iridescent panels naturally shimmer as the angle of the sun and cloud shadows change throughout the day. Many of the panels are internally lit with animated LED sequencing that will continue the effect at night.
White perforated metal panels were laser cut and inserted alongside the blue panels in a custom wave pattern. The project’s eight large scale video LED panels were placed at key vantage points and stand at 12 metres tall. Angled for oblique viewing along the projects busy highway frontage, the videos were composed as a chorus line of dancing images that reveal the excitement and overall experience within Riviera. On the long elevation facing the river, a series of dining terraces are composed in a wavy form on the upper levels, giving the façade a physical undulation and dynamic three dimensional rhythm.
The project’s three level retail galleries are anchored on the ground floor by an 8000 sq m hypermarket to the east and a multi-level department store to the west. On the third floor, food court with an iconic two storey high kids play structure will be featured at the west side. On the third level east, the nine screen Cinema will sit adjacent to the entertainment area. All along the north gallery, two level restaurants with outdoor terraces will provide an excellent view of the river and Moscow’s bustling skyline.
Slated for completion at the end of this year, Riviera will become an iconic destination within the region and a catalyst for revitalising this portion of Moscow’s historic manufacturing district.
Nick Myall
News Editor