Innovation leads the way in Skolkovo, Moscow

 

Aukett Swanke (UK), in conjunction with our Russia Licensee, won a limited international competition to design a new Educational and Workplace hub in the Skolkovo Innovation Centre, a high technology business area west of Moscow. The winning design provides 30,000sqm of accommodation on a 6.7 hectares site secured in a final shortlist that included architects Zaha Hadid and Herzog & de Meuron.

Highly acclaimed by the Skolkovo Innovation Centre’s international design committee, our approach builds upon our long history of pioneering hybrid building expertise to create a blend of innovative R+D narratives for workplace and educational uses, and providing income for both our UK and Russian businesses.

The emerging design is an environmentally tempered biosphere structure formed by a large singular sawtooth roof sitting over a series of lattice frames shared by junior and senior schools, student residences and a client headquarters building in a temperate environment sheltered from the harsh Russian winters.

The nature of the structural system offers maximum flexibility within a plan comprising five large open-air courtyards to bring daylight and green spaces to the centre of the building. These are linked by generous circulation and breakout spaces allowing children, students and office workers to break free from the boundaries of traditional learning and working spaces.