The former Peter the Great Military Academy of the Strategic Rocket Forces was built in 1764 as a foundling home. At various times the building has been an orphanage, a Palace of Labour and a military academy. In 2015 the academy moved to Balashikha and in 2017 the city decided to sell the plot to a private investor. Commissioned by the city, CM International develop the initial concept, which was approved by Moscow’s Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning. On this basis an auction was run, and the project acquired a new private owner.
We started off with detailed research into the territory and analysed the numerous cultural layers of the place. The complex includes buildings of federal significance, historically valuable buildings and a number of less important constructions dating to the mid-20th century. The technical brief we developed for the masterplan and architectural and landscaping concept of the quarter reveals to the city the rich heritage of this place and preserves it for comfortable and quiet apartments and hotel rooms.
The concept we proposed creates a new place of power and returns to the city a territory which will unite the existing active districts of Kitay-gorod and Zaryadye Park, while taking into account the commercial interests of the developer and the needs of future residents of the quarter. The project will provide a new impulse to the development of neighbouring territories and the formation of an attractive pedestrian centre in the city.