Case Study: Capital City

Towers, Moscow, Russia

Submitted by:
Asas, James Earl P.
2012-01791-MN-0
BS Archi 4-2

Submitted to:
Ar. Rey S. Gabitan
Architectural Design 8 Professor

Description
The Capital City is a multifunctional complex, including twin tower skyscrapers, located in
the Moscow International Business Center in Moscow designed by Erick van Egeraat. The Capital
City, symbolizing Moscow and St. Petersburg, was completed in 2009.
More than half of the top floors are taken up by an entertainment complex, office suites,
and large apartments. The Capital City consists of two towersthe 76-level "Moscow Tower" and
the 65-level "St. Petersburg Tower". Floors 17 and 18 of both towers are offices. The entire
complex sits on a main lobby consisting of 6 underground floors and 4 aboveground floors of
public space. The upper floors of the base structure contain shops, a fitness center, presentation
halls, and restaurants.

Plan Shape
The shape of the plan takes as an inspiration from the Counter-Corner in 1914 by
Vladimir Tatlin. Tatlin is often heralded as the father of Russian Constructivism. His experimental
work in 20th century marked an attempt to redefine sculptures relationship to built space. His
works are slung between two perpendicular walls. It breaches the orthogonal shape of a typical
room in order to create a taut, an interstitial geometry.
This has a similar effect on the plan shape of the Capital City wherein the segments
undergo an offset rotation which creates a dynamic departure from the stability of the square.
The plan showcases a slender, elegant massing that maximizes the floor area ratio
enhancing the views and natural lighting. The setup of the rooms eliminated the usage of the
corridors, thus, providing spacious units suitable for a luxury housing.

1Corner-Counter by Vladimir Tatlin

3D Form
The Architectural approach to the complex is rooted in 20th-century Russian
Constructivism, with its clear and distinct geometric forms. The square towers are twisted on axis
at the technical floor levels, adding motion to their silhouette. It creates a rotational effect to the
building.
In contrast to the rectilinear tower segments, the podium has an inclined faade and
curvilinear ground plan. It alludes the Moscows concentric ring roads.

Building Skin
Russian Constructivism can be seen not only in the proportion of the sizes of the podiums
and the towers, but also in the design of the faade. Basing on the original design of Egeraat, the
building envelope has vertical lines that are highlighted by a mosaic made of dark and light terra
cotta tablets. The tablets also emphasize the residential part of the building, where there is again
a combination of smooth and rough surfaces on the podium faade.
However, basing on the outcomes of the project, the towers are enclosed in a unitized
panel system with four-sided structural-silicone glazing. The panels are also shifting in plan.
Others are protruding outward while some are slightly inset to accommodate LED lightings. The
curtain wall also integrates electronically operated windows in all apartments.
The podium, on the other hand, uses two systems: a structural silicone and a pointsupported planar glass system.

Bibbliography:
o Binder, G. (2006). Tall Buildings of Europe, Middle East, & Africa. Images Publishing.
o Starodubtsev, Y., Myers, J., & Goetz, L. (2011). Case Study: Capital City Towers, Moscow.
CTBUH Journal, (II).
o Hernandez, J. M. (n.d.). Capital City Towers. Retrieved from
http://www.jmhdezhdez.com/2013/06/capital-city-towers-moscow-group.html
o Russian Constructivism. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/constructivism/