PROJECT of residential
Location: Kaluga
Status:Project
development of the former
Kristall plant in Kaluga
The most important reference point for Borisov Architects when creating this project was the preserved cultural heritage objects - the former factory buildings, which are a striking example of red-brick industrial architecture of the late 19th century. One of these monuments will become an important element of the project to be realized here: it is planned to be restored and used for public functions - cafes, stores, co-working spaces. The former internal territory of the factory will be landscaped and transformed into a multifunctional residential neighborhood. The estimated area of the new development is about 35 thousand square meters.
The residential buildings are grouped in two blocks, one of which is a closed rectangle in plan, and the other, following the configuration of the territory, is interpreted as an elongated trapezoid, and in this case the architects placed the buildings only along its two longest sides. The central axis of the public spaces, on both sides of which the houses are located, is the historical dominant of the area - the former factory chimney.
The individual high-rise accents of the new development alternate with low-rise volumes, which helps to better integrate the buildings into the structure of the former factory. The rounded corners of the tallest buildings and the architects' choice of cladding material also contribute to this task - the light-colored brick facades emphasize the chamber-like character of the building and its subordinate position in relation to the nearby monuments. The natural picturesque pattern of brickwork on the landscaping level is complemented by paving, the pattern of which plays off the patterns of traditional Kaluga embroidery. In this way, the architects sought to bring into the new development not only the memory of a particular site, but also a broader historical context.