In July 2020, development company MR Group presented the concept and announced the start of construction on a new Class A business center. Its two skyscrapers, located on a shared stylobate, will harmoniously combine intelligence, innovation, and individuality. The complex, dubbed iCity , will be built at 37 Shmitovsky Proezd. The project's creators call the future skyscrapers Moscow's first digital towers, and they are arguably well-deserved.
Briefly about iCity
iCity is an innovative project that will utilize cutting-edge solutions. This will create a number of advantages for office owners and tenants and will also create a completely new business space. Construction has already begun and is expected to be fully completed by 2023.
The complex will consist of two towers of different heights, perched on a common stylobate. They have already been given the telling names: Time Tower and Space Tower. The first will be 141.2 meters tall, corresponding to 34 floors. Its total floor area will reach 47,432 square meters. The second tower, Space Tower, will rise to 256.7 meters, have 61 floors, and a total floor area of just over 94,000 square meters.
Almost all of the skyscrapers' usable space will be dedicated to offices, with a total area of approximately 141,000 square meters. However, the developers also considered the convenience of their employees and visitors. Therefore, 9,800 square meters of iCity will be dedicated to retail. To address the perennial parking problem, iCity will feature a five-level underground parking garage with space for 942 cars.
The general contractor is Renaissance Construction, a company with extensive experience in skyscraper construction. Leading global market leaders such as CRBE, Knight Frank, and Colliers International served as consultants on the project.
iCity Location
The business center of the future will be built on a 2-hectare site located directly within the overpass connecting Moscow's major highways: the Third Ring Road and Shmitovsky Proezd. The iCity parking lot will be accessible directly from the Third Ring Road, which is not only convenient but also avoids disrupting other high-speed traffic.
You can reach iCity not only by car but also by public transportation. The Testovskaya MCD station is just a minute's walk away, while the Shelepikha metro station is just a five-minute walk away. The proximity of the MCD stations will help you avoid missing your flight, as regular Aeroexpress trains will take you from iCity to Sheremetyevo Airport in just an hour.
Since the complex will be located in close proximity to Moscow City, convenient pedestrian connections to the business district will be designed. Specifically, iCity will be accessible from the Moscow International Business Center via a system of underground and overground passages leading from the Delovoy Tsentr and Mezhdunarodnaya metro stations. The entire journey takes no more than 10 minutes.
The complex's proximity to high-speed highways left no room for the project's developers to overlook the need for a well-developed infrastructure within the complex. Therefore, iCity fully realizes the mini-city concept. As a result, employees and guests of the innovative business center will have access to all the amenities of modern life, simply a high-speed elevator ride down to the stylobate section of the complex. Its floors will house large restaurants and cozy cafes, convenient dining areas and mini-markets, numerous shops, pharmacies, beauty salons, and much more. Furthermore, the Time Tower on the 8th floor will feature a fitness center with stunning views of bustling Moscow, and a large swimming pool will be an added bonus for those who enjoy a healthy lifestyle and active recreation.
Business space
Naturally, a complex like iCity will house Class A offices, but the building also offers space for businesses of all sizes. Offices will be located starting on the 9th floor of the Time Tower, and starting on the 13th floor of the Space Tower. iCity will also feature coworking spaces and service offices, occupying floors 8–12 of both towers. The building as a whole features thoughtful layouts, particularly highlighted by the placement of all utilities within the skyscrapers' core.
When designing the project, the specialists considered both the comfort of the residents and the attractiveness of the complex. Therefore, the concept of creating unique sky terraces on the northeastern and northwestern facades of the towers was incorporated. Here, office workers and guests will be able to unwind and admire the city. The sky terraces will be arranged in several vertical groups, but their main feature will be the use of highly durable yet translucent glass as the coverings. Designer lighting, which will be activated at nightfall, will further enhance the wow factor.
Engineering innovations
It's no coincidence that iCity is called the first digital business center, as the complex will be constructed using a smart building or "smart architecture" approach. This implies a combination of intelligent engineering with complete automation and energy efficiency. Therefore, the developer makes no secret of the fact that the project will incorporate the latest technologies and developments in intelligent systems, including:
· biometric access system;
· launch a mobile application to log in and manage services;
· office optimization based on heat maps, etc.
The complex was designed from the ground up to achieve LEED Gold certification. Therefore, all engineering solutions will fully comply with strict ASHRAE requirements, including energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features:
· air recovery system;
· LED lighting of workplaces, parking, common areas, facades;
· air conditioning system;
· silent high-speed elevators, including panoramic ones, connecting the atrium, lobby and parking floors, etc.
Some of iCity's façades will feature a fritted shading layer, which will prevent excessive heat gain and reduce transparency while preserving the view from panoramic windows. Overall, according to the plan, iCity's energy consumption will be 17% lower than ASHRAE standards.
Architecture
The futuristic architecture of iCity was developed by the architectural firm JAHN Architecture and Helmut Jahn himself, while the Russian architectural firm Pride was selected as the general designer. Following painstaking work, the iCity project was approved by the Moscow Committee for Architecture in the spring of 2020.
The elegant iCity skyscrapers feature a waistline and chamfered corners, subtly accentuated by red fritted glass. Incidentally, the color red was used not only for the building's façade design but also for other spaces within the complex, creating a unified style. The façades are clad in vertical perforated steel panels of varying shades. Opening windows are located behind them. Helmut Jahn, who has designed stadiums, skyscrapers, and airports around the world, stated that iCity promises to be a unique project on four continents and, in the future, a striking calling card for Moscow.
The design of the business center's public areas was entrusted to the specialists of the British firm Yorgo Lykouria. They envisioned a discreet, technological style for the foyer, but complemented it with the characteristic texture of birch, accents of stainless steel, and gray marble.
Landscape design
Gillespies (UK) and Arteza (Russia), responsible for the landscape design concept, created a unique solution for iCity – a green stylobate that flows harmoniously from the internal atrium into an outdoor garden. The roof of the eight-story stylobate will feature a ground-level garden with recreation areas, landscaped paths, playgrounds, and more.
Investments
Developer MR Group has opted for private investment and launched a series of investment funds in 2020. These funds allow individuals to profit from the company's projects, and the company to implement them. The entry threshold for the iCity project in the initial stages of construction is 6 million rubles.
The developer plans to sell space in blocks of 150 square meters in the Space Tower and lease it out floor by floor in the Time Tower, meaning 1,800 square meters or more. All infrastructure space is also leased. During the initial stages of construction, the price per square meter of office space in iCity starts at 275,000 rubles, but once the business center is operational, it will increase to at least 420,000 rubles. Rent per square meter will cost 35,000 rubles or more.
