Roscosmos will build its headquarters in Moscow. It will be a 267-meter-tall tower, costing the state corporation 25 billion rubles.
The Moscow Committee for Architecture has approved the construction project for the National Space Center, which will be built on the site of the Khrunevich Center in the western part of the capital, a short distance from the Fili metro station. In recent years, this facility has been in poor condition, and much of its land lies vacant. This has been noted by Vladimir Putin, who has ordered the creation of the National Space Center in Moscow.
What will it be like?
Following last year's competition, the design was awarded to the Russian design bureau UNK project. Dmitry Rogozin, CEO of Roscosmos, previously stated that the new building, where the engineering design bureau will relocate, should be shaped like a rocket. He believed this would be a meaningful reflection of the corporation's symbol.
As a result, the architects created a design for a building made of glass and thin aluminum sheets, which will have a triangular shape and the appearance of a spaceship. While a year ago, its height was planned to be only 215 meters, in the approved design, it has grown to 267 meters. The concept and pitch of the roof have also been modified. As a result, it has become more pointed and takes on the appearance of the state corporation's logo. Thus, the future National Space Center has every chance of ranking among the tallest buildings in Moscow, although it will be somewhat shorter than the skyscrapers of the City .
The triangular tower will also feature a spire and will undoubtedly become a dominant feature. It will house 47 floors of office space. Adjacent to it will be low-rise buildings, consisting of four blocks, symbolized by keyboards. A gallery will run through them, symbolizing the passage of time and showcasing the history of space exploration.
Construction work has begun and is well underway, although it's no secret that the NCC is being built on geologically complex soils. Therefore, its implementation requires additional planning, and the best specialists from Moscow and other institutes are being brought in to help.
The construction of the National Space Center, currently underway near Novozavodskaya Street, will be carried out by Mosinzhproekt until 2022. The required 25 billion rubles will be fully funded by the Moscow authorities. Roscosmos itself will not have to contribute a single kopeck, as Dmitry Rogozin noted in his interview with Kommersant.
Preparatory work and foundation construction have been completed at the complex, and monolithic structures are being erected. This work is being carried out using state-of-the-art technologies and in accordance with high industrial safety and environmental standards. Tagir Galimov, Deputy General Director of Mosinzhproekt, stated that plans are underway to complete all construction and installation work at the site by the end of 2022, and the NCC will open in 2023.
Prospects of the NCC
The National Space Center will occupy 6.9 hectares, and its total area will exceed 250,000 square meters. The tower is planned to house the Space Flight Control Center. It will be connected to a long building with key-shaped buildings, which will house:
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laboratories;
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production sites;
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production diversification center;
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research centers of leading Russian higher education institutions;
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offices of most companies belonging to Roscosmos;
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industry bank;
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scientific and educational center;
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cafes and shops.
The National Space Center will also acquire its own convention and business center. All of the corporation's more than 200 companies will be able to organize and hold events there. Thus, according to preliminary estimates, over 20,000 people will work in the new NSC building.
The surrounding area will also be improved. Public spaces, exhibitions, and fountains are planned, creating a place in Fili where every resident can spend time comfortably and productively. Furthermore, the area is planned to build two new bridges and roads, thereby addressing transportation accessibility.
One of the project's distinctive features is the idea of installing a media façade, but instead of traditional advertising, it will broadcast live video from the ISS. The National Space Center project's creators also considered both aesthetic and educational aspects. Therefore, the building will feature a large art installation depicting a cosmonaut floating in zero gravity and a specialized museum housing historical examples of aerospace technology.
The construction of the NCC also has economic benefits for all parties, including the Khrunevich Center. It has significant debts, which it plans to pay off with funds received from renting the NCC premises, as the entire complex will be transferred to the Khrunevich Center upon completion of construction.
