Crystal Island is a cultural and business center that was to be built in the capital. His project was developed by British architect Norman Foster. It was assumed that he would appear in the Nagatinskaya floodplain. The center was supposed to open its doors in 2014.
What was Crystal Island supposed to be?
“Crystal Island” was supposed to be a huge skyscraper with a height of at least 450 meters. The total area of ​​the interior of the project is about two and a half million square meters. Thus, this building was supposed to be the most spacious in the world.
It was one of the largest projects of business centers not only in Russia, but also on the whole planet. The construction cost was about four billion dollars. The main investor who was going to build the "Crystal Island" was Shalva Chigirinsky. He is the head of Russian Land.
Who is Shalva Chigirinsky?
Shalva Chigirinsky is a well-known domestic businessman of Georgian origin. He was born in Kutaisi in 1949. He graduated from Sechenov Moscow State Medical Institute. He planned to become a doctor.
His life changed dramatically after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He went into business. In 1989, he founded his first real estate company. He worked in Spain and Germany. Implemented projects for the construction and reconstruction of real estate throughout Europe with their subsequent resale. Including engaged in the restoration of architectural monuments in Moscow.
In 1997, Shalva Chigirinsky headed the board of directors of ST Group. Since then, he has led large-scale business real estate projects mainly in Moscow. In the early 2000s, he received a stake in the Russian oil business.
In 2004, his new company, ST Development, entered the market. It was she who won the competition for the reconstruction of the Rossiya Hotel in Moscow. The cost of her project amounted to almost one billion dollars. Later, the results of the competition were declared invalid.
The state of Chigirinsky, according to experts, is estimated at two and a half billion dollars. The key projects he led were the construction of the Moscow City business district and the Crystal skyscraper in Khanty-Mansiysk. Among the projects was Crystal Island in Moscow.
In 2009, Chigirinsky had serious problems. A London court arrested his property in a lawsuit filed by VTB, a Russian bank. At the time of the trial, the court limited its costs to 25 thousand pounds a week, not including the services of lawyers.
He failed to finance the Crystal Island project.
Business Center Specifications
The estimated height of the skyscraper was 450 meters. At the same time, all the so-called useful areas of the building should have been located below 150 meters. An observation deck was planned at 300 meters.
“Crystal Island” in the south of Moscow was supposed to be a cone with a concave lateral surface. At the base, the diameter of the building is about 700 meters.
The diagonal grid with cells in the form of rhombuses on the facade of the building, as well as the shape of the structure in the form of a hyperboloid, brought the skyscraper closer to the Shukhov television tower, built in 1929.
City in the city
"Crystal Island" in the Nagatinskaya floodplain was planned as a city in the city. The skyscraper was supposed to contain premises of all kinds of purpose.
Only about 800 thousand square meters was intended for the organization of cultural events. Another 300 thousand square meters - for hotel rooms and hotels of different levels of stardom. In total, about three thousand numbers were to appear.
On 250 thousand square meters it was planned to open shopping and entertainment centers and complexes. Another 250 thousand square meters - only for sports complexes (gyms and fitness centers).
Huge underground parking for more than 400 thousand square meters. The building should also accommodate living quarters. Almost a thousand apartments of an elite class, as well as an elite school with a bias in foreign languages ​​for half a thousand students.
Infrastructure
Such a skyscraper needed a separate impressive infrastructure. Designers planned that Crystal Island, a photo of which adorned all architectural magazines at one time, will be largely supplied with resources through modern technology.
So, part of the electricity expected to receive from solar panels located on the roof of the building, and wind generators. Caring for the environment was also an important part of this project. Also, a natural ventilation system was developed for the skyscraper.
On the outskirts of Moscow, next to the Khrustalny Ostrov business center, a metro station was to appear. A new stop could have occurred on the Zamoskvoretskaya line, between the Avtozavodskaya and Kolomenskaya stations.
Project history
Crystal Island in Moscow will be built by 2014 - such terms were planned after the project was approved by members of the Public Council under the mayor of the capital, Yuri Luzhkov.
The decision was made almost unanimously. The only opponent of the construction of a modern business center was Alexei Klimenko. At that time, he served as vice president of the Academy of Art Criticism. Klimenko compared the architectural project with a Buddhist stupa, noting that this style contradicts the European city’s appearance. And the nearby former royal residence Kolomenskoye, in his opinion, could be significantly affected by the "Crystal Island".
In addition, the Nagatinsky floodplain, where the skyscraper was supposed to appear, was already considered at that time to be a dangerous district of the capital from an environmental point of view.
The money was invested in the project exactly until 2010, until the resignation of the capital's mayor, Yuri Luzhkov. After he left the post, the project was frozen. In addition, serious financial and legal problems arose for the main investor of Crystal Island, Shalva Chigirinsky.
Project architect
The answer to the question, when the Crystal Island will be built in Moscow, was best known by the chief architect of the project, British Norman Foster. A native of Manchester, a native of a working-class family, he graduated from Yale University's architectural school in the United States. Together with Richard Rogers, he is considered one of the founders of the high-tech style. This style was largely based on buildings created by the Soviet architect Vladimir Shukhov (including the famous television tower in Moscow).
Shukhov for Foster was an idol. In most of his buildings, he used mesh shells so beloved by Shukhov. They also planned to apply them in the construction of the "Crystal Island".
Among the most famous works of Foster are the Mary-Ex skyscraper in London, the faculty of law of the University of Cambridge, the Bilbao metro in Spain, the Commerzbank Tower in Germany, the international airport in Hong Kong, and the exhibition hall in Singapore.
He worked actively in the territory of the former USSR. In Kazakhstan, he erected the Bayterek monument, the Palace of Peace and Accord, and the Khan-Shatyr shopping and entertainment center. In Russia, he worked on a project for the Rossiya tower, and in St. Petersburg, he developed the Apraksin Dvor shopping complex.
Nagatinsky floodplain
Shopping center "Crystal Island" was supposed to appear in the Nagatinskaya floodplain. This is a recreation area in the south of the capital. It also has another name - "Park named after the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution."
The park is currently in disrepair. There are no attractions or other amusements common for the city. The only thing that attracts the Nagatinsky floodplain is the opportunity to take walks in the fresh air. Entrance to the park is free.
Residents of nearby neighborhoods are opposed to attempts to develop the park, which are regularly undertaken by the Moscow City Hall. They planned to arrange the Formula 1 race track, as well as a leisure and entertainment center with a yacht club, hotels and golf courses.
Recently, the Nagatinskaya floodplain is part of the Kuzminki Moscow Park of Culture and Leisure.
What will appear on the site of Crystal Island?
After the project of the Crystal Island business center was frozen, for several years it was not known whether anything would appear in its place. Clarity came in 2014. The new mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, officially announced the construction of a Russian amusement park in the Nagatinskaya floodplain, an analogue of Disneyland.
In 2015, the planning plan was approved. It includes amusement areas, cinemas, theme cafes, a fairy-tale children's town, a concert hall, landscaped gardens, a pedestrian promenade, several ice rinks and a yacht school.