When talking about city prestige, big buildings are the way to go. Normally, when thinking about big buildings, we think New York. This might just change when Lord Foster's (famous architect, also designed NY's freedom towers) new project , "The Crystal Island", is finished.

This new structure in the russian Capital will hold an entire city on it's own. Containing 900 apartments, 3000 hotel rooms, a school for 500 students, cinemas, a theater, sports complex and much more, this isn't just a skyscraper. This is a gigantic pyramid. Though you could very well make a case for calling it a big christmas tree...

It will be 450m high, covering a floor area of 2.5 million square meters and near half a million square meters. The cost of building Crystal Island will sum $4 billions.

When talking about city prestige, big buildings are the way to go. Normally, when we think about big building, we think New York. This might just change when Lord Foster's (famous architect, also designed NY's freedom towers) new project , "The Crystal Island", is finished.

This new structure in the Russian Capital will hold an entire city on it's own. Containing 900 apartments, 3000 hotel rooms, a school for 500 students, cinemas, a theater, sports complex and much more, this isn't "just" a skyscraper. This is a gigantic pyramid. Though you could very well make a case for calling it a big christmas tree.

crystal island

The Crystal Island is not just an unusual huge building, it is a building-city. How comes? Well if you take the fact that this building will host about 3000 hotel rooms, about 900 serviced apartments, a school, exhibition spaces, theaters, retail and catering businesses, two public viewing platforms, at 150 meters and 300 meters, it's not just a building anymore. It's small city. The exterior facade will use solar responsive panels which, along with wind turbines, will generate electricity for the huge tower. Natural ventilation will be provided thanks to numerous strategically placed large atriums.

This entire project was initiated by Norman Foster, founder and chairman of Foster + Partners. Regarding the Crystal Island project, Norman Foster said: “Crystal Island is one of the world’s most ambitious building projects and it represents a milestone in the 40 year history of the practice. It is the largest single building in the world, creating a year-round destination for Moscow and a sustainable, dynamic new urban quarter. It is a paradigm of compact, mixed-use, sustainable city planning, with an innovative energy strategy and ‘smart’ skin which buffers against climate extremes.”

Project Area

Total Gross External Area (Above Ground): 1,100,000 m2
Site area: 440,000 m2

Programme:

Public 360deg Top Observation Deck (at 300m level): 3000 m2 gross external area
Public 360deg Main Observation Deck (150m ): 6000 m2
Serviced apartments – approx. 900 units (80m to 140m): 265,000 m2
Hotel – approx. 3000 keys (12m to 80m ): 245,000 m2
Offices (40m to 80m ): 75,000 m2
Retail, Catering, Entertainment (0m to 40m ): 160,000 m2
Museum and IMAX (0m to 40m ); 100,000 m2
Theatres – 1500, 750, 750 seats (0m to 40m): 95,000 m2
School – 500 students (0m to 40m): 4000 m2
Covered Public Space: 150,000 m2
Sub-Total Above Ground: 1,100,000 m2
Sub-Total Above 150m: 3,000 m2

Underground Parking – approx. 14,000 spaces: 525,000 m2
Utilities and services: 875,000 m2
Sub-Total Below Ground: 1,400,000 m2

Total: 2,503,000 m2

Heights

Top of structure: 450m
Top Viewing Platform: 300m
Main Viewing Platform: 150m
Perimeter building height: 20m

Floor to floor heights (above ground): 4m
Floor to floor height retail: 6m
Floor to floor height parking: 4m

source: fosterandpartners.com