Sergei Sobyanin orders to stop building old series panel houses by 2016

Construction of old series panel buildings will be stopped in Moscow by 2016, Sergei Sobyanin said during his inspection of a neighbourhood undergoing comprehensive residential development in the Zapadnoye (Western) Degunino District of the Northern Administrative Area.

“Although panel buildings look okay they are technically outdated. We must ban construction of the old series buildings starting in 2016. New generation panel buildings should be built instead, providing open-plan flats, energy efficiency and a non-fixed number of floors,” the Moscow Mayor noted.

Moscow’s Deputy Mayor for Urban Development and Construction, Marat Khusnullin, reported on the progress of converting to the new construction standards.

“All construction material manufacturers have received the executive order we sent out 18 months ago. Nearly all of them have launched the modernisation process. Some of them have converted already and are working on the new building series technology. The others have to convert until 2016,” Mr Khusnullin explained.

Panel building construction will continue in Moscow, but the buildings will be more modern and better-looking.

The new generation buildings will be of varying heights to harmoniously fit into the environment. This project provides for open-plan flats, proper corner sections, diverse façade options and retail and service shops on the first floors.

“Retail must be available on the first floor of these buildings. This is very important. There should be no residential space on ground level floors. In some districts there are neither shops nor proper consumer services. We must ensure availability,” Sergei Sobyanin stressed.

The Mayor concluded by saying that the area around residential buildings also must be developed.