ZIL Factory Shops to Become a Public Space

Manufacturing shops from the ensemble of the ZIL’s Central Boulevard are to be reconstructed and integrated with public functions, said Sergey Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow.

‘This is an important model project for comprehensive development of a huge area of the city, which mayor Sergey Sobyanin has called one of the largest among the capitals of the world. It was our cornerstone idea to establish continuity, to show that the layout of the area, of the streets residents of the new district walk on is not random. The history of the place will manifest itself not only through the toponymy, the preserved façades of the shops, but also the planning structure itself,’ — says Mr. Kuznetsov.

The Chief Architect reminded that the items proposed for conservation are parts of a single ensemble of the Soviet industrial architecture, designed within project of expansion and reconstruction of the plant in 1934-1937 by NKTP Workshop No1 of Vesnin Brothers and by Promstroyproekt.

The press facility can become a department store, the reinforcement facility — a children store, the iron foundry building — a mall, he says. ‘It will be a new public space of ZIL, but the functional program of the facilities will be specified by the customer’,— says the Chief Architect.

The concept of ZILART area developed by Project Meganom at the request of the developer, LSR Group, proposed reconstruction of several industrial buildings overlooking the main axis of the Boulevard and forming a number of roads perpendicular to the main route. It is foundry shop No. 2, the reinforcement facility, etc. They are of the same height of the cornice along the Boulevard, and have a similar façade design with solid glass and natural stone cladding.