Moscow’s Global Architecture

Zaryadye Park

Construction of the park started in 2014 after a major international competition that drew entries from 27 countries — 420 companies grouped into 90 consortia. The selection committee included leading experts in architecture and urbanism. The winner was an international consortium of architects from Diller Scofidio + Renfro (New York), landscape specialists Hargreaves Associates (New York), and urban planners from Citymakers (Moscow).

The team pulled off something incredible, especially considering the project was exceptionally complex — the first of its kind in Moscow. The whole park is an artificial landscape; all the soil — different types shipped in for different plants — was brought by barge along the river. Beneath it lies a huge network of underground utility systems, unprecedented in Moscow. Inside, the park recreates Russia’s main natural zones — tundra, steppe, and forest — all in one place.

One of its standout features is the Floating Bridge, a cantilever structure stretching 70 metres without any supports or pillars. From there, you get breathtaking panoramic views of the city centre and the Moscow River embankments.

Right after the opening, Muscovites fell in love with the new perspectives. Now they could admire the city from a whole new angle and snap stunning shots — St. Basil’s and the Kremlin towers framed by lush greenery.

Address: Varvarka Street, 6с1

GES‑2 House of Culture

This snow‑white building with strange blue pipes on Bolotny Island used to be a power station. Now it’s one of Moscow’s main cultural spaces, where you can engage with bold contemporary art.

In 2005, GES‑2 was shut down: maintaining a century‑old power station was too costly. But it wasn’t demolished — in 2009, it was declared a cultural heritage site. Its new life began in the mid‑2010s when the station was bought by V‑A‑C Foundation, which supports contemporary art.

Under the guidance of Italian architect Renzo Piano (co‑designer of the Pompidou Centre in Paris), GES‑2 was cleared of scrap metal and placed on a new foundation. The building was painted white and made eco‑friendly: the dirty grey exhaust pipes were replaced by clean blue ones, and the roof was covered with solar panels. The station restored its panoramic windows and clock tower, and now there’s a beautiful birch grove next to the museum. Opened in 2021, GES‑2 has become one of the leading cultural centres in Moscow, hosting contemporary art exhibitions, festivals, and film screenings.

Address: Bolotnaya Embankment, 15

Museum of Russian Impressionism

In 2016, the Museum of Russian Impressionism opened on the grounds of the former Bolshevik confectionery factory. Its collection features works by Russian artists from the late 19th century to the first third of the 20th century.

The building that now houses the exhibitions was previously used as a flour storage area. Its reconstruction was carried out by the British architectural practice John McAslan + Partners. Previously, they had renovated the Stanislavsky Factory in Moscow and London’s King’s Cross station. Today, you’ll find paintings by Konstantin Korovin, Valentin Serov, and other masters where flour was once stored and milled.

The British architects preserved the building’s cylindrical shape and clad the brick in perforated metal panels. Inside there are five floors, three of which contain exhibition halls. On the basement level there’s a bookshop with museum souvenirs, and on the roof there’s a summer terrace and café.

Address: Leningradskiy Avenue, 15с11

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art

The museum was founded in 2008, but since 2015 it has been housed in the former Vremena Goda restaurant building. It was remodelled by architect Rem Koolhaas and his firm OMA (Netherlands). The Dutchman is known for works such as the glass‑and‑steel Seattle Central Library and the Casa da Música in Porto. His buildings have unconventional forms — Koolhaas loves experimenting with scale, massing, and spatial composition. Fragmentation, non‑linearity, and an absence of a central axis are hallmarks of his work.

The building, a rectangular block, is clad in honeycomb polycarbonate panels. This material reflects the park’s trees and the sky. One panel is slightly elevated — that’s where the museum entrance is. The interior space is arranged so it can be reconfigured for different exhibitions and to shape the display architecture, adding new walls, creating mobile galleries, or suspending white panels from the ceiling. The museum also houses a café and a bookshop.

Address: Krymsky Val Street, 9с32

Dominion Tower

Completed in 2015, it’s the only building in Moscow designed by the legendary Zaha Hadid’s firm. Her constructions look like complex sculptures. This office centre resembles a stack of books piled atop one another. Dominion Tower creates a sense of motion and fluid lines typical of many of Hadid’s creations.

The seven‑storey office building on Sharikopodshipnikovskaya Street is finished in white stone, glass, and aluminium. Inside, there’s an atrium with a glass roof, and staircases zigzag across each other at different angles. That atrium won an international Best Office Awards prize in 2016. The office spaces have an open floor plan. Today, the building houses various companies, as well as restaurants and cafés.

Address: Sharikopodshipnikovskaya Street, 5