Rising in Russia: Zaha Hadid’s Dominion Tower unveiled in Moscow

Zha Dominionofficemoscow
The Dominion Tower is a new office space building created by Zaha Hadid Architects in Moscow, Russia – the first of the new projects to be built for the growing creative and IT sectors in the city
(Image credit: Hufton+Crow)

Fresh from her Royal Gold Medal win, Zaha Hadid has further cause for celebration: the completion of her latest project, the Dominion Tower in Moscow. 

The project, which broke ground in 2012 and was unveiled alongside the Peresvet Group last week, is the first of the new projects to be built for the growing creative and IT sectors in Moscow's southeastern corner.  

Located next to tram and trolleybus stops near Dubrovka Station, the vertically stacked off-set plates rise like a solid Tetris tower, square boxes piled up in neat – if seemingly precarious – unison. Inside, curved elements connect the fabric of the building; a central atrium rising through all levels to flood the hearth with natural light. The building itself has nine floors (seven of which are for offices and two basement levels) creating 21,184 sq m of floor space.

'Balconies at each level project into the atrium, corresponding to the displacement of the outer envelope,' explains the architectural practice. A series of staircases interconnect through this central space, making it look like a real life rendition of MC Escher's famous drawings.

The off-set floor plates are balanced between the opposite sides of the building. 'In some zones, columns are removed and replaced with transfer beams to increase the uninterrupted floor space for larger tenants or public programmes,' say the architects.

On the ground floor, a restaurant and coffee area – along with the relaxation zones on balconies – are meant to encourage interaction between employees and disciplines. Office spaces are arranged within a system of standard rectilinear bays, offering possibilities for small, expanding or larger companies as needed. The overriding concept is one of open connectivity, aiming to fuel the collective research culture and development of the companies that will take up residency here. 

Dominion Tower

Located next to tram and trolleybus stops near Dubrovka Station, the vertically stacked, off-set plates rise like a solid Tetris tower, square boxes piled up in neat, if slightly precarious, unison

(Image credit: Hufton+Crow)

Zaha Hadid’s Dominion Tower

Inside, curved elements connect the fabric of the building, a central atrium rising through all levels to flood the hearth with natural light

(Image credit: Hufton+Crow)

Rising in Russia: Zaha Hadid’s Dominion Tower unveiled in Moscow

The building itself has nine floors, standing at over 36m tall, holding seven floors of office space, two basement levels, conference facilities and a restaurant/atrium

(Image credit: Hufton+Crow)

A series of staircases interconnect through central space

A series of staircases interconnect through this central space, making it look like a real life rendition of MC Escher’s famous drawings

(Image credit: Hufton+Crow)

Balconies

Balconies at each level project into the atrium, corresponding to the displacement of the outer envelope

(Image credit: Hufton+Crow)

Zaha Hadid's Dominion Tower

The overriding concept is one of open connectivity, aiming to fuel the collective research culture and development of the companies that will take up residency here

(Image credit: Hufton+Crow)

INFORMATION

Photography: Hufton+Crow