When I was recently passing the building you see in the photo, I was not quite impressed. I even said to someone in my company:
– What an ugly building! What is it?
The person had a look and replied:
– Julia, you should not be saying this. You surely visited this building many years ago, when you were going to the U.K.
I am sure my face exposed all the thoughts and emotions that engulfed me at the realisation that I slagged off the building of the embassy of my second native country.
Well, things happen. I still think that it could be a more interesting design, considering what is erected these days in Manchester and elsewhere in the U.K.
The embassy was agreed to be built in 1994, and by 1997 the building had started. The architects on the project were Ahrends Burton and Koralek from ABK Architects. There are photos from different angles at the ABK’s official website. ABK have worked primarily in the U.K. and Ireland, submitting and executing designs for Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and Stockport Town Hall and town centre. Apart from Moscow, their other overseas project proposal was Lafayette Street in New York.
Other companies included in the project were TME Engineers, Hanscomb, Landesign, and Ove Arup and Partners. The entire building process was overseen by The London Group, while the main contractors were Taylor Woodrow and Skanska.
The building in Smolenskaya Embankment includes:
– 250 offices;
– 31 apartments for the embassy’s employees;
– medical centre and a nursery;
– shops;
– parking;
– an Atrium hall for cultural and commercial events;
– a conference hall with multi-media equipment.
UK artists contributed to the inner and outer decoration of the embassy, including Tess Jaray, Norman Ackroyd, Roman Halter, Michael Craig-Martin, and others. The furniture, armchairs and divans were designed by Robin Day, Ron Arad, and Luke Hughes, among others.