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The dense commercial district known as the Moscow International Business Center (Moscow-City) is home to some of Europe's tallest and most impressive skyscrapers. Its diverse mix of office and residential space is combined with diverse retail offerings. In 2003, when the district was looking a lot emptier, construction of the tallest building in Europe began. Though it faced numerous delays, the Federation Towers are finally scheduled for completion in 2016.
A pair of skyscrapers 95 and 63 floors tall rise from a shared nine-storey podium. The 374- and 243-metre towers, developed by Potok, contain residential and office uses. The shorter building, Tower West, finished in 2008. The taller of the two, Tower East, faced numerous delays that plagued construction. All work on the tower was halted in 2008 when the global economic recession hit Russia. The building stalled at a height of 170 metres until 2011, when construction finally resumed.
Workers weren't out of the woods yet though. A blaze in 2012 broke out on the 67th floor, subsequently requiring major repairs. But with the tower now topped out and cladding enveloping the vast majority of the structure, it looks like most of these troubles can be forgotten. Recent photos from Flickr users Bajtai Tamás and René Conny Heinen show the district's immense size, with the Federation Towers peaking in the centre.
Designed by nps+partner and Schweger Associated Architects, the original concept for the complex proposed a 506-metre spire rising in between the two towers from the podium. Partially built, the spire was eventually axed and dismantled in 2015. The two buildings will still feature an integral connection to the district's vast underground network, including access to the Moscow Metro.
Though the tallest building in Europe is currently located in Moscow, that special distinction will move northward to St. Petersburg, where work on the 462-metre Lakhta Center is progressing quickly. The entire Moscow-City complex is expected to be complete by 2018, representing the largest mixed-use district in Russia.
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