Mixed-use complex with apartments, Sochi
Location: 105 A Kurortny Prospekt, Khostinskiy district, Sochi, Russia
Client: MR Group
Total area: 131.230 sqm
Construction: 2010-2015
Project Authors SPEECH:
Sergei Tchoban, Sergey Kuznetsov, Igor Chlenov
Chief Architect SPEECH:
Igor Chlenov
Chief Engineer SPEECH:
Igor Osokin
Team SPEECH: Pavel Shaburov, Anna Mashkova, Vyacheslav Kazul
Photographer: SPEECH (1),
Aleksey Naroditsky (2-4)
Actor Galaxy is a 26-storey complex occupying the upper terrace in the grounds of Actor, a health resort which was well-known in Soviet times. The sharp drop in ground levels on the site prompted the building’s architectural and compositional design: the layout resembles a prolonged descent, with the building seeming to ‘flow down’ the slope. This dynamic quality is amplified by the complex’s silhouette, which tapers towards the sea as the building descends in a series of steps, creating a spectacular arc on the city’s skyline. The sculptural volume is emphasized by the undulating terrace barriers running along the side façade. Interestingly, this ‘wave shifts from floor to floor; making the building’s surface seem to ripple in the warm sea breeze. The resort theme is reinforced by the building’s white colour. Thanks to its dynamic form and pointed ‘bow’, Actor Galaxy’s snow-white volume stands out distinctly on the sweep of Sochi’s shoreline – like a cruise ship about to sail off into the open sea.
Еhe complex’s internal layout is focused on two atriums. The larger of these is located in the interior of the ‘drop’; it has a sophisticated angular shape and is covered with ETFE, a translucent ultra-durable film (this was the first use of this innovative material in a residential building in Russia). The smaller atrium has a triangular configuration and is located in the bow of the ‘ship’. Due to the drop in ground level, the atriums are at different heights above the sea. The larger atrium is treated as the complex’s main public space; this is where the panoramic elevators are located, together with shops, cafes, and art objects. The smaller atrium is merely an entrance hall providing a separate entrance to the building for occupants of the larger apartments.
The interior design of the complex’s public spaces is also dominated by the colour white. Indeed, in the large atrium not only the walls and gallery barriers, but also the slender metal trusses supporting the translucent ceiling are all in white. During the day this space serves as a backdrop for the ever-changing play of light and shadow, and in the evening it is illuminated at different levels.
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