Moscow’s ‘Spanish Quarter’, designed by EDDEA around the innovative concept of standard blocks, becomes a reality

Moscow’s so-called ‘Spanish Quarter’ (Barrio Español), designed by EDDEA around the innovative concept of ‘standard blocks’, is now a reality. Covering 37 hectares and 5,200 homes, this urban development has been one of the greatest challenges undertaken by the Seville-based architecture and urban planning firm, which in 2010 won the international competition launched by Masshtab and the local authorities for its design.

With more than 12 million inhabitants, the Russian capital has become one of the most active markets in the world in urban and residential terms. This new neighbourhood in the south of Moscow (Plot 78) forms the first phase of a wider programme called ‘A101 Block City’, a new urban district that will be home to more than 150,000 people over the next 20 years.

The competition brief set as its working tool the concept of the ‘standard block’ developed by the architect Bart Goldhoorn, whose basic aim is to combine the advantages of a standardised definition of plots with the qualities of the traditional European city, with a clearly defined transition between public and private space.

EDDEA’s International Director, Anja Ehrenfried, recalls that “our proposal drew on both the context in which the scheme sat, an area surrounded by great birch forests, and elements of local industry: standardised residential entrance cores”.

Scientific rigour

The jury highlighted the depth and level of development of the project, likening it to high-level scientific research. According to the jury’s report, the Seville firm’s design, which prevailed in the final round over those of the Dutch practices MvRdV and Kcap and the Germans Hilmer & Sattler and Albrecht, “has a great capacity for adaptation and flexibility, allowing changes to be made and the blocks to be adapted over the life of the project”.

The jury also praised the construction solution for the typical block, which with just five basic elements produces up to 300 different building combinations, as well as the richness of the layout, which arranges a series of elements around different voids at three different scales.

Instant cities

As José María de Cárdenas, partner at EDDEA, explains, “our project consists of building what are known as instant cities, in other words, building cities in a very short time”. “To do so”, he adds, “we have applied the rules of design reuse, which consists of repeating construction solutions without it being noticeable, while preserving individuality.”

The Andalusian firm’s design starts from a homogeneous, isotropic grid whose orientation is based on the site conditions and the optimum angle of sunlight. This grid defines a set of plots of standard dimensions, each of which can be developed differently according to its programme, sunlight and physical conditions.

EDDEA’s International Director also notes that “in terms of mobility, three levels of street were established according to their section and capacity. In addition to pedestrian routes and cycle lanes, a public transport network makes use of the tram alignment planned for the whole area”.

“Another defining element of Plot 78 is nature, which structures the plan. The existing birch forest was integrated into the grid, running through it and linking the Central Park to the south-west with the Butovsky Lesopark to the north-east as a green axis”, stresses Anja Ehrenfried.

The chosen block measures 75×75 metres, the best size for a genuinely smart city, with an average height of nine storeys. Each building was designed to hold 250 to 300 apartments, while spaces were shaped between the buildings to encourage social life and commercial activity.