A group of characteristically curvaceous towers form Zaha Hadid Architect’s proposal for the new “smart city” of Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye, which the London-based practice developed alongside Russian studio TPO Pride Architects.

ZHA aims to employ a range of “smart tecnologies" and local sustainable energy sources to create a new  “global benchmark for smart, sustainable cities”.  

Two other teams will also design segments of the 460-hectare neighbourhood to be located on the Moscow River – Japanese studio Nikken Sekkei and Russian practice UNK Project, and Italian office Archea Associati and Russian studio ABD Architects.

The neighbourhood, designed to house Moscow’s expanding population, will provide homes for 66,500, as well as new transport links – including a 19km metro line – schools, medical facilities, and shopping and cultural districts. One third of the site will be ring-fenced as parkland and forest to offer leisure space adjoining the Moscow River.

Up to 800,000 sqm of new office space intends to make Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye a new hub for the financial and legal sectors.

“We developed a people-centric design for a smart interconnected city that brings people together not only through innovative technology but also through organising the public realm; building a community that integrates the natural aspects of the site with principles of openness and inclusivity in high quality architecture suited for the 21st century,” says Christos Passas, project director at Zaha Hadid Architects.