Project: Housing Block Architecture: Bureau des Mésarchitectures Photo:Francisco Nogueira Geo: Leiria, PT
The fragmentary use of gold in facade work is not a new technique; a clear example is the domes of churches. However, in residential construction, this tool has been used infrequently until recently: such facades require maintenance, and not every project budget can afford quality and expensive materials. An example is the wave on the facade of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Palace in Luzhniki. Among the fully assembled facades, I would highlight TITUL (Center-Invest) in Kitai-Gorod and Inggrad’s new project Foriver opposite Paveletskaya Embankment, hello, Torpedo 👋 (I attached a couple of my photos in the comments).
Gold is a striking material, especially impressive in daylight under the sun’s rays. No matter how the object is composed in its surroundings, it will catch the eye. On the other hand, increased attention to such an object against the city panorama requires careful consideration of other architectural aspects. If you aim for such materials, you must deliver.
Among interesting examples of foreign architecture, I came across a cozy residential complex in Portugal. Besides facades, the architects delved deeper into the interior and elaborated on the theme of golden architecture. Pay attention to the area with the spiral staircase (something similar I saw in the Radisson project on Leninsky) — a wonderful and functional element filling the space. The balance of the concept is enhanced by the shape of the facades — it is as unusual as the materials used.