The Boulevard Ring
Moscow, Russia
Description: Landscape development strategy for the historical boulevard ring
Location: Moscow, Russia
Area: 7 km linear
Stage: Concept design
Status: Completed mission
Period: 2015
Client: Strelka KB / City of Moscow
Architects: Kubota & Bachmann Architects
Lighting: Snaik Atelier Yann Kersale
Djao-Rakitine Team: Irene Djao-Rakitine
Typical Boulevard Ring case: the promenade opens up to create plazas and pedestrian friendly environments.
Christoprudny Boulevard: the edges of a lake are being planted and reprofiled to create more accessibility to the public.
Typical Boulevard Ring case: enhanced biodiversity and run-off management with planted swales.
Gogolevsky and Nikitsky Boulevard: the existing highway replaced by a linear park.
The proposed new terrace garden provides an open space addressing the busy streetscape of the boulevard as well as a quieter open space around a residential tower block.
The new Khokhlovskaya Square includes a semi-circular amphitheatre with tree planting and reveals a fragment of the medieval Bely Gorod’s wall.
Strelka KB commissioned Djao-Rakitine, Kubota Bachmann and Snaik to develop a design framework for the historical "Boulevard Ring" of Moscow.
The Boulevard Ring is a series of boulevards, located around the historical White City of Moscow and created in the 1820's. Although most of the planted promenades running along the boulevards are still existing, the overall space of the Boulevard Ring is nowadays submerged by vehicular traffic and pedestrian connections are frequently interrupted.
The proposal aims to create a consistent yet diverse linear public space, providing an attractive planted environment and connecting the different spaces of the Boulevard Ring.
As part of the project, enhanced vegetation palette of native species has been developed, better connectivity and accessibility to and from the promenade proposed and strategy of sustainable water management outlined.
Image credit: Jigen.
All images are © Djao-Rakitine, unless otherwise stated.
