za bor architects: parasite office in moscow

‘parasite office’ by za bor architects, moscow, russiaimage © peter zaytsevall images courtesy of za bor architects

exploring urban infill, the ‘parasite office’ designed by and for moscow-based za bor architects is a foreign contemporary object taking up thespace between two established buildings. being europe’s largest city, moscow has a surprising lack of creative office spaces and an excess of awkwardly uninhabitable gaps between edifices. the three-storey work area is suspended off the ground held up by a lightweight steel structureclamped to the blind walls of the adjacent constructs, leaving the walkway underneath accessible to the public. a modular floor system allowsthe interior plan to be re-designed for changing needs, with a polygonal faceted wall of polycarbonate cells, contrasting the traditional orthogonal language of the region. a large window provides light and views to each floor, while the shaded facade is a flat curtain wall. this building strategysuccessfully repurposes the many unusable voids around a city, not intrusive to the existing architecture and creates new dynamic adaptable buildings.

light structure suspended in the air leaving the lower street open to public useimage © peter zaytsev

a metal staircase touches the ground leading to the entranceimage © peter zaytsev

interior with translucent polycarbonate panels and exposed concrete walls.image © peter zaytsev

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / level 2

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