Avrora — Arch Department

Avrora

Type: Business Center | Scope: Public Interiors
Location: Sadovnicheskaya Embankment, Moscow
Year: 2013-2014 | Area: 800 sq m
Status: Completed

Avrora Business Park is a large high-grade office complex on Sadovnicheskaya Embankment, within walking distance of the Paveletskaya transport hub. The project involved the design of two entrance lobbies for the newly completed Building F — conceived not only as public interiors, but also as a potential design framework for future phases of the development. The spatial conditions were challenging: fragmented geometry, multiple entry points, heavy circulation flows and limited area for waiting zones. The interiors had to establish a representative identity for a business quarter occupied by international corporate tenants.
The design concept is built around a restrained yet contrasting material palette combined with a contemporary spatial language. In deliberate counterpoint to the building’s classical architectural language, the interiors introduce a calm and precise environment characterised by durable materials, refined detailing and ergonomic spatial solutions suited to intensive daily use. Integrated lighting, digital media and carefully designed waiting areas contribute to a subdued, enveloping atmosphere. The overall system remains intentionally neutral and adaptable for potential application in other buildings of the complex.

Nominee: 2015 Best Office Awards | Business Centers

A key component of this strategy is the custom metal ceiling system developed in collaboration with the Belgian manufacturer Kreon. Oversized metal panels integrate lighting profiles (Nuit), ventilation, acoustic treatment and engineering components into a unified modular grid. The graphite finish was specially produced and calibrated to achieve a precise satin surface. Beyond its visual presence, the ceiling operates as technical infrastructure, spatial organizer and visual framework — extending into staircases and elevator lobbies to ensure continuity. This grid is echoed at floor level through a large-format stone layout originally specified in travertine, reinforcing the spatial rhythm. Light grey glass wall panels conceal service routes and technical zones, while integrated vertical lighting adds depth and subtle reflections. The restrained palette establishes clarity and cohesion within the complex geometry of the plan.
Primary visual accents are defined through oxidized brass surfaces developed with De Castelli. Behind the reception desks, textured brass panels form a layered backdrop produced through a controlled manual finishing process. The reception counters themselves are composed of monolithic volumes of polished dark grey slate, integrating mailboxes and functional elements within their mass.

The ceiling pattern continues inside the elevators in a brass-toned metal finish, turning the cabins into luminous accent volumes within the circulation sequence.
Opposite the main axis, a layered media wall composed of overlapping multi-format screens activates the waiting zone, allowing programmable visual content without introducing additional physical elements. Restrooms, including facilities for accessible users, were designed with the same material discipline and technical precision. The completed interiors combine infrastructural rigor with material refinement — establishing a contemporary identity for the business park while remaining systematic and scalable.
The commission followed a competitive tender process. Within the bureau, three independent concepts were developed and presented to the client in parallel. The scheme described here was selected for further development and implementation, prevailing over submissions from other Moscow-based architectural practices.

Project Team: Evgeniy Shchetinkin, Evgeniy Semionov, Sergey Markin, Nikolay Milovidov | In collaboration with UNK project
Photo: Alexey Zarodov

Publications: De Castelli, Office Next, KREON Ceiling Solutions, Archilovers

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