Chkalov Shopping Center | Blank Architects

The Chkalov Shopping Center which forms part of the apartments building, is located in Moscow — at the Kurskiy Railway Station square. It consists of four above-ground levels of retail space and four underground levels of parking. It has functional zoning: on the 1st floor there will be restaurants and small shops with souvenirs and flowers with a line of open shop fronts. Boutiques will be located on the 2nd and 3rd floors. A uniquely-designed food court and restaurants with open bars called the “Food Square” will be placed on the 4th floor. All the floors are connected by a circle-shaped atrium with a skylight. Total building area 60 400 sq.m, total public space 3 706 sq.m. The shopping center consists of 5 floors.

Concept – Mindfulness

The design concept conveys a sense of mindfulness. Our goal was to create a comfortable, stress-free, light-filled atmosphere, in a shopping mall located almost in the center of Moscow. A key feature of the design concept is the light that comes through the main atrium skylight and filters down into the shopping galleries. It is emphasized by the gradient that is applied to details of the atrium space, the floor pattern and all the lighting design. The materials we used are reminiscent of natural materials — stone, wood and soft fabrics that are pleasant to touch.

Atrium design – Walking in the clouds

One of the main design elements of our atrium area is the handrail. While designing the project, we hit upon the idea of “walking in the clouds.” We see our space as being right up above the horizon, where visitors to the space will walk around. We want to trigger their imagination and encourage reflections.
We see the design as an abstract pattern of clouds that are stuck to the handrail. We drew it as a transparent cloud pattern printed on a decorative film, which was then applied to the glass elements.

Restaurants – Food Square

The food court of the shopping mall completely takes up the fourth level and consists of restaurants and a café. We decided to make this zone special. All the restaurants have open shopfronts with bars or open kitchens that create a modern space and add to the atmosphere of openness and friendliness. During the daytime it might serve as an area for snacks or lunches, a place to get some things done in the shared working space, or as a place to rest before or after shopping. In the evening there is a party atmosphere and it becomes a place to meet friends for dinner.