Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
The team of architects Maryan Fazel and Belinda Ercan, from Iran and Germany, respectively, have won first prize in the competition for the design of the Moscow Circus School launched by the Architectural Competition Concours d’Architecture (AC-CA).
The winning proposal, entitled Elytra, is an “eye-catching, cutting-edge, [and] unconventional” design that will tower over Moscow’s Tverskoy District, an area which features a burgeoning artistic scene.
Inspired by the forewings of insects—called elytra—the project opens upwards as a protective shell, and will feature both public and private space.
Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
Roof access will be available to the public, therefore allowing transparency of the activities inside, and facilitating the creation of a cultural hub. The public roof will additionally function as the “circulation zone, providing waiting and exhibition areas, as well as the chance for the public eyes to gain a glimpse of the liveliness inside.”
Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
An open-air amphitheater will comprise the heart of the building in a fusion of public and private space, where a variety of programs, such as events, exhibitions, theater performances, and dining, can be held.
Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
The elytra of the building tower above, and will provide space for training and academic zones, as well as administration and service areas.
Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
Courtesy of Maryam Fazel and Belinda Ercan
News via Maryan Fazel and Belinda Ercan.
Sig Nordal 