The tower symbolises a rocket on a launch pad
“Builders have started erecting the fifth floor of the National Space Center (NSC) high-rise building”, said Andrey Bochkarev, Deputy Mayor of Moscow on Urban Planning and Construction.
Mosinzhproekt Engineering Holding is a managing company for the construction project.
“The NSC tower symbolises a rocket standing on a launch pad, as envisioned by the architects. The construction of the fifth floor of the tower is now underway, with more than 12,000 cubic metres of concrete already laid,” said Andrey Bochkarev.
According to him, the low-rise part of the future complex of buildings is being constructed simultaneously. More than 700 people work at the site.
“The in-situ concreting in the low-rise part of the NSC complex of buildings is nearly 96% complete, and the installation of metal floor decking in the gallery area of the future space center is 95% complete,” explained the Deputy Mayor.
Yuri Kravtsov, General Director of Mosinzhproekt JSC, said that the NSC tower is built using post-tensioned transfer beams supported on the high-altitude corner column, which is quite unusual for civil engineering.
As a result, a three-story high archway will be created on the main facade of the building, visually resembling a rocket about to take off, following the designer’s concept. This solution not only helps to implement an aesthetic function but also, for example, provides access to fire-fighting vehicles if necessary.
He added that similar post-tensioning has already been used during the floating bridge construction in Zaryadye Park.
Yuri Kravtsov also said that a self-climbing formwork system is used on the NSC construction site, enhancing the pace and safety of work.
The National Space Center is being created jointly by the Moscow Government and Roscosmos State Corporation on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The NSC will be one of the largest space industry centers in the world. It is intended to consolidate the leading organizations of the rocket-space industry on one site: the Central Office and Situation Center of Roscosmos State Space Corporation, sectoral research institutes and enterprises, the youth design bureaus, and other facilities. The main architectural feature of the complex of buildings will be a 47-storey tower over 288 meters high with a spire.
In addition to the construction of the National Space Center in this area of Moscow, the development of the adjacent 90-hectare territory of the Khrunichev Center to be vacated is also envisaged. It is planned to create a special economic zone here, placing scientific and production cluster enterprises, creating a congress and exhibition center, establishing renovation facilities, and developing social and transport infrastructure.
