Mercury City Tower

Mercury City Tower is part of Moscow's bustling International Business Center, a group of high-rises that resembles London's Canary Wharf and Paris' La Defense but is much greater in scale. The tower's striking design makes it stand out in a crowded skyline, but it's the fiery copper-colored cladding that really sets it out. The building was originally intended to be clad with brilliant silver glass to reflect the surrounding structures, but it was subsequently replaced with bronze-tinted glass that was similarly reflective. The tower has an incomparable façade that gives it a permanent glow, making it look as though it is constantly bathed in the light of the sun on the horizon.

Mercury City Tower is notable for its setback design in addition to its cladding. The building steps back twice along its northern façade, producing a tapering effect that adds height to the structure while also defining its corners with vertical striping. A sloped roof on each setback adds to the sense of increased height. Despite its aesthetic distinction, the tower's façade is devoid of needless adornments. Rather, the structure and its cladding work together to create a clear, purposeful look. In this sense, the structure fits neatly into the Structural Expressionist architectural style.

The building's apartments, which are located on the upper floors, are constructed with the flexibility to combine units, increasing the tower's total space efficiency. The structure also has a smart "energy cycle" system that controls energy use, ambient temperatures, and hot water distribution across the complex. The usual three-part massing of the volume, consisting a base, core, and crown, conveys the Russian imperatives of strength, reliability, and stability, despite Mercury City's non-traditional design.

Location: Moscow
Height: 338.8 m
Floors: 75
Architects: Frank Williams & Associates; M.M.Posokhin
Building Function: Residential / Office
Completion: 2013