Rugby school in Moscow
Typology: Sport
Program: Arena, Sports school, Sports and wellness center, Office
Status: Concept design
Collaborators: Landscape bureau «Viewga»
The rugby school is conceived as a careful reconstruction of existing hangar-type buildings within the natural setting of the Skhodnensky Bowl in Moscow. The complex sits in a lowland clearly visible from the ring of elevated residential blocks, so the project’s signature becomes the “fifth façade” — the roof. The load-bearing roof structures and standing-seam metal cladding trace a repeating motif derived from the profile of a rugby ball, creating a recognizable pattern legible from above and afar.
Materially, the architecture is restrained and tactile: all roofs are standing-seam; façades are timber, allowing the buildings to blend comfortably with the landscape. The program includes a sports and wellness center, a covered winter rugby pitch, and an open summer field with outdoor grandstands. The grandstand canopy continues the identity language with the same rugby-ball motif expressed through the standing-seam pattern.
Daylight is integral to both function and atmosphere. Large halls receive additional top light through roof skylights, while along the perimeter the interiors are softly illuminated via openings glazed with channel glass (U-profiled glass) that diffuses glare. The result is a functional yet distinctive complex where the memorable fifth façade, warm timber cladding, and even natural light define a contemporary environment for training and competition.
Daylight is integral to both function and atmosphere. Large halls receive additional top light through roof skylights, while along the perimeter the interiors are softly illuminated via openings glazed with channel glass (U-profiled glass) that diffuses glare. The result is a functional yet distinctive complex where the memorable fifth façade, warm timber cladding, and even natural light define a contemporary environment for training and competition.
Schemes and drawings: