US design studio to develop Moscow’s first park in 50 years

A New York design studio has won the competition to build Zaryadye Park, 13 acres of land just a stone’s throw from the Kremlin and Red Square. A consortium led by Diller Scofidio + Renfro will develop the area to create Moscow’s first park in 50 years.

The US firm, best known for building New York’s High Line, a raised park that runs along an old railway line in Manhattan, plan to create a similar green haven in central Moscow. The consortium also includes architecture studio Hargreaves Associates and Citymakers law firm.

Zaryadye has a rich history and has in the past served as a lively river port to an area for aristocrats to a slum in the 18th century. In the late 20th century it became home to the Rossiya Hotel, the largest hotel in the world, before it was demolished in 2006.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro have overseen a number of prestigious projects including the renovation of the Juilliard School and Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art. The firm was awarded the MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius” award for their dedication to integrating architecture with contemporary culture from 1999 to 2004.