moscow city

Russia Tower Project Stopped

The latest grand project to hit the skids is the grand Russia Tower in Moscow City, Russia. The 1,970-foot steel and glass tower designed by Foster + Partners has been called off due to lack of funding. The developer, Russian oil and real estate magnate Shalva Chigirinsky, didn't mince any words when talking to Reuters saying simply: "say thanks to Alan Greenspan and George Bush."

The tower would have been the dramatic focus of Moscow City, an old industrial site that was to be turned into a bustling new financial center. The tower is described by the Foster + Partners' website as the tallest naturally ventilated tower in the world. It was to have 118 occupied floors and be one of the greenest new buildings in Europe. it was to be a mixed-use, super-dense vertical city for 25,000 people, with offices, a hotel, shopping and apartments with private gardens. It would have an open 'green' spine creating a slender pyramid with the higher floors containing residential and hotel accommodation with access to fresh air, natural light and sky gardens. The top would be crowned with a public viewing deck with cafes and bars.

There have been no discussions on whether or not the project will resume once the economic picture becomes a bit brighter.

Gallery: Towers in Trouble