Marking their first project in Russia, Foster + Partners has completed the new headquarters of RCC, one of the world’s leading producers of copper. Located in the centre of Ekaterinburg, a main industrial and cultural hub, the 15-storey building’s innovative modular office units are enveloped in an energy-efficient enclosure that draws inspiration from the chemical structure of copper.
The office layout is conceived as a ‘house for ‘ staff’ and deviates from conventional communal workspaces with rooms and spaces more intimate and domestic in scale. Each two-storey module comprises a pair of offices, stacked one on top of the other. This is expressed externally through the double-storey cladding module. The modules are arranged in rows on either side of a central hallway, which functions as a breakout space, with lounge seating and views of the city through the glazed lift shaft.
The building exterior is clad with bronze triangular panels which aesthetically recall the colour and chemical structure of copper while functionally helping to regulate internal temperatures by providing shade in the summer and allowing sunlight to enter in the winter. The completed design achieves a BREEAM Excellent rating.
Everything from the building structure to the bespoke furniture was designed specifically for the company, demonstrating a commitment to craftsmanship.
