Winning competition entry to find uses for a landmark disused water tower in Moscow. Located on a large site being developed as a new residential neighbourhood with schools, shops and community buildings, the water tower is a well known and loved remnant of the former industrial site use. Its location is pivotal, at one end of a main linear access road through the new development.

Our proposals retain the brick tower with its characteristic tank and evocative zigzagging internal steel stair ‘as found’, with minimal interventions - adding lighting and turning the top tank into a light box to be beacon in the new locale. Around the base of the tower, but set apart by a ring shaped glass rooflight, a new building houses a community café/deli and flower shop.

The new café has a distinctive timber roof structure with an offset geometry radiating out from the tower. Limited openings in the tower base permit circulation through the tower with dramatic views up the tower interior through a glass ceiling. A facetted glass façade with opening panels enables summer use with external tables within the new gardens laid out to follow the circular/radiating theme.