Foster + Partners has completed its first office building in Russia, the 15-storey building features a striking skin made of triangular pieces of copper, which was designed for the Russian Copper Company (RCC).

Named RCC Headquarters, the 18,450-square-metre office tower, shining as a new piece of art that shows a detailed craftsmanship, reimagines the traditional, cellular office spaces to set new standards in quality, comfort and flexibility. 

Located in the city of Yekaterinburg, Russia, the office tower was conceived as innovative modular office units to be enveloped in an energy efficient enclosure. The tower is aimed to provide a distinctive symbol for the organisation in Yekaterinburg.

"Our first completed building in Russia, the new headquarters for RCC exemplifies the practice’s commitment to innovation and marks the culmination of a long and fruitful process," said Luke Fox, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners.

"Throughout the process we aimed to maintain exceptional quality of construction in the face of very challenging conditions," Fox added.

The RCC company is one of the world’s leading producers of copper and Foster + Partners used the triangulated elements of copper to refer to the mission of the company - the design is inspired by "the crystal lattice of copper."

The crown of the building integrates RCC’s new logo – a rebranding which has, in turn, been inspired by the architecture.

"The starting point for the office floors was to reinvent the headquarters as a ‘house for staff’ – instead of the conventional large, communal workspaces, the rooms are of a more intimate, domestic scale," said Foster + Partners. 

"The practice’s workplace consultancy group analysed the client’s operations and helped to devise the innovative modular system for these rooms." 

Foster + Partners' in-house engineering teams devised an innovative modular system to guarantee a rapid construction and ensure ideal levels of natural daylight for concentrated work. 

A pair of offices are placed in a two-storey module, stacked one on top of the other – this modulation is also 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," detailed the studio.  

There is a gathering and an event space at fifteen level of the tower, the space is top-lit (through the glass lanterns) to create a flexible space, it will serve for company's wide gatherings and events.

"Together with the client, our integrated team has developed a bespoke solution for RCC’s new headquarters that is a perfect fit for the company and the very nature of their work," said Jeremy Kim, Partner, Foster + Partners.

"Everything from the building structure to the bespoke furniture was designed specifically for the company, illustrating our commitment to craftsmanship," added Kim.

Foster + Partners' design expects to receive a BREEAM Excellent rating. "Responding to Ekaterinburg’s wide temperature range between seasons – often from +30°C to -30°C – the balance between solid and glazed areas is designed as a reaction to low level winter sun, while mitigating the heat of direct sunlight during the summer," explained the studio. "Through the glass facades overlooks the city and the recently landscaped riverbank." 

The green area reaches the building's facades and it flows into a private garden for the staff. The landscaping echoes the cellular internal arrangement, with a sequence of ‘external rooms’ that provide peaceful spaces for staff to relax and eat lunch. 

Further facilities within the building include a video conference room and boardroom, meeting spaces and an executive dining area.

Site plan

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Level 13th floor plan

Short section

Long section

West elevation

North elevation

Foster + Partners recently completed a new library and culture centre with large floating roof in Sharjah. Foster + Partners is also designing several projects in Saudi Arabia - the firm's Red Sea International Airport is under construction in Saudi Arabia. 

All new projects can be seen on WAC's Saudi Arabia country page. 

Project facts

Project name: RCC Headquarters

Architects: Foster + Partners 

Location: Yekaterinburg, Russia 

Size: 18,450m2 

Date: 2021

Client: RCC (Russian Copper Company)

Collaborating architect: P M VostokProekt

Structural engineers: Foster + Partners (Conceptual Design), VostokProekt, OOO

Environmental engineers: Foster + Partners (Concept), VostokProekt, OOO

Landscape architect: Hyland Edgar Driver

Lighting engineer: Jason Bruges Studio

All images © Oleg Kovalyuk

All drawings © Foster + Partners

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