The Russian town of Ozery, once shaped by the textile industry, is situated 120 kilometres south of Moscow in a picturesque region on the banks of the river Oka. The centrally located industrial area is currently being restructured and embellished. Several of the various buildings, some of which have a very appealing brick architecture, have already been redeveloped and are now in use by small industrial firms. An very attractive red-brick building on the southwest corner of the area, located on the access road to Ozery, is to be converted into a shopping centre. Along with small and medium-sized businesses, the spatial programme also incorporates a large specialist market, a food market, a fast-food restaurant and two movie theatres. The proposal requires that the long brick façade of the building be preserved in order to lend character and charm to the building. The core of the actual building behind will either be extensively removed or will be replaced with new components as it is in part in a very poor structural state of repair. This will make it unnecessary for elaborate redevelopment measures to be carried out on the existing concrete structure, and there are also no functional restrictions brought about by the already close positioning of the pillars or by the thickness of the brick walls. A further advantage lies in the fact that the new sections of the building allow the interior brick façade to be disengaged from, enabling the old façade to be experienced also from the inside via galleries and air spaces. As a statement within the urban context and to emphasise the entrance situation, located in the middle of the long brick façade is a gold-coloured structure on the roof, which projects slightly over the existing building. This structure accommodates a restaurant that appears like a visual magnet, enhancing the appeal of the entire shopping centre. In the summer, a spacious terrace invites visitors to spend time and enjoy the panoramic views of the river and the surrounding countryside.
