In 2014 Novosibirsk launched the Ob river embankment redevelopment — several residential developments were to replace an industrial area along the river. One of these, The European Riverfront, was developed by Brusnika.

The masterplan was designed by KCAP Architects & Planners, that had won recognition in Russia for working out a strategic master-plan for the city of Perm. The European Riverfront development proposes the construction of a boulevard along the Ob as a continuation of the cycling and pedestrian route that connects the new residential areas with the river boat station park in the centre of the city.

European Riverfront unfolds as a regular grid of streets linking the river boulevard to the Soviet-era housing areas located north of the Bolshevistskaya Street. One of the blocks within this grid is Block 27.

SVESMI Architects modified the massing proposed in the master-plan. Instead of dividing the building perimeter into two parts, as had been initially planned by KCAP, the architects split it into four parts.

Adding two slots at the edges of the courtyard resulted in four blocks of flats emerging from the closed perimeter of the building cluster. They are joined with a podium at the bottom and bridges at the top. The terraces on the bridges are shared between two or three flats and are designed as patios with panoramic glazing overlooking either the river, or the yard. The project comprises fifteen apartments with these terraces overall.

The inner space of the European Riverfront is elevated — eight storeys overlook the yard and nine have a street view. The openings between the blocks thus act as arches that connect the inner space of the yard with the world outside, while simultaneously providing a barrier between the private courtyard and the public street. This barrier is not present on the east side, where  the courtyard is level with the neighboring block 

The yard is equipped with a playground for children aged 3 to 5, a gazebo, street furniture and pull-up bars for workouts. The owners of first-floor flats have small terraces opening into the yard. Each terrace has a wooden flooring and divided from the rest of the yard by green hedges.

70 parking spaces and 89 storerooms located under the podium yard can be purchased along with the apartment. The outer perimeter of the block hosts cafes, shops and offices, their vast glass windows outlooking the European Riverfront.

Terraces are just one kind of outdoor summer spaces in the project. In order to vary the apartment layouts and enliven architecture, SVESMI came up with small french balconies above the third floor creating delicate relief on street facing facades. Open recessed balconies overlook the courtyard facades. Their ceilings are painted bright orange and equipped with LED lighting. The lights, which can be switched on individually, create a constantly changing pattern. The recessed balconies provide room for air conditioning — technical cases are concealed in special niches or non-transparent shields. Glass brick partitions separate recessed balconies from each other, while white metal railings to match the colour of plastered walls face the yard.

Glass bricks are also used in the entrance zones of the building — filling the elevator hall with light while creating private and sheltered space for those who are inside.

The block accommodates 245 apartments ranging from small studios to four-bedroomed flats. The apartment layout was designed by Brusnika. 

The project is a landmark in the European Riverfront development. The bridges between the sections make the shape of the house eye-catching and recognisable, so people who live in the neighbouring blocks or those who take a walk down the river may well say to each other: “I’ll meet you at the House with the Bridges”.