Instead of belching oppressive fumes over Moscow's recently pedestrianized Red October District, the iconic smokestacks of the century-old GES2 power station will be transformed into conduits for ventilation as part of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop's sustainable redesign of the facility into an art site for the V-A-C Foundation. 

Spearheaded by the Building Workshop's 46-year-old Paris-based partner Antonio Belvedere, the site will fit into a 150 meter by 150 meter square and feature three main "poles": Welcoming, Education, and Exhibitions.

The latter two poles are conceived of as interior spaces, and will incorporate classrooms, residency spaces, and a flexible gallery that can accommodate a variety of different artistic mediums.

The largely outdoor Welcoming pole will include a sculpture garden, restaurant/cafe, library, an indoor/outdoor piazza, and serve as host for live events and temporary art installations.