As one of two houses designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, Capital Hill Residence is likened to an alien base.

Throughout his life, the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid devoted himself to developing modern architecture. She has a series of lifetime works, creating symbols of many cities such as Beijing Galaxy Soho, London Aquatics Center or Guangzhou Opera House. She won many competitions including the 2004 Pritzker Prize, considered the Nobel of architecture.

However, Hadid only designed two houses in her entire career. One of them is Capital Hill Residence owned by Russian businessman Vladislav Doronon. The building was described by Architectural Digest magazine as more like an alien residence than a normal house.

Located in the forest in Barvikha near Moscow, Capital Hill Residence consists of two main blocks. The ground volume is built on the sloping terrain of the natural landscape and the aerial volume is located 22 m above the ground to provide views beyond the treetops. As Zaha Hadid said, the block is designed with curves inspired by the terrain of the pine forest here.

The project has a total of 4 floors, 3,200 m2 wide. The basement is an entertainment space, including a living room, massage room, gym, wet and dry sauna. The ground floor includes the main living room, dining room, kitchen, entertainment area, 4 indoor swimming rooms and parking.

The study and library, guest room and children’s room are located on the second floor, while the master bedrooms and lounge with outside terrace are located on the third floor. The aerial block, the fourth floor, is connected to the ground block with 3 concrete legs. Between the two legs is where the elevator and glass staircase are located.

The 4th floor looks like a spaceship with glass walls, two balconies also have glass railings. This is where Doronin’s bedroom is located. When he woke up every morning, he saw nothing but the blue sky he wanted.

At ground level, wide roofs with irregular edges protrude from the glass walls of each floor. Main materials for the project include on-site precast concrete, steel and glass. These materials are repeated throughout the villa.

The idea for the project was first conceived more than a decade ago, when Doronin met Hadid in London. “I told her: ‘I want to wake up in the morning and just see the blue sky. I don’t want to see any neighbors and I want to feel free,'” Doronin recalls.

When hearing the order, the female architect asked: “Do you realize that you have to stay in the treetops?”. Then she sketched the design on a napkin. Images of the project were first released in 2008, and initial photos of the project appeared in 2011, before Hadid’s death in 2016.

Commenting on Capital Hill Residence in a documentary made by Dezeen magazine to commemorate Hadid, British architect Norman Foster assessed it as an “extraordinary” project. “This is a masterpiece. It has Zaha’s signature features of organizational complexity, spatial arrangements. Lots of surprises, as well as craftsmanship and beauty,” he said.