OMA, Diller Scofidio and Renfro and John Thompson are among 10 teams shortlisted to masterplan the doubling in size of Moscow.

They beat 70 entries including Foster and Partners and URS to make the final cut to oversee what will be one of the largest projects in Europe.

Other shortlisted practices include Devereux Architects, Nikken Sekkei, Gillespies and McAdam Architects, whose team is led by acclaimed Russian urbanist Andrey

Chernihov.

The Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept will see the city annexe 150,000ha of land to its south-west in order to overcome its chronic space problems.

It is blighted by having a tiny, historic city centre into which 11 million workers commute each day, and has finally recognised the need to create new areas for business

to expand.

Tanya Kalinina, director of McAdam, said: “This is an absolutely incredible project to be involved with. It’s the biggest project in Moscow’s history. To double the

size of your capital is a radical approach and hasn’t been attempted by any European capital in recent times.”

John Thompson said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted against very stiff competition. We did several large-scale masterplanning projects around Moscow before the

credit crunch hit and it’s very nice to be back working in a very interesting market place.”

Selected for their reputations, the teams, which will each be paid €250,000, now have six months to prepare concepts which will be exhibited in the autumn. The city

authorities may select a combination of winners to work on different phases of the project.

The full shortlist:
1.      Ostozhenka Architets (Russia)

-         Ateliers Lion Associes (France)

-         SGP (France)

-         Paris-Saclay (France)

-         Epadesa (France)

2.      International Academy of Architecture (Prof Andrey Chernihov)

-         Juul-Frost Architects (Denmark)

-         Diller Scofidio & Renfro (USA)

-         McAdam Architects (UK)

-         Ginzburg Architects (Russia)

3.      Moscow Architectural Institute

-         Devereux Architects (Ireland)

4.      Central Research and Project Institute of Urbanism / Russian Academy of Architecture and Building Science (Russia)

-         Nikken Sekkei (Japan)

-         RTKL (UK)

-         Knight Frank

5.      Antoine Grumbach et Associes SA (France)

-         Wilmotte & Associes SA (France)

-         Egis International (France)

-         SGP, EPPS, EPADESA, CFREE  - group of experts (France)

-         High School of Economics (Russia)

6.      L’AUC (France)

-         Bureau BAS Smets (Belgium)

-         Sestra (France)

-         Franc Boutte Consultant (France)

7.      OMA (The Netherlands)

-         Strelka Institute (Russia)

-         Project Meganom  (Russia)

-         Siemens AG (Germany)

-         McKinsey & Company (USA)

8.      Ricardo Bofill (Spain)

-        Barcelona Regional Agency for Urban Development (Spain)

9.      Studio Ass Secchi (Italy)

10.  Urban Design Associates (USA)

-         Beasley & Associates (Canada)

-         Gillespes LLP (Scotland)

-         John Thompson & Partners (UK)

-         Nelson / Nigaard (USA)

-         Buro Happold (Scotland)