St Petersburg has a fascinating history and appears to be entering the super st Century full of optimism. We understand that over the last decade great energy has gone into preservation efforts in the historic centre and as a result a modern St Petersburg architecture has not fully emerged.
To this end, we think that at 25 Hectares, the railway lands are big enough to generate not only a new mixed-use neighbourhood but also a distinct new quarter within St Petersburg, contemporary in style and outlook. Lying immediately adjacent to the Unesco protected historic core, the project will deliver approximately 800,000m2 of mixed-use development. In addition a sports academy and a modern art gallery (or Hermitage Modern) will anchor the new neighbourhood.
Directly comparable to Kings Cross railway lands project in London, the project will see the complete regeneration of a huge tract of underutilised railway lands. Our concept is driven by a desire to develop a contemporary twist on the traditional large scale St Petersburg block and sees 12 city blocks sliced in two by a 1km long pedestrian canal that connects the central station and Nevskiy Prospect to the Ogvodny Canal. The ensuing thresholds, archways, revealed courtyards and surprising roofscapes create numerous opportunities for an array of architects to offer something new to St Petersburg. We hope that the development could go a long way to discovering what modern architecture and urban design could be like in St Petersburg. Not a globalised answer, it should be specific if not unique, a design that is rooted in the culture and identity of St Petersburg.
