The Russian island of Vasilievsky is set for a makeover. The understated yet historically rich locale is an important port-side connection for St Petersburg, bordering the Gulf of Finland. Gearing up for the challenge are two architectural firms, KCAP and Orange, who have won the first prize for the urban and architectural competition.
In the hope of creating a buzzing new geographic sector for St Petersburg, the two Rotterdam-based enterprises are seeking to reposition the small island as a smart entrance point for the city from the water, with a mixture of layer-building concepts that will be modern while also embracing traditional Russian architecture.
Firstly, the peninsula will be enlarged to create an inviting public area, which will be further embellished with blocks to create defined courtyard spaces – a nod to the historical structure of St Petersburg. High rises will then be formed to promote a more metropolitan atmosphere, as well as allowing panoramic views of the area. However, to avoid the soulless quality of conventional tower blocks, the two architectural practices are topping the buildings with gold spires – a further reference to classicist Russian architecture.
KCAP and Orange were chosen from a shortlist of six finalists, in a competition organised by Glorax Development and the municipality of St Petersburg. ‘Our plan creates a beautiful antechamber of the majestic historical centre of St Petersburg,’ explains the winning duo.
The plan hopes to promote St Petersburg as a metropolitan city while maintaining classic Russian architectural qualities
The peninsula will be enlarged to create an inviting public area, which will be further embellished with blocks to create defined courtyard spaces – a nod to the historical structure of St Petersburg
Included in the plan are high-rise buildings which will be topped with gold spires, a traditional Russian architectural style
KCAP and Orange hope to reposition Vasilievsky Island a truly smart entrance point for St Petersburg from the water
INFORMATION
For more information visit KCAP’s website and Orange’s website
-
Discover new puffy gold jewellery from Wallpaper* editors’ favourite, Jessie ThomasJessie Thomas’ new ‘Donut’ jewellery embraces oversized forms and offbeat diamond placements
-
Ethiopia’s Africa Hall, a lesser-known modernist gem, has been restored to its former gloryAfrica Hall, a modernist monument in Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa, has been restored by Architectus Conrad Gargett and the UN
-
Louis Vuitton drafts contemporary artists to use the house’s silk ‘carré’ scarf as a colourful canvasIn a tradition which dates back to the 1980s, Louis Vuitton has asked five artists to reimagine its silk carré scarf using floral motifs
-
SANAA to resurrect Hexagon pavilion for Moscow’s Garage Museum extensionJapanese firm SANAA will overhaul the Hexagon pavilion, a 1920s Ivan Zholtovsky-designed structure in Gorky Park, for a Garage Museum extension
-
Renzo Piano’s GES-2 is a site of wonderThe GES-2's building site in Moscow is so glorious the half-constructed structure has already got the design world talking
-
Young architects tasked to rethink Russia’s abandoned industrial sites in KazanFor the second Russian Architecture Biennale for Young Architects, curator Sergei Tchoban, architect and founder of the Tchoban Foundation in Berlin, looked out into Russia’s post-industrial landscape and challenged Russian architects under 35 to propose some new solutions for a former faucet factory and a grain elevator near Kazan
-
Touring St Petersburg’s New Holland Island and its ongoing transformationNew Holland Island is a historic artificial island in Saint Petersburg, Russia, dating from the 18th century. Now, under an architect's guidance, development continues apace, transforming it into a vibrant cultural hub
-
Architectural landmark Matrex joins Moscow’s Skolkovo tech park -
Clean break: a new book explores the forgotten architecture of Soviet sanatoriums -
Diller Scofidio + Renfro links Moscow's natural landscapes and urban life at Zaryadye Park -
Hello yellow: Russian For Fish breathes new life into a London terrace duplex
