The Architectural Atlas of St. Petersburg was compiled by the German architect Peter Knoch, who has spent many years studying the architectural heritage of Russia. The publication is intended for a wide range of readers - from tourists to professionals in the field of architecture. The Atlas is intended to give an understanding of the many-sided nature of St. Petersburg, the depth of its history, and the peculiarities of its town-planning destiny.
The presentation was attended by St. Petersburg architects, journalists, public figures and representatives of business circles, students and teachers of SPbGASU. At the event, welcoming speeches were made by the author of the "Architectural Atlas" Peter Knoh, Vice-Rector of the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Irina Lapina, representative of KNAUF Dr. Gerd Lenga, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture Sergey Sementsov.
Sergei Sementsov noted that he was fortunate enough to hold in his hands, probably, all publications by German authors dedicated to St. Petersburg, only guidebooks among them were more than one hundred and seventy. Many such publications became canonical, with not only the texts, but also the cartographic plans of the city contained in them. The new guide, according to Mr. Sementsov, is very interesting. Firstly, this is the view of a foreigner, moreover, a follower of a great tradition, secondly, he has a unique layout, and thirdly, he uses a new cartographic standard, possibly creating a new standard.
The atlas presents twenty-five buildings that have appeared in the period from the beginning of the 18th century to the present day. Each building has its own section with accompanying short text and a photograph taken especially for this publication. In addition, the atlas contains fragments of maps not only of the city itself, but also of the imperial residences: Peterhof, Tsarskoe Selo, Pavlovsk, the Kronstadt Islands.
“The city has many faces. He has many images. This is the pompous imperial city - the former capital of the state, and Dostoevsky's Petersburg with gloomy courtyards-wells and back staircases of tenement houses … You can see and feel this by visiting the city, immersed in its unique atmosphere. And leafing through the pages of this Atlas, you can get acquainted with the architectural gems of the city, which are its hallmark,”- with these words, the rector of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Evgeny Rybnov addresses the readers from the pages of the introductory part of the guide. The KNAUF CIS Group acted as the exclusive sponsor of the atlas, as it considers such activities important for the preservation and development of the perception of architecture as an art form. “It doesn't matter whether we are talking about an architectural monument, an office building or a residential building - wherever construction work is carried out, it is carried out with the help of our materials, including in Russia,” commented Nikolaus Knauf, co-owner of the international group Knauf.
Knauf representative Gerd Lenga emphasized that it was a natural decision for the company to support such a project, given the importance of architecture in human life. Along with the new atlas of St. Petersburg, Knauf financed the creation of the "Architectural Atlas of Moscow", which has already gone through two reprints.
