Last week in Kaliningrad, the results of an international competition for the project of a historical and cultural complex, which is planned to be built on the territory of the former order castle of Konigsberg, were summed up. This place is located in the historical center of the city and unites objects of different eras: the multi-storey building of the House of Soviets, the ruins of the castle and the excavations on Korolevskaya Gora. A total of 49 works were submitted to the competition. The jury awarded first, second and two third places. The top four included Russian architects and participants from Spain and Italy.
We present the projects of the winners.
First place
Anton Sagal (Russia)
The project is based on the idea of partial restoration of the historical appearance of the territory according to the principle "dov'era com'era" - "in the same place, in the same form." It is proposed to restore the western and eastern wings of the Royal Castle, since they had the greatest architectural value. The decision of the rest of the buildings and public spaces is dictated by the desire to connect the restored buildings with each other and how to fit the new complex most harmoniously into the existing context. The advantage of the project is the functional flexibility of the premises of the complex, thanks to which it will be possible to hold events of various formats and scales.
Second place
Architectural bureau "Studio 44" (Russia)
The architects of Studio 44 offer an almost complete reconstruction of the exterior of the castle with 700 years of history. The restoration of structures with the preservation of their original dimensions and silhouettes and using historical materials is expected everywhere, with the exception of the eastern wing with the royal chambers, which was radically rebuilt during the Baroque era. In the courtyard of the fortress there is an auditorium for 1600 seats, designed according to the principle of the Colosseum. The building of the House of Soviets, which is also located in the competition area, according to the authors' idea, can be reconstructed into a hotel.
Third place
Marco Tapia Lopez and Carmen Figueiras Lorenzo (Spain)
Spanish authors have developed a concept for the development of the territory of the former order castle until 2027. First of all, it is proposed to create an underground floor of the historical and cultural complex, where a museum with a "green" roof will be located. Over the years, a new park will grow here. At the second stage, it is planned to build the main facilities of the complex in the park. This, according to the architects, will be the most appropriate moment to determine the functional purpose of the building of the House of Soviets. Finally, the third stage is the creation of a square that will become the center of attraction for residents and visitors of the city. Since there is a possibility of a gradual expansion of the functionality of the complex's facilities, all premises are supposed to be made suitable for any changes.
Third place
[A + M] ² Architects (Italy)
![Историко-культурный комплекс в Калининграде. [A+M]² Architects (Италия)](https://i.architectureprof.com/images/003/image-6602-25-j.webp "Историко-культурный комплекс в Калининграде. [A+M]² Architects (Италия)")
The concept was based on the dictum of Immanuel Kant: “A large city, a state center in which government institutions are located and there is a university (for the flourishing of science), a city convenient for sea trade, the location of which on the river facilitates communication between the interior of the country and adjacent or remote countries where they speak different languages and where different customs reign - a city like Konigsberg on the Pregel River can be recognized as a suitable place for expanding knowledge of both man and the world. Here even without traveling one can acquire such knowledge."
Thus, the central place in this project is occupied by a large "lighthouse", inside which the architects propose to place the Kant research center. All other functional spaces will be united under its roof by the House of Soviets. The ruins of the ancient castle, according to the authors, must be turned into an archaeological park open to residents of the city and tourists.
