Open Heart

2024 Author: David Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 02:26

The building of the Stables Department is located in the very center of St. Petersburg, perhaps there is nowhere more central: between the Hermitage and the Savior on Spilled Blood, a stone's throw from the Mikhailovsky Castle and the Summer Garden, there are rivers and canals. It is all the more surprising that the ensemble, which occupies an entire block, has hardly been used for the last sixty years, the square in front of it is filled with cars and buses, the walls are boarded up or hung with banners.

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  1/6 Stables department today photo by Alena Kuznetsova

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  2/6 Stables department today photo by Alena Kuznetsova

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  3/6 Stables department today photo by Alena Kuznetsova

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  4/6 Stables department today photo by Alena Kuznetsova

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  5/6 Stables department today photo by Alena Kuznetsova

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  6/6 Stables department today photo by Alena Kuznetsova

The stables department was built under Peter I according to the project of Nikolai Gerbel, to accommodate horses, carriage sheds, workshops, store saddles and harnesses. A little later, a church was erected over the gate, famous for the fact that Pushkin was buried there. The stables were rebuilt several times, including those designed by Vasily Stasov. The last reconstruction was carried out about 70 years ago, since then the premises have been transferred from one organization to another and gradually decayed.

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  1/7 Exposition accompanying the exhibition of adaptation projects of the Stables Department Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

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  2/7 Exposition accompanying the exhibition of adaptation projects of the Stables Department Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

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  3/7 Exposition accompanying the exhibition of adaptation projects of the Stables Department Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

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  4/7 Exposition accompanying the exhibition of adaptation projects of the Stables Department Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

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  5/7 Exposition accompanying the exhibition of adaptation projects of the Stables Department Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

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  6/7 Exposition accompanying the exhibition of the adaptation projects of the Stables Department Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

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  7/7 Exposition accompanying the exhibition of adaptation projects of the Stables Department Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

In 2010, Orange Development pledged to convert the building into an apart-hotel with a swimming pool and underground parking, which city defenders opposed. In 2016, the building was returned to the city treasury, and it was transferred to the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. Nothing happened to the building, except for rare exhibitions, but information about new investors and concepts began to leak out. A detailed chronicle of the latest events can be found here.

In July, the Investment Committee, without unnecessary details about what is happening and what the decision-making mechanism is, opened an exhibition with proposals from investors - right here, in the building of the Konyushenny Dvor. Everyone can look at the tablets and leave their wishes in the guestbook. The book, as the organizers assure, will be studied and will affect the final result. It is assumed that the official competition will be announced at the end of the year.

All concepts are based on the same principles: carefully restore the building, fill it with new functions and public spaces, and remove cars. But the image and the mission turned out to be different anyway. We understand the details.

"Start Development"and the architectural bureau of Sergei Mishin

Sergei Mishin's studio views the Konyushennoye Department as a link that is lacking for the appearance of the St. Petersburg Museum Quarter. If you place the Museum of Contemporary Art inside, and include the Museum and Courtyard located across the Konyushenny Square in the development of the territory, you will get a single pedestrian route from the Hermitage to the Russian Museum - and with a modern "block" in the middle.

Moreover, the architects see the Museum of Contemporary Art not as a repository, but rather as a public space. Hence the desire to make the territory around the Office permeable and to activate numerous spaces that are not currently used: squares, embankments, courtyards, alleys and dead ends.

It is suggested to leave the courtyard of the Konyushenny Department itself practically unchanged, preserving its desolation, which "goes back to the metaphysics of St. Petersburg." There will be a garden closed from the city noise. A parking lot will be located under the Konyushennaya Square; it itself will become a universal urban space. Embankments will also be freed from cars. Some of the premises will have a commercial function: hotels, offices, restaurants, coworking spaces and congress halls.

As for the restoration: the architects treat the building as an exhibit and want to reveal the historical arched passages and passages that have been laid, as well as preserve the historical layers: traces and "scars" of time. New inclusions are proposed to be made clearly new, but restrained, "anonymous" and reversible.

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  1/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  2/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department. Studio mishin

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  3/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  4/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  5/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  6/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  7/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  8/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  9/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  10/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  11/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  12/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  13/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  14/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  15/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

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  16/16 Concept for the development of the territory of the Court and Stables Department © Studio Mishin

Cuirassa Invest and MVRDV

The participation of the Dutch MVRDV bureau was unexpected. The pavilion at the exhibition was equipped with two screens: on one of the townspeople they were telling what they would like to see in the Stables Department, on the contrary, under the "Waltz of Flowers" there was a project demonstration. Pebbles and wooden flooring rustled underfoot, plastic grass was green.

The pathos of this proposal is to return the Stables Department to its former greatness. They are going to do this with the help of cultural programming and design, having previously restored the building according to the principles of UNESCO, which, however, are not disclosed in too much detail. On the stand, for example, it is written "that the stables will be reconstructed to their historical original" - the times of Gerbel, Stasov or Gross? It is possible that it is due to the difficulties of translation.

The first floor of the Stables Department will turn into a market for spices, coffee, sweets, fish and farm products. Seven corner pavilions will become entrance groups, each with its own function, also mainly related to food: a bakery, an oyster bar, champagne, a cigar club, a coffee shop, a flower shop and the main entrance with a temple, which seems a little superfluous at this celebration of life. The second floor will be occupied by coworking spaces, offices and artist studios.

The courtyard is also divided into three zones: in the center there is a regular park, on the flanks there is an orchard with a pavilion for tea drinking and a concert hall with an amphitheater. Also in the project there was a place for wedding promenades, a hotel and a museum of the building of the Stables Department. The square is freed from cars, its paving reflects the facades of the building.

The MVRDV concept looks the most landscaped and developed from the point of view of the scenario of use: the architects even came up with a name for the restaurant, which is unexpected in its own way - "Leap and Kiss".

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  1/8 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

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  2/8 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

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  3/8 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

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  4/8 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

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  5/8 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

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  6/8 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

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  7/8 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

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  8/8 Draft design of the adaptation of the Stables Office © MVRDV

Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects

This project is aimed at preserving the spirit of the place and showing the true beauty of the building of the 18th century: the Stables Department proposes to preserve it, reveal the original brick inside, and plant a "wild forest" in the courtyard. The new space should become universal and adaptive: so that it has both commerce and culture, so that exhibitions can be held and fan zones for sports events can be arranged. The expected functional content: a concert and exhibition area, cafes and restaurants, small shops.

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  1/7 Pavilion of the Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects photography by Alena Kuznetsova

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  2/7 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects

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  3/7 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects

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  4/7 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects

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  5/7 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects

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  6/7 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects

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  7/7 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office Center for Exhibition and Museum Projects

Museum of the History of St. Petersburg

The Museum of the History of the City proposes to turn the Stables Department - you guessed it, into a museum. There are enough exhibits to define part of the premises for its own exposition, other sites are proposed to be made universal and shared with other cultural institutions of the city. Also in the concept there was a place for a children's educational center and an interactive exhibition, a media library and an architectural lecture hall.

The tourist information center seems to be an interesting idea, where you can build a walking route, find information about the history and opening hours of attractions, and book tickets.

Such a museum center could host not only concerts, performances and exhibitions, but also larger events like the Venice Biennale.

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  1/5 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office. State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg

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  2/5 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office. State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg

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  3/5 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office. State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg

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  4/5 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office. State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg

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  5/5 Concept of adaptation of the Stables Office. State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg

Tandem estate

Tandem Estate, which launched the creative space ArtPlay in St. Petersburg, focused on functional content in its offer. The stables department was divided into blocks that are responsible for creativity, exhibitions, trade, leisure and education. Moreover, creativity did not have enough premises, and it occupied part of the courtyard, where the Arts Square and rows of temporary pavilions will appear.

Konyushennaya Square is being turned into a walking and park area. The authors of the concept designate their main goal as follows: "to recreate the Stables Department in the form in which it was before it fell into disrepair."

The detailed layout not only illustrates the concept, but also clearly shows what an interesting and promising space the city is now deprived of.

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  The concept of adaptation of the Stables Office. Tandem Estate Reshooting by Alena Kuznetsova

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  The concept of adaptation of the Stables Office. Tandem Estate photo by Alena Kuznetsova

The exhibition takes place in the Stables Department, in the Manege hall, until August 19. Free admission, schedule: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 14:00 to 20:00, Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 20:00.