In March, the results of the competition for the development of the concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape were announced. Previously, Gazprom Neft planned to build the highest tower in Europe here, and now it intends to locate its headquarters. Seven bureaus took part in the competition, four foreign ones reached the final, the Nikken Sekkei project won.
We publish all seven projects that participated in the competition.
***
Nikken Sekkei. Winner
The Japanese were inspired by the sea glory of St. Petersburg and that segment of history when shipyards were located on the Okhtinsky cape: in the version of the winners, the headquarters resembles two ships swaying on the waves. Mother and child, as Nikken Sekkei CEO Fadi Jabri called them tenderly during a presentation at RBC in excellent Russian.
The functions of the buildings, according to the customer's representative, are still being discussed, there will probably not be a clear division into office and public. Inside, they will create a cozy weather-protected space with hanging gardens, water cascades and an object called "Faberge egg", reminiscent of a tree house. The small building is connected to a large concave roof with an observation deck. The negative space between them forms a frame, inside which the Smolny Cathedral is "exhibited".
-
zooming 1/4 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape Territory Image courtesy of Gazprom Neft Press Service © Nikken Sekkei
-
zooming 2/4 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Nikken Sekkei / provided by RBC St. Petersburg
-
zooming 3/4 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Nikken Sekkei / provided by RBC St. Petersburg
-
zooming 4/4 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape Territory Image courtesy of Gazprom Neft Press Service © Nikken Sekkei
Critics of the project note the pragmatism and neutrality of the chosen solution, the absence of intrigue and degree of complexity. The glass facade is far from being environmentally friendly and, moreover, gives rise to the phenomenon of pseudo-transparency: despite the "crystal" walls, the building looks monolithic and rather symbolizes closedness. There is also no clarity about what will be done with the archaeological finds.
More about the project ->
Another presentation of the Nikken Sekkei project, dated May 28:
MVRDV. Finalist
Judging by what is written in the information field, this project is the most attractive to the public. The discrete volume of the office building, the composition of which resembles the abstractions of Wassily Kandinsky, rests on 119 columns, between which trees grow. This “forest”, like the green roof with lush vegetation, was planned to be fully provided to the townspeople in the project.
The Dutch have ambitious goals: to build the largest wooden building in the world, revitalize the ecosystem, create an intelligent work environment, link many contextual threads, from the swamps and the Nyenschanz fortress to the Baroque and Soviet heritage of the area. The latest green technologies ensure a "clean" building life.
-
zooming 1/8 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 2/8 Corner view. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 3/8 View in winter. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 4/8 View of the rooftops. The concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Mir
-
zooming 5/8 Gallery. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 6/8 Interior. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 7/8 Park. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 8/8 Roof view. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
The project is exciting and intriguing. However, having read the accompanying manifest text, you can understand why it is not in the first place. “Gazprom,” says Vinnie Maas. "Among the world's top three companies in terms of emissions, and our bureau is radically committed to sustainable design."To resolve this moral dilemma, the architects came up with a landscape-fused headquarters that does not harm the environment and does not use fossil fuels for its supply, but rather purifies the air from carbon dioxide.
Accepting such a project - one that does not explicitly state the power of the corporation, although in many ways beneficial to the city - would indeed be a compromise. However, there are also alternative opinions. For example, Evgeny Gerasimov considers the project to be frivolous and gives arguments: trees on roofs and under buildings do not grow in our climate, overlapping the perspective of the bridge betrays a lack of understanding of the basics of urban planning, but if you remove the "tinsel" of greenery, then there will be a random pile of cubes, and random shapes for verified Petersburg contraindicated. This point of view only confirms the need to discuss the future of the Cape openly and with the involvement of professionals and the urban community.
More about the project ->
-
zooming 1/7 Master plan of the 1st floor. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 2/7 Roof master plan. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 3/7 Step by step creation of the park and building. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 4/7 Concept. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 5/7 Office level. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 6/7 Wooden structure. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
-
zooming 7/7 Section. The concept of development of the Okhta Cape territory © MVRDV
Valode & Pistre. Finalist
The version of the French workshop, upon first acquaintance, surprises with deliberation, which arises from the opposition of an acute angle and a wavy facade - from above, the building resembles a segment carved from a giant rectangular block. The contrast, as follows from the explanatory text, reflects the different nature of the Neva and Okhta, the merger of which is another semantic load of the site. From the Okhta side, the facade is more or less monotonous, calm, like the waters of a small river. From the side of the Neva - expressive waves, the bends of which frame areas with archaeological finds.
The long horizontal facades are a tribute to the continuous development of the St. Petersburg embankments. And on the "wave" overlooking the Neva, thanks to the bends of the glass and the play of reflexes, a vertical rhythm is created, echoing the regular rhythm of the colonnades of the historical buildings. The light and color effects resemble, according to the authors, the coloristic architecture of the Russian Baroque typical for St. Petersburg.
More about the project ->
-
zooming 1/6 Concept for the development of the Okhta Cape territory © Valode & Pistre
-
zooming 2/6 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Valode & Pistre
-
zooming 3/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Valode & Pistre
-
zooming 4/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Valode & Pistre
-
zooming 5/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Valode & Pistre
-
zooming 6/6 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Valode & Pistre
UNStudio. Finalist
In this concept, like the winner, the building consists of two buildings. They are connected by a large atrium corridor that serves as the main entrance and the main public space. The atrium reveals a view of the Smolny Cathedral and connects the city with the embankment, and also offers venues for exhibitions, events and recreation not only for citizens, but also for company employees. For the latter, comfortable working conditions are created: climatic systems of the latest generation, natural light, coworking spaces and recreational areas, an abundance of trees and plants in the interior and in the surrounding areas.
The composition is inspired by the spiky plan of the Nyenschanz fortress, and the intricate glass facades should resemble the facets of a precious stone enclosed in a strict frame. Sloped volumes not only create an expressive sculptural surface, but also protect the premises from direct sunlight and overheating. Reflections and reflections allow the facade to change with the weather and time of day, just like the Neva does.
More about the project ->
-
zooming 1/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © UNStudio
-
zooming 2/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © UNStudio
-
zooming 3/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © UNStudio
-
zooming 4/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © UNStudio
-
zooming 5/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © UNStudio
-
zooming 6/6 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © UNStudio
Next, we show the projects that participated in the competition, but did not reach the final.
Sergey Skuratov architects
Sergey Skuratov's concept looks the most elaborate. There are a lot of illustrations and explanations on the bureau's website, according to which the building-symbol resembles a neuron with rays-axons and dendrites, “a star, a message and a signal, a radiance, a burst of energy”. The concave facades take up the St. Petersburg semicircle theme, "modifying Voronikhin's original design with two colonnades for the Kazan Cathedral, which failed to be realized." Five light lanterns of various shapes, like splashes on the surface of the water, are placed on a flat landscaped operated roof.
Internal spaces should create an illusion in a person that he is in nature - for this, the authors of the project propose to use ornamental plants and agricultural crops, which they plan to water with storm water. An active dynamic facade is able to regulate heat exchange with the external environment.
More about the project ->
-
zooming 1/6 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Sergey Skuratov ARCHITECTS
-
zooming 2/6 View from the Okhta embankment to the Smolny Cathedral. The concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Sergey Skuratov ARCHITECTS
-
zooming 3/6 The main entrance to the complex from the side of Krasnogvardeyskaya Square. The concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Sergey Skuratov ARCHITECTS
-
zooming 4/6 Roof. View of the Smolny Cathedral. The concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Sergey Skuratov ARCHITECTS
-
zooming 5/6 Main atrium. View of the amphitheater from the bar. The concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Sergey Skuratov ARCHITECTS
-
zooming 6/6 General plan. The concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Sergey Skuratov ARCHITECTS
KOSMOS
The Kosmos project is similar to the MVRDV project in terms of creating a fractional, non-overwhelming object. Moscow architects, like the Dutch, were inspired, among other things, by the courtyards and roofs of St. Petersburg.
The dense volume of the office building is cut through by courtyards connected into one system, each with its own atmosphere and landscape. The central courtyard can be closed with doors, turning it into a concert hall or exhibition area. The main public space is located on the roof and is comparable in scale to Palace Square or the Champ de Mars. The park, which the authors proposed to make available to citizens around the clock, in the project revealed views of the Smolny Cathedral and the water area of the Neva. In it, the architects placed an amphitheater, a jogging track, cafes, coworking spaces and a mini-football field with spectator seats.
More about the project ->
-
zooming 1/3 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Kosmos Architects
-
zooming 2/3 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Kosmos Architects
-
zooming 3/3 View of the main courtyard. The concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © Kosmos Architects
ABD Architects in consortium with Ingenhoven Architects
Again "mono-creation". It is turned towards the embankment by four terraced buildings, between which three squares are formed, and towards the city - by a continuous semicircle of the facade. Ship pines and other mature trees grow in the multilevel atrium-wells. The building is covered with a transparent roof, through which natural light flows generously. “The image of the building is an innovative interpretation of the embankments of the Neva,” says the website of the ABD bureau.
More about the project ->
-
zooming 1/5 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky cape territory © ABD architects
-
zooming 2/5 Concept of development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © ABD architects
-
zooming 3/5 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © ABD architects
-
zooming 4/5 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © ABD architects
-
zooming 5/5 Concept for the development of the Okhtinsky Cape territory © ABD architects
***
Okhtinsky Cape is a territory in its significance not less than Tuchkov Buyan, which was talked about all last year. Archaeologists have found here the remains of the Swedish fortress Nyenskans, the Smolny Cathedral, the water area of the Neva, the Bolsheokhtinsky bridge are located nearby, and around is an indistinct town-planning situation: the place is loaded with transport and has nothing to do with the city for many years.
Taking advantage of the quarantine lull, the St. Petersburg public draws attention to the closed competition in the hope of revising its results.
Architecture critic Maria Elkina launched petition with a request to choose a more successful project that could become a "compromise between the interests of the city and the Gazprom Neft company." “My petition, by and large, is not for a specific project and not even for a public discussion for its own sake, it is for complicating the agenda around Okhtinsky Cape and in general everything that is being built in St. Petersburg,” Maria explained on her Facebook page. At the moment, the petition has been signed by more than 2,800 people.
Some time ago, RBC organized online conference: It is interesting to join it if only for the sake of looking at the experts in a “home” setting - the chief architect Vladimir Grigoriev, for example, spoke with the support of the portraits of Vladimir Putin and Alexander Beglov, and the president of the local union of architects, Oleg Romanov, from the hunting lodge. As a result of the conversation, recommendations were formulated for the customer: to look for an intriguing rather than a practical architectural solution, to think over the program of public space and traffic flows, to take into account the complex context of the place - with its archaeological values, Soviet heritage and other "baggage". Vladimir Grigoriev did not rule out that the project will be considered at the city council.
***
ABOUT about competition procedure and terms of reference told us Artem Kitaev, one of the founders and partners of the Kosmos bureau.
“They wrote to us from Gazprom Neft and invited us to participate. The terms of reference were quite loose: security zones and very general requirements for the areas of the main functional blocks were given. Many decisions were left to the discretion of the architects. In my opinion, this freedom was given deliberately so that the organizers could see the most complete set of typological and spatial concepts for this site.
What was probably overlooked is competent communication with the city about the need to develop the site. Now the site looks more like a wasteland in a very important place in the city. On the one hand, there are defenders demanding not to touch anything, on the other hand, there is a business that wants to sell the volumes permitted by law on the site as soon as possible. The lack of dialogue and, possibly, trust between the participants in the process led to the absence of a formulated vision of this place, both in urban planning and in stylistic and even in software solutions.
Architects, trying to find a compromise between the city's urban ensemble, the interests of business and the townspeople, proposed concepts with too much assumptions. In my opinion, it would be right to put these concepts into the basis of public discussion, on the basis of which a more precise and comprehensive task for the development of the project should have been formed."
