On December 15, an open international competition for the development of a concept for the development of the Gorky Central Park in Krasnoyarsk ended. The competition was initiated by RUSAL with the support of the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Administration of the city of Krasnoyarsk. Organizing Committee - Agency for Strategic Development "CENTER".
76 companies from 15 countries took part in the competition. Three teams reached the final.
The winner of the competition was the Russian-British consortium headed by the Moscow architectural bureau MAParchitects. We talked with its head Alexander Poroshkin about the park's potential, design features in the Siberian climate, the main idea of the winning project and the fate of the legendary children's railway.
Your company is not only a frequent participant, but also a multiple winner of architectural and urban planning competitions. This time you decided to propose your idea for a Siberian park with a rich history. How did you come up with the idea to participate, what inspired you, were you sure of victory?
We constantly participate in competitions. This way you can check if the ideas are relevant and in what state the team is now. Strengths and weaknesses are visible. Krasnoyarsk is close to me in spirit, since I received an architectural education in Siberia, in Tomsk.
When we participate in a competition, we are not sure of winning, but we are always focused on it. When the design deadlines are tight, it is important to allocate time correctly. To make a strong project, you need to invest a lot of resources: human, financial, intellectual. As a result, by participating in contests, we almost always go beyond the budget and the prize pool, as we put the victory in the first place.
When I arrived in Krasnoyarsk, I asked local residents where to go in the city to get a complete picture of it. There was no Central Park in the list of proposed locations. When I asked why they didn’t name the main park of the city, as the name suggests, I was told that there was nothing to do there. Why do you think the park fell into disrepair? What are the main problems facing him today, what impression did he make on you, and what needs to be done to make Krasnoyarsk residents rightfully proud of him?
Now the park is more focused on families with children, and in winter there is not much entertainment there. But it has a huge potential that needs to be unlocked. Therefore, it is very great that the regional government and the city administration paid attention to this site. Gorky Central Park is more than just a green square in the city center. This is a visiting card of the entire Krasnoyarsk Territory, focused on a small area. Our consortium project is based on four “pillars”: Heritage, Culture, Health and Active Lifestyle. We carefully approach the historical heritage of the park. We want the Gorky Park to become for all residents of the city exactly the place where everyone will find something of their own interest.
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zooming 1/4 Competitive concept for the development of the Central Park named after Gorky in Krasnoyarsk Architectural Bureau MAP, LDA Design Consulting, Sarner International Ltd
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zooming 2/4 Competitive concept for the development of the Central Park named after Gorky in Krasnoyarsk Architectural Bureau MAP, LDA Design Consulting, Sarner International Ltd
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zooming 3/4 Competitive concept for the development of the Central Park named after Gorky in Krasnoyarsk Architectural Bureau MAP, LDA Design Consulting, Sarner International Ltd
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zooming 4/4 Competitive concept for the development of the Central Park named after Gorky in Krasnoyarsk Architectural Bureau MAP, LDA Design Consulting, Sarner International Ltd
In the tender offer, we thought out scenarios for all-season use, a calendar of events and characteristic zones, taking into account age groups and activities.
Is this your first project in Siberia? Are there any differences when designing in a Siberian climate?
I have completed projects in Tomsk. So this is not the first project in Siberia. In fact, there is no fundamental difference. Everything always depends on the human factor. If the snow is not cleaned, then both in Moscow and in Krasnoyarsk it will be impossible to walk on the streets, and car traffic will be hampered. And people are the same everywhere, and the project should be made for people, taking into account their requests, suggestions and habits.
Recently, more and more often, within the framework of projects-winners of various architectural and urban planning competitions, there is a trend to educate the population. The concept of your consortium also implies the education of Krasnoyarsk residents and is aimed at reviving the cultural heritage. Why, in your opinion, is this topic most relevant now and how do you plan to develop it in the future park? Tell us about the main idea of the project
Interaction with residents and users of the area is very important. And the first step that we now intend to take is to go to Krasnoyarsk together with our consortium partners, the British LDA bureau. We will conduct a series of workshops to get feedback and, possibly, make a number of adjustments to the project. This will make it maximally adapted to the needs of the population. Our consortium is ready for a dialogue with the authorities, citizens in face-to-face and online formats, we look forward to productive interdisciplinary work.
To make it easier to receive quick feedback from residents in the future, a media center should become one of the important objects in the park. It can also be a great venue for lectures, exhibitions and screenings.
During the final session, the jury members, headed by the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Alexander Uss, were especially interested in the fate of the children's railway. Answer one of the most exciting questions of city residents: what awaits the first "small" road in Russia?
Indeed, the children's railway makes the park even more unique. And, by the way, it was she who helped us unite the entire territory.
We assumed that by traveling along this road, a person could study the history of the development of the park. From the historical heritage to the ultra-modern information center, passing or passing through various thematic sites related to the history and culture of the city. We also supplemented the paths with wooden flooring and made it so that visitors to the park could travel all-season not only by train, but also on foot.
After the park is transformed, what will become its hallmark? What do you think, next to which object in the renovated park will be the most photographs in summer, and what will become a point of attraction in winter?
The most spectacular object can be a bridge, and we studied the issue and found out that it can be made of aluminum structures, since KraMZ (Krasnoyarsk Metallurgical Plant) has already performed such structures and exported them abroad. It can be a unique building.
If we talk about points of attraction, we have identified characteristic zones with interesting objects in the park. For example, an open-air cinema in the Station Yubileynaya zone, wonderful children's sports grounds Stolby (this site is like a mini-branch of the famous Krasnoyarsk Stolby National Park) and Berloga, a fair, a unique water sports complex with a restaurant Floating gardens of the Yenisei ", a beautiful central alley, which can be adapted into a skating rink in winter, and the view tower" Gorka ". The Gorka Tower is not only an important spatial landmark, a new vertical dominant, but also a monument to the residents of the city. In winter, it can be additionally decorated like a Christmas tree and used not only as an observation deck, but also directly as a slide.
Describe the park that will be built according to your project in three words
Comfortable, inspiring, family friendly.
