Architects do not recommend turning Okhta promontory into a museum only
Metro (Saint Petersburg)
28.10.2011
Nowadays opposite the Smolny there is a long dark blue fencing behind which there is a large site where previously the construction of Okhta Center, Gazprom owned public and business complex was planned.
The project was relocated but the future of the site is still left unknown.
What could appear on Okhta promontory? A Museum, residential buildings, a factory, officers, or a park? Below is what architects think about it.
VYATOSLAV VLADIMIROVICH GAIKOVICH, honored Architect of Russia, Vice President of Saint Petersburg Council of Architects, Member of City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Head of Studio 17 Architectural Bureau:
It would be good if a theater, a museum, a concert hall, sports facilities, a landscaping park could be built there. A mixed use cultural center, but these are just dreams. The city will not be able to. It would be good if the area could be retained as public space with little space for commercial part and large space for cultural part. There is no sense in transforming this site into an archeological museum.
The monuments found are important but they can be a small part of a cultural complex.
VLADIMIR ANATOLYEVICH GRIGORIEV, Architect, Member of City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Head of Grigoriev and Partners Architectural Bureau:
It is possible to unite history and a development project on Okhta promontory. The project is to be restricted by the conditions on the preservation of the cultural heritage, which of course may have an impact on its profitability.
VYACHESLAV OPESTOVICH UKHOV, Honored Architect of Russia, Corresponding Member of International Architectural Academy, Professor of Architectural Department of the Academic Institute named after Repin, Vice President of Saint Petersburg Union of Architects, Member of City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Head of Ukhov’s Architectural and Design Bureau:
I do not have any specific ideas at the moment. I think that any city’s site is to be of a mixed use type. Very rarely the city needs some narrow functionality. A city is to be primarily for people! So business centers, residential buildings, museums, whatever may be built there. I do not think that it should be a museum only.
BORIS ALEXANDROVICH PODOLSKY, Architect, Director of Saint Petersburg Department of Head Design and Scientific and Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences:
What can be built on Okhta promontory? Anything, the most important thing is that no skyscraper will be built. I think that our city is short of landscaped embankments. So Marine City is appropriate on Okhta. Hotels, berths for boats and yachts, restaurants and cafes can be built there.
FELIX VIKTOROVICH BUYANOV, Architect, Secretary of the Council for Work with the Youth of Saint Petersburg Architects’ Union, Member of the City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Director of B 2 Architectural Bureau:
I have been to the site of the former Okhta Center for a few times and I am aware of the fact that a large archeological and historic museum is unfeasible based on the findings. It will not be interesting. And creating a museum artificially is in conflict with the idea of the preservation of the cultural heritage. It would be a too loose interpretation of the history. Okhta promontory is suitable to build a multifunctional center: residential buildings, offices plus cultural component. It is necessary to make a museum where the Nienschanz is, to make a covered unheated museum square, like for example in Sony Center on PotsdamerPlatz in Berlin. Such museum neighborhood will increase the attractiveness of both residential and business areas. The area will operate 24 hours and in the evenings people could have an opportunity to get familiar with the cultural heritage preserved in such a manner.
ANDREY GENNADIEVICH SHAROV, Director of Reinberg and Sharov Architectural Bureau:
An ideal scenario for the Okhta promontory is a museum complex showing a historic development of the layers of the city. However it is unfeasible, taking into account few serious exhibits detected in the course of the excavations. There are not so many founding to make a decent museum which will attract visitors. A full-fledged museum of this historic site is unfeasible. What is feasible is the rehabilitated structures with artificial exhibits.
Therefore if the city takes a decision to make a museum there, the project is to worked out very carefully to make the building occupied in future. The site is complicated. There are encumbrances. There is not much space for the development by taking into account modern requirements.
ANATOLY ARKADIEVICH STOLYARCHUK, Honored Architect of Russia, Counsel of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, Professor of International Academy of Architecture, Director General of Stolyakchuk’s Architectural Bureau LLC:
The concept of Okhta development was a subject of several diploma thesis in Saint Petersburg Architectural and Construction University and Academy of Arts. I liked the design without residential property, hotels and shopping malls. The main idea is to arrange a center of attraction, exhibitions, catering, cinema, promenade… The most important thing is that on Okhta promontory there should not be high-rise construction.
OLEG MANOV, a young architect, "Acade-micus":
A modern museum is not a museum in its classic sense. It is not only storage and display of historic exhibits. Nowadays it is a center of enlightenment and education, entertainment and trade, cinema, art and business. I have been impressed by London Museum of Modern Arts the Tate built under the project of Herzog and de Meuron. It is a gallery, a museum, but at the same time it is a commercial project with cultural, entertainment and trade functions. It is in high demand. The gallery is a leader in Europe among the museums in respect of attendance.
Okhta promontory is well suitable for such a project. A museum for the sake of a museum is not needed. What is needed is an all the year round museum with a million of various services will be demanded in Petersburg. I assume that such a project will be interesting for business. The benefit is obvious. The accommodation opposite the Smolny is not a very good idea. Officers can be allocated in a museum complex.
The project was relocated but the future of the site is still left unknown.
What could appear on Okhta promontory? A Museum, residential buildings, a factory, officers, or a park? Below is what architects think about it.
VYATOSLAV VLADIMIROVICH GAIKOVICH, honored Architect of Russia, Vice President of Saint Petersburg Council of Architects, Member of City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Head of Studio 17 Architectural Bureau:
It would be good if a theater, a museum, a concert hall, sports facilities, a landscaping park could be built there. A mixed use cultural center, but these are just dreams. The city will not be able to. It would be good if the area could be retained as public space with little space for commercial part and large space for cultural part. There is no sense in transforming this site into an archeological museum.
The monuments found are important but they can be a small part of a cultural complex.
VLADIMIR ANATOLYEVICH GRIGORIEV, Architect, Member of City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Head of Grigoriev and Partners Architectural Bureau:
It is possible to unite history and a development project on Okhta promontory. The project is to be restricted by the conditions on the preservation of the cultural heritage, which of course may have an impact on its profitability.
VYACHESLAV OPESTOVICH UKHOV, Honored Architect of Russia, Corresponding Member of International Architectural Academy, Professor of Architectural Department of the Academic Institute named after Repin, Vice President of Saint Petersburg Union of Architects, Member of City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Head of Ukhov’s Architectural and Design Bureau:
I do not have any specific ideas at the moment. I think that any city’s site is to be of a mixed use type. Very rarely the city needs some narrow functionality. A city is to be primarily for people! So business centers, residential buildings, museums, whatever may be built there. I do not think that it should be a museum only.
BORIS ALEXANDROVICH PODOLSKY, Architect, Director of Saint Petersburg Department of Head Design and Scientific and Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences:
What can be built on Okhta promontory? Anything, the most important thing is that no skyscraper will be built. I think that our city is short of landscaped embankments. So Marine City is appropriate on Okhta. Hotels, berths for boats and yachts, restaurants and cafes can be built there.
FELIX VIKTOROVICH BUYANOV, Architect, Secretary of the Council for Work with the Youth of Saint Petersburg Architects’ Union, Member of the City Planning Council at the Government of Saint Petersburg, Director of B 2 Architectural Bureau:
I have been to the site of the former Okhta Center for a few times and I am aware of the fact that a large archeological and historic museum is unfeasible based on the findings. It will not be interesting. And creating a museum artificially is in conflict with the idea of the preservation of the cultural heritage. It would be a too loose interpretation of the history. Okhta promontory is suitable to build a multifunctional center: residential buildings, offices plus cultural component. It is necessary to make a museum where the Nienschanz is, to make a covered unheated museum square, like for example in Sony Center on PotsdamerPlatz in Berlin. Such museum neighborhood will increase the attractiveness of both residential and business areas. The area will operate 24 hours and in the evenings people could have an opportunity to get familiar with the cultural heritage preserved in such a manner.
ANDREY GENNADIEVICH SHAROV, Director of Reinberg and Sharov Architectural Bureau:
An ideal scenario for the Okhta promontory is a museum complex showing a historic development of the layers of the city. However it is unfeasible, taking into account few serious exhibits detected in the course of the excavations. There are not so many founding to make a decent museum which will attract visitors. A full-fledged museum of this historic site is unfeasible. What is feasible is the rehabilitated structures with artificial exhibits.
Therefore if the city takes a decision to make a museum there, the project is to worked out very carefully to make the building occupied in future. The site is complicated. There are encumbrances. There is not much space for the development by taking into account modern requirements.
ANATOLY ARKADIEVICH STOLYARCHUK, Honored Architect of Russia, Counsel of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, Professor of International Academy of Architecture, Director General of Stolyakchuk’s Architectural Bureau LLC:
The concept of Okhta development was a subject of several diploma thesis in Saint Petersburg Architectural and Construction University and Academy of Arts. I liked the design without residential property, hotels and shopping malls. The main idea is to arrange a center of attraction, exhibitions, catering, cinema, promenade… The most important thing is that on Okhta promontory there should not be high-rise construction.
OLEG MANOV, a young architect, "Acade-micus":
A modern museum is not a museum in its classic sense. It is not only storage and display of historic exhibits. Nowadays it is a center of enlightenment and education, entertainment and trade, cinema, art and business. I have been impressed by London Museum of Modern Arts the Tate built under the project of Herzog and de Meuron. It is a gallery, a museum, but at the same time it is a commercial project with cultural, entertainment and trade functions. It is in high demand. The gallery is a leader in Europe among the museums in respect of attendance.
Okhta promontory is well suitable for such a project. A museum for the sake of a museum is not needed. What is needed is an all the year round museum with a million of various services will be demanded in Petersburg. I assume that such a project will be interesting for business. The benefit is obvious. The accommodation opposite the Smolny is not a very good idea. Officers can be allocated in a museum complex.
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