2 3 Dear reader, In front of you is the book that is the result of the trip organized by VIA Stedebouw to Saint Petersburg that took place from the 1st to the 6th of May 2015. From the University of Eindhoven in total 13 Urban Design Master students, one Architecture Master student and one professor joined on the trip. This book covers the experience of all participants in the form of a personal reflection on the trip. Each individual part can be divided in three separate parts. The first one being a general reflection of the trip as a whole. For everyone Russia was a new country to visit, this new experience has been recorded in this paragraph. The second part is a reflection on the lecture given by Kyle Patching, a local director of development with a western background. The last part is an essay on the projects visited by bus under the professional guidance of professor Valery Nefedov. In this paragraph the sites are described, reflected and possible spatial interventions are discussed. For more information on VIA and ways to contact us please look us up on Facebook: facebook.com/VIAstedebouw. Travel committee of VIA Stedebouw Paul Faasen Jan Tatoušek Wessel van Wijlick Chris Steenhuis 4 5 Field trip by Valery Nefedov (New General Reflection Holland Area) Before my visit to Saint Petersburg, my The first location we visited with the bus comprehension of Russia was fairly tour was New Holland Island in the center of limited as I am more westerly oriented. Saint Petersburg. We approached the island Therefore, the trip was a great addition to along the adjacent canal to arrive at the my understanding of Russia in general. impressive neoclassical arch over the water I think it is amazing how much you can entrance to the island. The outer perimeter learn and experience of a foreign country of the island was filled with buildings of a within four days. All in all Saint Petersburg similar neoclassical architectural style. made a great impression on me with its Although, we were not able to enter the Fig. 1.1 New Holland Island beautiful waterfront along the Neva, the island due to construction activities, it was dominating street profiles and the plentiful quiet clear that the place had a certain present cultural heritage. I feel we have had charisma and historic atmosphere. The halted when the project ran into a number to the cultural life of Saint Petersburg as an excellent impression of what the city is site has altogether a great deal of potential of difficulties. Aside from global financial part of the new cultural trinity with the about. To sum up my conclusion of Saint with its location and the quality of cultural difficulties, the foremost problem appears Hermitage Museum and the Mariinsky Petersburg is on the one hand as the second heritage along the water. to be the political and bureaucratic Theather. city of Russia the enormous potential, and system of Saint Petersburg and Russia. on the other hand the pessimism of a nation New Holland Island emerged in 1720 after The authorities are not yet sufficiently plunged into a headlock by bureaucracy and the construction of two new canals in the able to decisively facilitate significant passivity. center of Saint Petersburg. These canals, redevelopments of urban plans. Instead, the the Kryukov Canal and the Admiralty Canal, current system rewards passivity and the intended to connect the tributary Moika evasion of responsibility. In addition with Lecture by Kyle Patching River with the prominent Neva River for flat out corruption this is a lethal recipe for logistical purposes. Subsequently, these addressing urban plans of this magnitude The lecture of Kyle Patching on the last day new canals carved out a new triangular and complexity. In that regard I recognized of the excursion was a huge eye-opener to island in the middle of the city. The Russian some familiar similarities with the lecture me. In the days before I already noticed Imperial Navy exploited the island during of Kyle Patching about problems with the neglect of many vacated buildings and the 18th and 19th century. The composition property developing in Saint Petersburg the general absence of redevelopment in and arrangement of the island transformed along the waterfront. It was not until the many areas of Saint Petersburg. But it continuously along with the ever- intervention by Russian billionaire Roman was not until the lecture of Kyle Patching transforming requirements of the Russian Abramovich before significant progress that I understood the inner workings of Admiralty. As such, the island had purposes could be achieved. The new plans by West 8 project developing in the city. It is best ranging from a shipyard, to a storage facility constitute the restoration and revitalization summarized as excruciatingly slow with and a naval penitentiary institution. After of the historic architectural ensemble on inconvenient regulations and a fair amount the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, New the island and to create a unique mixed- of corruption. This system of passivity can Holland Island fell into neglect. This state use facility wit a major new museum that be best traced back to the communistic days of decay continued until the 21st century will become a central part of the lives of of the Soviet Union. Apparently Russia has when the navy finally departed the island. residents of Saint Petersburg. severe problems, compared to other eastern Thereafter, this piece of prime real estate European countries, with adjusting to a in the heart of Saint Petersburg became It is unfortunate that the redevelopment more liberal and free market society. But available for commercial and cultural of New Holland Island had to last over what most surprised me was the indifferent purposes. the course of a decade. However, with the acceptance of the current pessimistic current developments and status quo, the situation by the Russian people. Personally I The subsequent redevelopment of the completion of the island in the foreseeable feel I would have had a more confrontational island was however not a particular smooth future seems inevitable. As such, it will prove attitude towards this defective system, but process. The initial plan and design by in all likelihood an enormous contribution perhaps I am naïve in that regard. Norman Foster was eventually completely 6 7 02 | NEW-ADMIRALTY ISLAND BY CHRIS STEENHUIS located within walking distance of the main General reflection downtown business district. For everyone who joined on the trip it was What was also insightful were the their first visit to Russia. To me it was not environmental issues that the city faces. and I’ve visited Saint Petersburg multiple Again as a tourist you don’t notice this at times before. This might have influenced all, but the impact of these developments how I saw the city during this visit. This visit was striking. The bus tour gave again has however not been anything ordinary. good examples of this. Partly because of The parts of the trip that were organized by this pollution, the water is not made very the ITMO university gave a unique insight accessible at this moment. There are very into the city. Nothing of which you would few opportunities to swim or interact with Fig. 2.2 New Admiralty shipyards. Source: Wikipedia experience as a visiting tourist. These parts the water in some way. Health risks are where there for the most interesting to me. an important factor in this. However it physically also hard to reach the water. expensive residential projects. The contrast of the state owned United Shipbuilding The tour with the bus for example gave a Very little effort has been made in the area could not be bigger. The redevelopments Corporation. very clear image what the city plans are and outside of the city center to interact with of these public spaces just outside of these will be the projects for the next few decades. the water. In many regards the water is zones seemed to have no priority. Overall In 2010 an agreement was signed between I was amazed by the scale that these projects currently considered a barrier and not as a land values could however greatly benefit the St. Petersburg Economic Forum the showed. High density residential projects feature. The pollution was also visible in the from the redevelopment of these zones. Government of St. Petersburg and United followed by more high density projects and way people take care of their public space. Who wants to look out from his penthouse Shipbuilding Corporation (USC OJSC) for old soviet industrial heritage after old soviet Zones with no particular ownership were on a littered beach or canal? the relocation of the Admiralty Shipyards industrial heritage. It looks like there are so often littered with cans and plastics, making from the New Admiralty Island to Kotlin many opportunities for development choices them even less attractive. These zones often Island at the head of the Gulf of Finland. The have to be made, even for a city of this size. I felt like no mans land with their own rules Lecture by Kyle Patching vacant area of about 17 hectares left by the was also surprised how relatively close these and people. relocation will be used for the construction sites were located to the city center. Sites The lecture by Kyle Patching provided us of residential, commercial and social around metro stations are generally well Remarkably these seemingly grey zones with an interesting contrast on what we facilities. St. Petersburg could build up to developed but other redevelopment sites are were often just out side well developed had seen two days earlier.