A draft for redevelopment at Khimvolokno and Plastpolimer plants

Historical Background

The development site has a unique history. It was once the site of the oldest Russian gunpowder and explosives producer — the Okhta Gunpowder Plant. Founded in 1715 by a direction of Peter the Great, it was situated on the banks on both sides of the Okhtinsky Razliv, an artificial water reservoir.

It was already since mid-18th century that the plant was the largest industrial enterprise of St. Petersburg, and in the 19th century it became the leading enterprise in the industry and the main provider of various grades of powder for the army and the fleet. It was then that the principal layout of the plant took shape, based on a regular arrangement of the powder mills.

After the Russian revolution the plant continued to produce military goods for the Red Army and switched to chemical goods production in 1922.

The complex, being almost 300 years old, still bears traits of various epochs, the earliest of which was early 18th century, the intermediary – early 19th century, and the latest was from late 19th to early 20th century.

The water complex of the former Okhta Gunpowder Plant (Plotina, Russian for “dam”) was preserved on the site and has now become a regional cultural heritage object, as has a range of historical buildings of a distinctive industrial architectural style. The project preserves and takes into account the buildings recognized as cultural heritage objects.

Explanatory note

This site was originally formed by a complex of technically and logically interconnected facilities, and that is why it is to be further developed and reconstructed as a single architectural complex. To provide for an appealing urban space in the future blocks, characterized by a distinctive and comfortable residential environment, the design includes a uniform architectural and layout solution and creates spatial and dimensional rhymes between the two sites, embracing elements of the historical structure of the landscape and composition.

The development draft provides for preservation of the cultural heritage objects, that is of the buildings complex of the Okhta Gunpowder Plant. The analysis of the existing buildings and structures on the two sites and the photographic evidence have revealed other brick buildings which we consider valuable and desire to preserve. All the preserved brick buildings capture the genius loci, give a sense of the uniqueness of the space, and are part of its historical and cultural value.

It seems reasonable to establish squares and miniparks around the preserved brick buildings. Such public spaces bear a diversity of possibilities, which shall provide for an appealing and interesting life in these new blocks. We propose a reconstruction of the preserved buildings to give them the new functions necessary for the blocks inhabitants. Part of the buildings is to be occupied by public and commercial premises, other part shall embrace community services, kindergartens and schools.

The two banks of the Okhtinsky Razliv are to be linked by a pedestrian bridge over the design main line, which shall fly over the intermediate peninsula in the water area of the river. The bridge will form part of the shortest and most convenient walking route between the two blocks and will allow an effective use of the peninsula, its green bank later to be landscaped; reconstruction and refurbishment of the former warehouses will allow to arrange service and recreation facilities for the inhabitants.

An important task of the project was to embed a residential environment into the unique recreational landscape of the area. This environment is characterized by convenient uninterrupted pedestrian and bicycling links, a landscaped area of the banks, a variety of green miniparks and other public spaces.

The layout solution of the Plastpolimer block is based on a combination of an open walking space along the bank line, which forms the “first raw” of the housing development, with a more compact buildings arrangement of the “second raw”. The “first raw” shall be formed of buildings with unique tectonics of the facades housing large scenic apartments, that is high class residential spaces. The maximum height of the buildings in the draft is 13 storeys. The “first raw” development is arranged so that all the inhabitants of the block have access to the embankment, the water surface is best visible, and nothing obscures the view from the windows of the “second raw” buildings.

There is a single principle underlying the draft of Khimvolokno and Plastpolimer blocks development. Straight lines and a rectangular structure are visible in the layout, which are traditional for the historical center of Saint Petersburg. The draft makes use of the historically formed module of the block buildings, distinguished by axial plans and precincts. Such a layout supposes buildings to have a central window axis and to preserve a traditional ratio of walls and embrasures.