Tuchkov park competition

Saint-Petersburg, 2020

KATARSIS ab + PRAXYS Paysagiste + Rethink + AREP


The sense of river.

Water becomes the foundation of the park's concept.
St. Petersburg is a city of stone and water; it is one of the world's few cities sitting on a multitude of islands. The authors of the concept propose letting the water inside the park so that it would alter the existing outline of the area and encourage a living insular landscape to show through. The park's concept opens up access to the Neva River and brings back the long-lost flora and fauna.

The main elements that forms the park are the lake and the system of marshy canals that pierce through the park and divide it into separate islands. The water changes the landscape, and the islands are capable of vanishing and reappearing. The islands are connected via a dense network of pathways and bridges.
The natural landscapes, a complex system of openings, meadows and view corridors create a rich and powerful visual impact. Cosy corners are contrasted with open meadows.

The park, therefore, is anything but static: it flows along with the Neva and brings the neighbouring areas into a single uninterrupted system of green spaces.

The architecture of the park is interpreted as a system of pavilions in intimate locations. They are placed close to the edge of the park, leaving more room for the natural landscape.
The concept also accounts for the reconstruction of the Hemp Warehouses on the Neva embankment. The idea is to create a single embankment between Tuchkov and Birzhevoy Bridges. In stark contrast with the meadowy park stretch of the river bank, the area by the Hemp Warehouses is an active urban space. The reconstructed building itself is to become a multifunctional sports and education cluster with workshops, restaurants, studios, auditoriums, and art galleries.