Heart of the city

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The heart of the city is a long-term project with the aim of regenerating the historic city center of Kaliningrad around the former Königsberg Palace and House of the Soviets . This project is being implemented by the urban planning office of the same name "Heart of the City" ( Russian : Градостроительное бюро, "Сердце города" ), a Kaliningrad-based NGO .

General

The project arose from an initiative of the members of the Cultural Council, which is headed by the governor of Kaliningrad Oblast Nikolai Nikolajewitsch Zukanow. The Culture Council was founded in 2005 and is an advisory body which is responsible for the cooperation between cultural institutions, mass media, NGOs, artistic and cultural communities and which deals with other topics in the cultural sphere. The project is being realized by the city planning office Herz der Stadt in cooperation with the government and administration of the Kaliningrad Oblast, as well as the Kaliningrad branch of the Union of Russian Architects.

background

Due to the severe damage that the city of Koenigsberg suffered during the Second World War, as well as numerous unfinished building projects of the Soviet era, the Kaliningrad city center has remained almost empty and undeveloped to this day. After years of discussion between the public and internationally recognized experts, the Kaliningrad Oblast government decided in 2012 to rebuild the historic city center, known for its centuries-old history as Koenigsberg . To this end, the “Heart of the City” project was launched, the director of which is the recognized cultural expert and writer Alexander Popadin.

activities

A study from 2013 served the “Heart of the City” project as a basis for future activities. In this study, researchers determined the boundaries of the twelve historical areas (corresponding to the former districts of Königsberg), analyzed them based on their historical and cultural value and made recommendations for their future expansion. This study was presented to the local authorities and discussed with experts within the community.

As part of the project, the city planning office “Heart of the City” organized an international urban planning competition in 2014 for the renewal of Kaliningrad's inner city. The jury included politicians from Kaliningrad and international experts in the field of architecture and urban planning such as Bart Goldhoorn, Hans Stimmann , Barbara Engel, Rasmus Waern, Stephen Willacy, Olov Schultz, Alexander Lozhkin and Anna Brunow. The aim of the competition was to draw up a plan for the urban structure of the historic city center of Korolewskaja Gora (Königsberg) and its surroundings (total area 56 hectares). The St. Petersburg architectural team “Studio 44” in collaboration with the “Institute of Territorial Development” emerged as the winner of this competition. Your concept contains separate proposals for the development of the individual competition areas. During the reconstruction of the former old town and the port area, both the historical value should be preserved and the merging with the contemporary architecture should be achieved. In addition, strict regulations are suggested that regulate, among other things, the use of facade glazing and surface materials, building density, building height, roof shapes and more. The Kantinsel (formerly Kneiphof) should remain excluded from construction work. The area of ​​the former Königsberg Castle is proposed as part of an "archaeological park". The final concept was worked out by the team of architects “Studio 44” in cooperation with the second-placed “Devillers et Associes” from Paris and “Off-The-Grid Studios” from Moscow and with the professional support of the city planning office.

In 2015 the concept of “Studio 44” won in the “Masterplanning” category of the World Architecture Festival in Singapore.

Taking this winning concept into account, the international urban planning competition “Post-castle” was organized in 2015. This time, however, the focus should be on creating a building and cultural complex to be built on the site of the former Königsberg Palace, next to the House of the Soviets. Various requirements had to be met. On the one hand, this complex should contain certain rooms, such as areas for museums and a multifunctional hall. On the other hand, a contemporary concept should be created that realizes the historical and cultural potential of this area, takes its historical background into account and includes the preservation and completion of the former house of the Soviets. As in the previous year, the jury again consisted of respected politicians, architects and town planners. Of the 49 competitors, thirty-year-old Anton Sagal from Kaliningrad (currently living in Italy) took first place. Not only did he manage to meet all the requirements, he impressed the jury above all with the excellent quality of his design. His concept has been praised in particular by the architect, town planner and former Berlin Senate Building Director Hans Stimmann .

Current situation

The winner of the competition to build the new castle is currently in the design planning phase for the building complex. The local authorities have announced the start of archaeological excavations on the site of the former Königsberg Palace. Construction work is scheduled to start in 2018.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ В Правительстве прошло первое заседание Совета по культуре при Губернаторе Калининградской облаской обладской. ([From] the first session of the Government Council for Culture, the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region.) Government of the Kaliningrad Region, gov39.ru, November 23, 2005
  2. ↑ Founding members under “About us” ( Memento of the original from February 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. - Heart of the City planning office , accessed on February 19, 2016  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tuwangste.ru
  3. ↑ Ekaterina Smirnowa: Kaliningrad: Between Königsberg Castle and Soviet House. Russia Beyond The Headlines (RBTH), October 1, 2014
  4. ↑ Программа по восстановлению исторического "сердца" города начинает работать. (Program to restore the historical “heart” of the city begins) Government of the Kaliningrad Region, gov39.ru, September 8, 2012
  5. ↑ Калининградские эксперты высоко оценили проведенную историко-культурную экспертурную экспертизу истариаескозу истариаескогинаесалгнаицнаричо. (Kaliningrad: Experts assess [after] the historical and cultural value of the historical center of Kaliningrad.) Government of the Kaliningrad Region, gov39.ru, June 11, 2013
  6. ↑ "The car bridge has to go and the houses should have a touch of old Königsberg" Königsberger Express, October 31, 2014
  7. ↑ Consolidated Concept for the first phase of the “Heart of the City” Project implementation discussed with professionals. ( Memento of the original from February 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Heart of the City planning office , April 18, 2015  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tuwangste.ru
  8. ↑ Stephy Chung: And the World Building of the Year is ... CNN, November 10, 2015
  9. ↑ International Architectural Design Competition for a “post-castle” area in Kaliningrad. Competitions.archi, accessed on February 18, 2016
  10. ^ The Russian won in the tender for the construction of the castle in Kaliningrad. ( Memento of the original from February 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. newsaboutpresident.net, accessed February 18, 2016  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / newsaboutpresident.net
  11. ↑ http://www.deutschlandradiokultur.de/neugestaltung-von-kaliningrad-gespenstische-leere-in-der.1008.de.html?dram:article_id=336187
  12. ↑ The new "heart of the city" will not beat in 2018. February 26, 2014 (transfer of the original Russian text from kaliningrad-domizil.ru , February 21, 2014)

Coordinates: 54 ° 42 ′ 33.4 ″  N , 20 ° 30 ′ 40.9 ″  E