West 8 + Studio 44 wins Tuchkov Buyan Park competition in Saint Petersburg

West 8, in collaboration with Russian partner Studio 44, have won the international design competition for the Tuchkov Buyan Park in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The news was announced live on a press release on the 18th September. The Tuchkov Buyan Park will be located in the middle of the old town on the river Neva, creating beautiful vistas across the water.

West 8 / Studio 44’s entry, entitled “Park of Full Sail Romance”, refers to the maritime history and romantic identity of St. Petersburg. The competition set the task of creating a green public space connected to the water. The project also had to improve the quality of life in the adjacent neighbourhoods, and become a magnet for both residents and tourists to visit.

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The winning design by West 8 / Studio 44 shows a romantic park for urban strollers and informal festivals. With a topography of undulating hills, the park ‘kisses’ the river and offers visitors views to the beautiful silhouette of the city beyond. Underneath, a series of cubist-designed grottos are planned to bring a rich and diverse series of atmospheres to the waterfront site.

With seasonality in mind, the park has been explicitly designed to be attractive to visitors in both the summer and winter months. Trees and plants have been divided over different ecological zones, including an indoor orangery, which is intended to become a popular destination for visitors.

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The park also included a variety of other programmatic elements: a large multifunctional lawn, various bridges, a colonnade, a floating stage, a labyrinth, a playground and an open-air theatre. According to the jury, the design reflects a “spectacular concept” and an “excellent understanding of park design, materials, movement, energy, atmosphere, identity and perspective”.

Lastly, the design proposes the creation of a ‘green loop’, creating and accessible route to visit four highlights of St. Petersburg: from the Hermitage, via the fortress of Peter and Paul, past the Tuchkov Buyan Park and ending at the Alexander Garden. Source and images Courtesy of West 8.

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