St Petersburg was created by Peter the Great in the 18th century to give Russia a new capital and a northern port with access to the Baltic, a window on the west. At the beginning of the 21st century with increasing wealth from oil and gas revenues, knowledge of developments in Europe, the US and particularly China, lead to a new awareness of its unique position and importance as an international city in terms of the global economy. It clearly had a future as a mega-polis confirming its position as a bridge between east and west.
The then City Governor saw that major projects were necessary to make this happen and so create a global city. The attraction of business, both major Russian and international companies, to provide employment was vital. But this would need to go hand in hand with the provision of housing attractive, not only to Russians but to international employees, the like of which did not exist in the city.
A start was made when St Petersburg built the OKHTA Centre to receive Gazprom, the Russian national oil and gas producer, which has now consolidated its business in the city. It then went on to implement a policy to identify and concentrate development in areas that could accommodate projects of a scale necessary to build a truly global city. An influx of money provided the money to give development traction with major projects by star-chitects including Sir Norman Foster, for New Holland Island, and Kisha Kurokama.
Then, in 2006, the site around the existing Mariinsky Theatre was cleared including the demolition of traditional nineteenth century St Petersburg housing built around courtyards and prized by many. Dominique Perrault of French Bibliotheque National fame was appointed architect for the redevelopment but was dismissed in 2007 due to the height of the buildings proposed and escalating costs. The site has now been redeveloped and includes a new concert hall constructed in the shell of an existing nineteenth century warehouse and a second opera house. Construction started in 2003 to a design by Jean Nouvel which was halted at sub-basement level. The Canadian practice of Diamond and Schmitt with local partners were appointed and the new building opened in 2013 at a cost of 500 million Euros. The redevelopment gives St Petersburg a performing arts complex which rivals New York’s Lincoln Centre. While this, with other major arts projects will boost tourism there has been major investment by foreign companies including Siemens and Pepsi. Together they are expected to create a major node for tourism on the Baltic and an important marine city based on the change to tertiary from industrial employment.
Above map of St Petersburg showing the Baltic Pearl bottom left in relation to the city centre and the Nevsky Prospekt, top right red.
A major residential project, a contemporary suburb-city, the Baltic Pearl (visualisation above) is under construction on a previously swampy site on the Gulf of Finland some 12 miles south west of the city centre. The size of a small European town housing with a planned population of 35000. it has its own business centre, hotels, schools, kindergartens, clinics and sport facilities. It aims to have, for the first time in St Petersbur, a district where housing quantity and quality will correspond to European standards and be attractive to the world’s elite. Started in the early years of this century it was due for completion in five years but suffered a slow down in 2008 due to the world wide financial crisis. Rather than the values of Western European culture it reflects in many ways those of Chinese coastal cities and of the Emirates, particularly of Shangai and Dubai. It aims to create an international district reflecting westernisation and globalisation while utilising clean technology.
The whole city project divided opinion causing some panic among those who did not realise that foreign investment is not the same as foreign invasion as it was made possible by Chinese investment and partially by Chinese design skills. Opponents fear it will sound the death knell for European standards and loss of national identity. The influx of Chinese, who have different values is already a problem in the city, and there is fear that it will have an adverse effect on everything from schools, to hospitals, to city transport. The developers statements make clear that they are selling to the most affluent and so will do nothing to improve conditions for those on average incomes and in poor housing.
Those in favour of the project pointed to the failure of existing grey residential ghettos like Kupcino and claimed that St Petersburger’s need to see an example of a successful satellite city pointing to the wide ranging success of Lujiazui in Pudong, a satellite of Shanghai. They accused detractors as being examples of Homo-Sovieticus who would never take responsibility for anything always thinking someone else should sort out their problems.
Pudong: top left Lujiatzui financial district, above residential area.
Seen on my visit in the spring of 2016 the Baltic Pearl is an impressive achievement. By the end of 2015 some 18 major projects had been completed including 11 residential developments, 2 commercial developments and 5 schools and kindergardens, half of the total project.
Above: The Baltic Pearl. District Administrative Building including sales centre. Below: Models of 2 schemes in the sales centre.
It is planned on a grand scale, north of a main highway running east west and bounded by a new ‘blind’ canal on the east. Another subsidiary canal penetrates the heart of the scheme. On the east side of the blind canal to the nor,h is another, what appears to be a very high density development. Public transport is provided by a tramway which connects to the Metro 7 km away.
Apartment blocks are up to 20 storeys many with extensive glazed balconies or winter gardens. Structures are of reinforced concrete throughout with external walls of masonry overclad with insulation and finished with render or sheet material shown above.
Above: houses with apartment blocks behind lining the east side of the blind canal.
Below: development on the west side of the blind canal looking towards the Gulf of Finland.
Above: Apartments around the Administrative Centre and below, the adjoining shopping centre.
What appears to differentiate the scheme from other high rise developments is the creation and following of an imaginative master plan. Developments are built off a pedestrian deck at first floor level with the undercroft given over to parking and servicing. The deck level is landscaped to a high standard and there is a generous provision of play spaces.
Left: access to undercroft with pedestrian ramp right and ‘corner shop’ left. Right: pedestrian level with kindergarten and playspace
Floor areas are around 45m2 for 1 bedroom, 65m2 for 2 bedroom and 95m2 for 3 bedroom apartments. They are sold as shells to be fitted out by purchasers. It appears that those who can afford to live here are, apart from foreign nationals, are the entrepreneurial business classes, not many professionals can afford to and, certainly not doctors or teachers. It would seem inequality is at least as big a problem in Russia as it is the west, an inbuilt problem of capitalism perhaps, unless governments act to ameliorate it.
Typical Floor Plan: The Frigate, 2nd floor plan
View from pedestrian deck level to ground level service area
Above: typical housing area with underground parking
Below: view from NW with secondary canal and area awaiting development
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