New Splendour for “New Holland” Island in St. Petersburg
The Russian cultural metropolis, St. Petersburg, is about to welcome another attraction. A multifunctional cultural centre, and an impressive one at that to judge by its dimensions alone, is to be created on the island of New Holland. The large-scale project in the immediate vicinity of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Hermitage is based on the plans of the celebrated architect Sir Norman Foster and amounts to an investment of more than several hundred million Swiss Francs according to current planning. The mandate to carry out this anything but routine project was awarded to Russian Land Implenia.
A new cultural centre with a total useable area of 146,000 m2 is to be erected on the man-made island of New Holland created by Tsar Peter the Great in the 18th century. A Palace of Festivals with a concert hall for about 2000 spectators shall be created in the centre of the complex. External tribunes will be added to this, extending around the centrally located pond like an amphitheatre. Together with the standing room in the arena this will provide 5000 spectators with the space to follow the staged productions. Museums, an art gallery and retail outlets, restaurants and bars plus three new hotels, including one 5-star hotel, will be provided in addition to another smaller theatre. When completed with apartments and parking facilities, a cultural jewel will have risen on an area once exclusively restricted to military purposes for centuries and now accessible to all.
Tradition and modernity harmoniously combined
An impressive feature of the project, in addition to its dimensions, is its fusion of modernity and tradition. All the new buildings are designed to be multifunctional and to meet the most stringent technological and architectural demands in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency. But in addition to these advanced construction standards, the preservation of tradition is also a central issue for New Holland. The basic structures of the listed warehouse buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries shall remain untouched while their functional conversion will be realized in harmonious manner.
Highest level of building and engineering skill demanded
The project represents not only exquisite and contemporary architecture. The highest level of engineering skills is also needed here because of the unstable and unpredictable nature of the subsoil. This applies, above all, to the creation of a four-storey cellar structure in which the second theatre, a large two-tier car park and various logistic and technical facilities are to be housed. In every respect, New Holland is a high class project impossible to realize without great expertise and many years of experience in planning, building and project management.
Implenia Global Solutions, Wallisellen