Dutch architect firms KCAP and ORANGE Architects have teamed up with A.Len Architectural Bureau to turn St. Petersburg’s former Tovarno-Vitebskaya railway yard into a new residential neighborhood. According to a press release, their project proposal is a continuation of Glorax Development’s Ligovsky City neighborhood development project, where the first residential complex is already in operation and the second one is nearing completion.
The project seeks to create a new attractive residential district designed for 8,600 people, complete with its own commercial and social infrastructure, including restaurants, street retail, service companies, sports facilities and schools. The project is based on a mix of historical and modern structures and uses the industrial morphology of the area, including the rails and loading patterns, to create a well-organized, mixed-use neighborhood with buildings varying between 6 and 15 floors.
“We want to create an active and landscaped environment where you can feel the history of the railway and live with the people around you,” said Patrick Meijers, partner at Orange Architects.
Linear parks and landscaped boulevards follow the historical railway tracks and offer many opportunities for outdoor sports and leisure activities, while smaller walkways and courtyards between the buildings create a network of more private open spaces for the residents.
“For us, Ligovsky City means living in a quality green environment. When you look out of the window you look onto green. When you step out of the door, you step into a park”, explains Ruurd Gietema, partner at KCAP.
The project, which covers 30 hectares, is well connected to St. Petersburg, and there are plans to build a new metro station nearby.
