RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX ON THE KARPOVKA EMBANKMENT

Authors of the project:

Architects: N. I. Yawein, I. V. Kozhin, V. B. Ponomarev, Yu. V. Dubeiko

Structural Engineers: D. P. Kresov, V. M. Ioffe, E. V. Silantyeva

Principal Engineer: L. V. Gershteyn

The building is erected on the site of the former Melzer Factory; a number of historic buildings of various styles are preserved. The listed buildings appear to be melted into the stone mass of the new structure. Its architectural fabric flows uninterruptedly, without junctions or seams: a mansard is formed by a simple angle of the facade wall.

Bending in a meander line, the building forms a deep courtyard opening onto the Karpovka River. The main feature in terms of meaning and plasticity is the restored factory chimney. The classically proportioned front courtyard typical for the Petrograd Side evokes the layout traditions going back to the St. Petersburg of late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

The facade solution is unique: the walls present a collection of Petrograd Art Nouveau elements—windows, doors, brickwork, mouldings, and wrought iron. This mosaic of classical quotes seems random at first, but it has a certain regularity to it. For example, the apparent chaos of window shapes reflects a rigid consistency with room sizes.

Gross floor area: 33 960 sq.m (170 apartments)