Seaside park skipper channel 14. Citizens are released to the sea

Alexey, how did the idea to transform the industrial zone of the Priboy plant come about?

We were looking for a place where it would be possible to create a fundamentally new urban public space and cultural cluster. A place where, first of all, it is possible to rely not only on the building, but also on the surrounding territory, its historical or social context, where there is a prospect in a practical sense to connect our city and its water in all its variety of functions. A waterfront version 2.0 or a cultural port where you can actually come by boat.

Were there any other locations considered for the project?

We have been looking for a site for about a year and considered various objects. In the summer, we almost decided to start working on the Arsenal plant on Arsenalnaya Embankment and were close to the start of direct work, but this facility turned out to be technically difficult to adapt and impossible to fully implement our idea, based on the location and various administrative factors. Yes, and emotionally the soul did not lie: little air, a lot of cars. The puzzle didn't fit. As a result, we got to the Surf.

After the first tour and communication with the owner, it became clear that this is what you need and even more.

In your opinion, will Vzmorye be such a center that will influence the change in the southwestern part of Vasilyevsky Island?

It seems to us that he will be one of them, with his pronounced charisma and style. Now the southwestern part of the island is gradually becoming the new center of events in various areas. This is facilitated by the development of transport infrastructure on the island: the opening of the WHSD, the planned new metro stations, the creation of new residential areas and embankments in the alluvial areas, as well as the upcoming redevelopment of Lenexpo. So far, a chaotic but directed process of revitalization of factories is taking place on the Kozhevennaya line. There is also Erarta here, the Kuryokhin Center is being reconstructed, there are loft projects Korpus2, MORE PLACE. So we won't be lonely.

Does the Seaside Park project have any examples that it looks up to? It doesn't matter if it's abroad or in Russia.

Rather, we align with our own experience in creating public spaces, the local context and the feeling that our city should be more friendly towards citizens, provide ample opportunities for self-realization, whether in leisure or business. Of course, we look towards the experience of Scandinavian neighbors. In Helsinki, Oslo, Amsterdam, Stockholm, one can easily find great examples of the revitalization of inefficient territories, which eventually become new centers of attraction for people, a favorite place and a hotbed for the development of local culture.

Will Vzmorye become a competitor to the recently opened New Holland?

Rather not, because, firstly, the projects have a different basis and principles of construction. And secondly, we strive not to compete, but to create a product that complements the existing ones on the market and links different territories into a common semantic and functional network. At the same time, we have many common parallels with New Holland: water, naval, engineering and architectural past. These objects are connected by a historical function.

Do you have ambitions to move part of the cultural youth activity to Vasilyevsky Island thanks to the construction of Vzmorye? It's no secret that most of this "movement" takes place outside the island.

This process is already happening on its own, the center is too crowded for scale, and young hearts demand to see the horizon.

There is a certain demand for "air" and a variety of leisure activities that the city center cannot offer, due to a certain proportion of restrictions imposed by security zones: classic routes, building density, traffic flow.Here you are a little outside the city, by the sea, but in 15 minutes by taxi from any area.All this fear of being an extra kilometer away from the center is only in my head. Yes, and there are densely populated areas around us, which, due to the lack of proper alternatives, are forced to travel to the center. In my opinion, this is wrong.

Have you met any resistance against the project from local authorities or the public?

On the contrary, local residents are very supportive of the initiative, since the central districts of the city objectively lack modern public spaces for walking and interesting leisure activities, and businesses need non-standard sites for new projects. The administration of Vasilyevsky Island and municipal officials generally support the project, as it fits well into the overall development strategy of the city and allows us to talk about the need to develop adjacent historical and recreational areas as a single route. These are Galernaya Harbor, and the green belt along the WHSD, and promising alluvial territories, and the adjacent water area. We work with them on a whole bunch of issues.

Who is the interested party in their creation, from whom does the request for such projects come from?

I answered this question in part earlier.The city is its inhabitants. If the inhabitants have the opportunity to receive inspiration from the city, they will return it back to the city with great return. It may sound sentimental, but that's how it works.

Last fall, the creators of the Contour cluster and The Dreamers United team announced the launch of a new project - the Vzmorye park - a public zone on the territory of the former Priboy plant. Reconstruction project developed by the Khvoya architectural bureau, a radical transformation of the space along the Skipper Canal, which by spring should have been adapted for a good rest of the townspeople: benches should be installed, street lighting should be installed, and cafes, shops, galleries were to appear in the factory buildings adjacent to the embankment , exhibition and educational spaces and loft studios. However, due to problems with financing (the organizers won the city competition “Your budget”, but did not receive money: they did not have time to agree on the project with the owners of the plant), the implementation of the idea stalled.

Nevertheless, something was done: the embankment was completely cleared of debris, free passage was organized to the Vzmorye, bypassing the checkpoint, and in one of the buildings, the Mast bar opened before the New Year.

The trick is that even this turned out to be enough to be able to safely include "Vzmorye" in the mandatory holiday program this summer: just the view of the Gulf of Finland, which opens from the cape, will make even a notorious sybarite come to terms with the lack of special comfort.

Story

Skipper Canal - one of the oldest St. Petersburg buildings - was built in 1721-1723 according to the project of the architect Domenico Trezzini, who also designed two guard towers - crowns - at the canal's entrance to the Gulf of Finland. After 30 years, the towers were rebuilt in stone, retaining the original form of the Petrine baroque. Before the revolution, the harbor served as a port for the galley fleet, a military testing base, as well as the first yacht club in world history, established by Peter I. At the beginning of the 20th century, the territory along the Rowing Port was transferred to the Radiotelegraph Depot of the Maritime Department founded by Alexander Popov. After the revolution, the plant was renamed in honor of the Comintern, and in the early 80s it received a new name - "Surf". At the same time, its specialization never fundamentally changed: it produced equipment for the telegraph, radio, and later television.

For almost the entire existence of the plant, the territory adjacent to the canal was closed to the public and was generally not suitable for walking: its reconstruction was carried out only a few years ago. Then the embankments were re-finished with granite, a descent to the water and moorings for boats and boats were arranged.

The project of the final transformation of the territory into a public space is supervised by the Vzmorye team. Efforts are now concentrated on the development of one of the factory buildings: in the first block, which was adapted for residents, finishing work is underway. As soon as they run out and the first studios are occupied by tenants, the organizers plan to take up new premises.

Bar "Masts"

The music bar on the first floor of the factory building - so far the only working institution of Vzmorye - was opened by the owner of the booking agency Vladimir Ispolatov and former programmer Dmitry Machtin. Initially, the friends thought about some small new project, they considered the option of a bakery or a small coffee shop, but by coincidence they got a spacious room, more in line with the scale of a club than a bar. It was decided to use the opportunities that space provides to the fullest. Literally immediately after the opening, the bar began to organize parties and various cultural events. The Dreamers United association, electronic musician Pasha Prishelec, producer Fedya Gippius and one of the creators of Vzmorye Alexei Onatsko are responsible for them. On Fridays, there are relaxed funk and soul parties, on Saturdays they arrange daytime and evening concerts, and closer to the night, serious DJs either from among friends or invited by friendly promotional groups perform in the bar. Finally, on Sundays and weekdays there are film screenings and markets.

The owners were engaged in the interior, as well as directly repairing the bar, on their own. Everything was arranged as simply as possible: the walls were put in order, a long bar counter was arranged, and acoustic traps were hung on the ceiling. Denis Degtyarev, the founder of the Contour cluster, donated most of the various furniture to the project.

The main decoration and attraction of the bar all winter was the boat Orka - a Dutch boat built in 1935, which Dmitry Machtin and Alexey Onatsko bought for two to use as some kind of alternative to giving. Now the Orka has been launched, but soon another one should appear in its place - perhaps one of the broken boats that are stored in the nearby yacht club. Also for the summer, the organizers plan to actively use the area adjacent to the bar: they will equip an impromptu terrace with tables and benches and install a barbecue grill, on which simple food like fried fish and sausages will be cooked from time to time.

In general, during the summer at Mastakh they plan to completely revise the menu. Now the main obstacle to this is the lack of a normal kitchen in the bar. As soon as it appears, and it should happen soon, chef Maxim Ispolatov will add to the simple sandwiches and soups that are offered at the bar now, more substantial dishes: from smorrebreds to fried fish and hearty fishermen's stews. But the bar card will not fundamentally change. Now it offers inexpensive but proven wine (200–250 rubles per glass), craft beer and cider (150–200 rubles), as well as a number of classic cocktails (300–350 rubles) like Negroni and Aperol Syringe ".

Menu excerpts

Soup - 150 rubles

Sandwich - 200 rubles

Carrot Lime Cake - 200 rubles

Wine - 200–250 rubles

Beer - 150–200 rubles

Aperol Spritz- 300 rubles

Long Island- 350 rubles

Vzmorye Park is a creative space where young and creative people work, create and relax. It was opened in 2017 on the banks of the Skipper Canal - on the territory of the former Priboy plant, which has been closed to the public for over 100 years.

The skipper canal was laid in 1723 according to the project of Domenico Trezzini. The Italian architect not only calculated the parameters for the construction of the waterway, but also designed the structures of two wooden watchtowers installed at the point where the canal flows into the Gulf of Finland. After the revolution, the towers were rebuilt into stone ones, and the Priboy plant was erected on the adjacent territory, where in the 80s. produced equipment for the telegraph, radio and television. Access to the embankment, as well as to the plant, was closed. In 2013, the embankment was re-equipped for walking, descents to the water were made and the entrance was opened to visitors.

At the same time, the creative teams of Contour and The Dreamers United developed a project to transform the plant into a public space, which they called the Seaside. According to the organizers of the project, the territory was to become a single cultural and leisure area in the loft style, uniting residents and guests of the city through creativity.

Volunteers cleared the embankment of debris, and then proceeded to repair the premises. One of the buildings of the Priboy plant was first mastered - finishing work was carried out in the building and the area was given to tenants. The official opening of the Vzmorye park took place in the spring of 2017.

On the territory of Vzmorye, sports equipment and fishing equipment rental points are open. On the ground floor of the building there are cafes and restaurants, as well as creative and concert venues. The second floor is occupied by exhibition spaces, studios, co-working spaces, and on the third floor there is a business center with offices and classrooms. There is a bar "Machty", where concerts of Russian and foreign performers, battles of DJs and performances of young musical groups take place. A family park and a shopping district are preparing to open.

The picturesque embankment attracts tourists at any time of the year - here the industrial environment of the city is organically combined with the nature of the Gulf of Finland. The transformation of the space continues - the project provides for the installation of benches and street lighting, the opening of new buildings.

How to get there

The address of the Vzmorye park is: Shkipersky Canal, 14, room 19. You can get there by metro, the nearest stations are Vasileostrovskaya and Primorskaya.

On Vasilyevsky Island in December of this year, the living room of the Vzmorye park begins its work. The TNR correspondent talked to the representative of the park - Alexey Onatsko, who kindly spoke about the ambitious project.

Alexey, how did the idea to transform the industrial zone of the Priboy plant come about?

Were there any other locations considered for the project?

After the first tour and communication with the owner, it became clear that this is what you need and even more.

In your opinion, will Vzmorye be such a center that will influence the change in the southwestern part of Vasilyevsky Island?

Does the Seaside Park project have any patterns that it looks up to? It doesn't matter if it's abroad or in Russia.

Will Vzmorye become a competitor to the recently opened New Holland?

Do you have ambitions to move part of the cultural youth activity to Vasilievsky Island thanks to the construction of Vzmorye? It's no secret that most of this "movement" takes place outside the island.

This process is already happening on its own, the center is too crowded for scale, and young hearts demand to see the horizon.

There is a certain demand for "air" and a variety of leisure activities that the city center cannot offer, due to a certain proportion of restrictions imposed by security zones: classic routes, building density, traffic flow. Here you are a little outside the city, by the sea, but in 15 minutes by taxi from any area. All this fear of being an extra kilometer away from the center is only in my head. Yes, and there are densely populated areas around us, which, due to the lack of proper alternatives, are forced to travel to the center. In my opinion, this is wrong.

Have you met any resistance against the project from local authorities or the public?

Who is an interested party in their creation, from whom is the request for such projects

I answered this question in part earlier. The city is its inhabitants. If the inhabitants have the opportunity to receive inspiration from the city, they will return it back to the city with great return. It may sound sentimental, but that's how it works.

The Seaside Park will appear on the former territory of the Priboy plant, which produced radio electronics. The enterprise occupies a rather vast territory stretched along the Skipper Canal. For the last hundred years, access to the embankment for the townspeople was closed, now it is being opened.

The company "Fifth Floor" rented several factory buildings with a total area of 17,000 sq.m. The contract was signed for 10 years. Part of the space is leased out. “We will gradually terminate these contracts. We will find an alternative site for some tenants in other buildings of the plant, and we will help others in finding new places. There is an agreement on this with the management of the enterprise, ”says Alexey Onotsko, technical director of the Fifth Floor company.

The investor intends to turn the former factory walls into "a cultural port-oasis for communications, business and creative initiatives, and improving the urban environment." The territory is divided into functional quarters, which will be developed in stages.

Everything will start with one of the three-story buildings on the embankment, which will be filled with objects of "primary infrastructure" with "cultural and educational activities." On the first level there will be cafes and shops of various formats from restaurateurs, small concert venues and verandas with access to the Skipper Canal and the Gulf of Finland.

The second floor will be occupied by galleries and exhibition and educational spaces. The third level will combine a creative business center, loft studios and classrooms.

In 2017-2018, the Vzmorye park will expand by developing the territory along the coast and installing a landing stage, where a sea cafe, a mini-hotel, a public area and a boating goods store will open. It is also planned to create a center of leisure and services for owners of small boats and people passionate about the sea.

In the medium term, the investor intends to add a family theme park, a shopping district, a concert venue and a sports cluster.

The initiator of the project also wants to revive the once popular winter sports activities, such as ice-boating, ice-skating, skiing, ice fishing, etc.

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The company agreed with the administration of the Vasileostrovsky district on the improvement of the public area along the embankment. “We are not going to place any objects on the coast itself. We will put benches, urns there, install lighting and improve the promenade to the best of our ability. You can hold public events here,” says Alexey Onotsko.

The company entered the market a month ago. By December, she plans to open a passage to the embankment for citizens and launch a couple of catering establishments. In the spring, she intends to improve the coastal strip and open 7-8 more enterprises of various formats.

The company is going to earn money by subletting premises (moreover, the contract is concluded not with the owner of the buildings, but with the "Fifth Floor"), as well as through events. The subtenant will repair its premises independently, and attract investors to the arrangement of public areas.

“While only a sketch has been developed, the project itself is still in progress, so it is difficult to estimate the final parameters and costs. I believe that in the first year it will be necessary to invest about 100 million rubles. So far, we use our own funds and rely on income from subletting. In addition, we hope for some help from officials and public organizations. There were no places left on Vasilyevsky Island where the townspeople could freely go to the bay. Therefore, the new public space will be in demand, including by tenants,” Mr. Onotsko is sure. He does not disclose the composition of the company's shareholders.

According to Alexei Onotsko, he has experience in creating such sites. As a hired employee, he participated in two projects in Moscow that are successfully operating today. These are the creative cluster design factory "Flacon" on the territory of the former crystal and glass factory and the "Ship of Bryusov" on the Krymskaya embankment - a once abandoned ship, converted into a public space with creative clusters.

These projects are really functioning, and quite successfully.