Erick van Egeraat - Architects - Architectural and Design Projects - New Holland Island St. Petersburg

New Holland Island St. Petersburg

• Design: 2006
• Realisation: -
• Client: Ruric AB, St. Petersburg
• Gross Floor Area: 200,000m²

The site of the New Holland Island, located at the west-side of the historic city centre, was originally built as a shipyard in the time of Peter the Great. Canals enclose the island and connect to a central water basin that creates an inner harbour surrounded by historic buildings. The oldest and most interesting historic structures are the brick buildings created for drying timber, the central water basin and a remarkable circular building, which formerly housed a prison. These elements are to be maintained and revitalised with a new, diversified program.

The proposed master plan has a programmatic emphasis on culture and entertainment due to its strategic position within a cultural cluster. This cluster consists of The State Hermitage Museum, The Admirality, St. Isaacs Cathedral, north-east of the site, and the Mariinksy Theatre to the south. The island will become a new destination for international and contemporary culture and entertainment for the city of St. Petersburg, with its flexible capacity to present activities such as large-scale events, open-air concerts and festivities, projections, fashion events and art installations. The diverse program creates a multilevel play between new and old, and provides a dynamic new identity enhancing the site’s visibility with three iconic elements totalling over 200.000 m2. The atmosphere of the island’s inner harbour is preserved and the water basin maintained as the centre of the island. The buildings include a 4-star hotel apartment complex, a 5-star hotel, the so-called “Dutch Houses”, which is a multifunctional retail, residential and entertainment complex, and transformation of the circular building into a “Palace of Festivals, a flexible space for cultural events. Two floors of underground parking will service the program.

“Our intention is not just to design one particular building, but to develop the island into a vibrant whole, giving St. Petersburg a new entertainment, cultural and commercial centre for its citizens and visitors”. Erick van Egeraat.

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