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Architects: DA bureau
- Area: 360 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Sergey Melnikov
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Text description provided by the architects. The THIRD PLACE space is housed in a historic mansion in the centre of St. Petersburg, where the Lopukhins and Naryshkin lived before the revolution; during the soviet era a railway museum was located here; the building has been abandoned for the past 15 years.
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Now it is undergoing a major reconstruction under a project developed by us. The authenticity of the building will be preserved and supplemented with contrasting modern elements. We thought it would be great to create a temporary pop-up space in the courtyard of the building, thus contributing to people's acquaintance with the new city cluster.
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The architecture of the historical facades that are being restored is very beautiful in its own right, and their current condition undoubtedly carries a certain aesthetic quality. Therefore the atmosphere reminding that of ancient ruins has become one of the main zests of the courtyard.
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It was oysters that served as protagonists for the launch of the pop-up project. Therefore we conceived an idea to combine the aesthetics of the mansion's abandoned courtyard with an allusion to a rugged northern beach of Aquitaine, the home of oysters.
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One can see white sand here, with wooden bridging slightly raised above it, along with reeds brought from the Gulf of Finland. This view serves as a background for the bright and contrasting art objects and food corners.
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We covered one of the façades which is currently being reconstructed with a reflective foil curtain that creates a bright and festive atmosphere. One can get to the courtyard by 'plunging' into an arch in Liteiny Avenue. The bustling and noisy atmosphere of the street is immediately changed for a quiet measured mood of the northern seashore.
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