BOULEVARD : : CHISTOPOL TATARSTAN PHASE #2

Reconstruction of a segment of Central Boulevard at Karl Marx Street in Chistopol, Tatarstan, Russia

All-Russian Competition for the Best Project for Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment in Small Towns and Historical Settlements
first prize in the nomination “Small cities with population of 50–100 thousand people”

• client: Urban Development Institute of the Republic of Tatarstan foundation
• partners: Chistopol Municipal District Executive Committee, MLA+ Saint Petersburg

2018 concept, presentation, tender response

Second phase of development of the central urban space — Central Boulevard at Karl Marx Street (phase#1) — is a semantic shift from the memorials of war times to the achievements of the times of peace. This primary segment has two thematic outdoor spaces dedicated to the memory of victims of the disasters of the times of peace in which a lot of Chistopol citizens were involved — Chechen-Ingush Conflict and the Chernobyl disaster. This represents the currently relevant history of the city.

CONCEPT

The design reconsiders the pillar dedicated to the times the city was founded, considers the way pedestrian and transport flows, parking slots, as well as measures for development of communal services and functions on the segment built in 2017.

A subtle shift from war memorials to the memorials of the times of peace, and then, by means of selective reconstruction, to the achievements of peaceful times.

DESIGN

The leisure space on the axis of the boulevard between bus stops is a node of touristic routes in a memorial segment of the boulevard. The memorial pillar dedicated to the times Chistopol city was founded finds its place there, along with other communal functions: equipment for the youngest citizens, retail pavilion, city toilet.

Two memorial outdoor spaces:

• Coal-colored fiber-enforced concrete with embossment and burnt wood of benches surrounded by bright yellow branches of bushes create a pleasant play of contrasts and textures. All this indirectly influences the viewer and creates memorial imagery.
• The everwarm surfaces of concrete are constantly heated up and surrounded by red branches of bushes. In winter, the concrete does not get covered by the snow, and in summer, these surfaces dry the quickest.