SUBURBAN PARK : : SAMARA

Open architectural competition for the best concept of the reconstruction of Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure Suburban park, Samara, Russia

organized by Samara City District Administration

October – November 2018 — open architectural competition

The concept establishes a certain balance of public functions and a natural environment. Public functions should not occupy and “choke” natural environment since its presence is one of the competitive advantages of parks, distinguishing them from other public places in cities.

IDENTITY OF SUBURBAN PARK

Identity of the suburban park in Samara was built on the following key principles:

• focus on nature (dendrochronological rings, preservation of the park’s natural landscape profile);
• anthropogenic focus, consideration of the influence of humans on nature and their participation in its existence (symbolic image of a fingerprint);
• focus on self-renewal, interaction, change, exchange (projection of the principle of complex interaction of the three components: Human, Landscape, Time).

DESIGN : : FUNCTIONS

The following functional categories of the park’s public services were added to the existing ones:

• by the character of their placement — permanent, temporary, spontaneous;
• by time-spending scenarios — quick, slow;
• by their connection to nature — natural, anthropogenic;
• by the quality of self-identification — participant as consumer, participant as creator;
• by the scale of activity — quiet, loud.

DESIGN : : ROUTES

The following thematic networks / routes were contributed to the existing structural plan of the space:

• quick (funicular, cycle lane, ski route);
• calm (regularly used pedestrian routes);
• slow (not regularly used forest paths);
• regular (infrastructural axe);
• chaotic (network of variable paths).

NB! It is important to keep the authentic functions manifested in the horse club, the rope park, the slide, the observation wheel, the network of paths, to reconsider them and give them new design and spacial quality.

DESIGN : : FUNCTIONAL MODEL

The formula for the functioning of the park’s platforms:

• Design structure of the park includes several platforms performing certain functions on the basis of a long-term commission. Several platforms must, however, be open for future development and commissioning. There was established the rule saying that the timeframe of each new contract has to be either for all seasons at once or for no less than one full season, but regularly. More to this, to avoid stagnation of development, there always have to be two vacant platforms, which can only be taken in case other platforms become free due to expiration of contracts.
• This system promotes creation of new initiatives, a variety to chose from. Subsequently, the system attracts and prepares new audiences for the park, constantly offers new ways the park’s platforms can be used.

Moreover, “green” platforms of the park get a chance to regenerate after intensive use.