ater is at the heart of Design’s competition winning masterplan for Kaliningrad’s Oktyabrsky Island, home to a 35,000-seater 2018 World Cup stadium.

 

The competition’s aim was for the whole of Kaliningrad to benefit from the development of the Island. Anton Alikhanov, Governor of Kaliningrad, stated in the brief, “a city is not a house-street-urban block, it is first and foremost about people”. The Russian Government has declared Kaliningrad a Special Economic Zone.

 

The Design’s competition-winning move involves drawing water into the site through a series of waterways and improved connections to the Pregolya River, which wraps around the Island.

 

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In this vision, water taxis help reduce a reliance on cars, enabling areas of the site to be car free. Vehicles would be parked on the outskirts of the Island in buildings that could be re-purposed to facilitate future modal shifts.

 

Working with Strelka K B, we developed a masterplan that supports Kaliningrad’s quality of life by creating distinct character areas, including a world-class cultural quarter on the sunny riverbank for arts and education. The Design also prepared detailed proposals that re-imagined the World Cup Stadium as a jewel in a publicly accessible parkland, featuring sports and recreational facilities.

 

Drawing on Kaliningrad’s long history, an artisan quarter captures the spirit of a historic city centre. At the heart of this quarter is a large park

– a landmark water feature with a lido for summer and an ice rink in winter.

 

The design also capitalises on natural assets: a wilder archipelago on the eastern edges of the Island puts people in touch with nature, boosting health and wellbeing. Landmark buildings are dotted throughout to increase footfall across the Island.

 

The Design’s masterplan embraces the natural beauty of the Pergolya River and intuitively draws these qualities deep into the site in a new model for city living that supports healthier and happier lifestyles.

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