The Road to the Temple

www.archi.ru
Published on Archi.ru (https://archi.ru)
19.01.2024
The Road to the Temple

Studio:
APRELarchitects
Under a grant from the Small Towns Competition, the main street and temple area of the village of Nikolo-Berezovka near Neftekamsk has been improved. A consortium of APRELarchitects and Novaya Zemlya is turning the village into an open-air museum and integrating ruined buildings into public life. Description provided by the architects Nikolo-Berezovka is a small village founded by the ancient merchant family Stroganov in 1550 on the picturesque bank of the Kama River. In the twentieth century, residents of the historical part of the village were relocated to new neighborhoods, which in Soviet times became the city of Neftekamsk. And although most of its residents consider Nikolo-Berezovka one of their favorite places for walks and access to the Kama River, for a long time the place was neglected, the buildings turning into ruins. Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan The main artery of the village is the Bolshaya Kupecheskaya (“Big Merchant”) Street with 300 years of history, which starts at the St. Nicholas Church with a small pond. Walking along it you can see 26 objects of cultural heritage. These areas were renovated thanks to the victory of the project of APRELarchitects and Novaya Zemlya consortium in the All-Russian contest of projects for creating a comfortable urban environment in small towns and historical settlements. Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home. The current state: the lost buildings and functions Copyright: © APRELarchitects One of the primary objectives of the project is to reveal the tourist potential of the Big Merchant Street and revive its status as the main promenade of the village. For this purpose, the architects reorganized car traffic, moved parking lots off the street, and replaced asphalt with pebbles and cobblestone paving. Wooden terraces with benches, information signs with a brief history of the owners, and drawings of the historic facades are now provided in front of the historical buildings. Metal plates were incorporated into the pavement in front of the houses to indicate their historic addresses. Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan The concept also aims to regenerate historical public spaces and activate cultural heritage sites. The ruined barn of merchant Fedorov, of which only one facade brick wall remains, was turned into a useful space. Within the dimensions of the lost volume, a pavilion was placed performing tourist functions: a café and a toilet, as well as an open area for placing trading trays on a wooden deck. Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home. Conservation and reactivation of the buildings Copyright: © APRELarchitects Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home. The project proposal Copyright: © APRELarchitects Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home. The estimated development Copyright: © APRELarchitects A landscaped square with access to a pond and a playground for children appeared on the picturesque territory near St. Nicholas Church. A round bridge appeared on the pond – a charming place for strolling and taking beautiful photos. Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan Nikolo-Berezovka. Coming back home Copyright: Photo provided by the Institute of Urban Development of Bashkortostan