Eight teams have been selected to develop design concepts for Tuchkov Buyan Park in Saint Petersburg, announced by Strelka KB. Bjarke Ingels Group, Kengo Kuma and Associates, Saint Petersburg-based architecture firm Studio 44 together with West 8 are among the finalists selected for the first stage of the competition. 

From 3–4 February, the International Jury of the Competition for Landscape Architectural Concepts for Tuchkov Buyan Park Met in Saint Petersburg. 

Representatives of the city administration, experts in historical heritage preservation and the best landscape architects in the world reviewed 229 applications from 50 countries around the world.

The eight competitors selected were: 

— Studio 44, Russia, Saint Petersburg (together with West 8, the Netherlands);

— Agence Ter, France;

— Bjarke Ingels Group, United States;

— JV Vogt, Switzerland (together with Herzog & de Meuron);

— Kengo Kuma and Associates, Japan;

— Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, France (together with Meganom, Moscow, Russia).

According to the competition terms, two of the eight competitors are teams of emerging professionals:

— Khvoya (Needles), Russia, Saint Petersburg (together with Miles & Yards, Saint Petersburg, Russia);

— Praxys paysage & territoire, France (together with KATARSIS Architects, Saint Petersburg, Russia). 

In the process of developing their design concepts, competitors will be guided by the competition brief, published on the competition website. 

The Brief was prepared by the Competition’s Technical Committee, which features specialists in the nine key fields of the project, representatives from the Saint Petersburg General Plan Institute and the Urban Planning and Architecture Committee of Saint Petersburg.

On 17 February, both Russian and international teams will have their first chance to visit the park project site. After this, participants can start work on their concepts which will be reviewed at the second Jury Session on 28–29 May. The winning and two runner-up concepts will then be chosen.

"Out of a hundred young teams, we picked two whose roots are in Saint Petersburg out of our great trust in the Petersburg school of architecture. The teams proved themselves to be equal with their international competition. We offered the most transparent procedure possible for the creation of the brief. The process of selecting competitors was equally transparent, as confirmed by the representatives of the International Union of Architects (UIA), who spent two days at the jury session. We’re proud of the work we did together," said Denis Leontiev, CEO of Strelka KB. 

Competition schedule:

Applications accepted from 15 November 2019 to 15 January 2020
First jury session and selection of 8 finalists: 3–4 February 2020
Development of design concepts: 5 February through 8 May 2020
Second jury session to select winner and two finalists: 28–29 May 2020 

Announcement of competition results: 3–6 June 2020

Remuneration of competitors:

For the development of design concepts over the course of 2.5 months, competitors will receive 60,000 USD (VAT excluded). In addition, the first-place winner will receive an additional 50,000 USD, while second- and third-place competitors will receive 30,000 USD and 20,000, respectively.

Competitors

As part of the initial qualification for participation in the competition, project teams sent a portfolio of public space projects. In the process of selecting competitors, a quota was used: two of the eight spots were reserved for teams of emerging and not yet established architects. If a bureau’s portfolio already features no less than three well-developed and innovative projects that they were not able to realise for any reason, this competition is an opportunity for them to receive worldwide recognition. Experienced architects present the same number of realised projects as part of consideration for the competition.

All images courtesy of Strelka KB

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