The concept for the Palace of Arts in Saint Petersburg explored the potential for creating a new urban centre on Vasilyevsky Island. Commissioned by developer TriGranit Plc., the study sought an architectural and urban design response for a site whose port connections, institutional surroundings and university presence make it an important location within the city’s urban life.

The first version was conceived as a mixed-use development combining a commercial complex with residential, office and hotel functions, as well as a major television production studio. The aim was to create a synergistic urban ensemble capable of serving the local community, the city’s business sector and the cultural programmes of the development.

The second version was prepared as the architectural component of an investor-led PPP competition. In this proposal, the centrepiece of the development was a multifunctional venue meeting complex technical requirements while continuing Saint Petersburg’s cultural traditions in a contemporary form. In addition to an 1,800-seat concert hall with adjustable acoustics, the programme included an exhibition and event centre and a conference hall accommodating 2,500 people.

Rather than proposing a single enclosed cultural institution, the concept was organised as a dynamic system of interconnected interior and exterior spaces. The mutually reinforcing arrangement of the various functions had the potential to establish a new urban focal point in Saint Petersburg, where culture, commerce, work and public life would operate as interrelated layers.