RENOVATION OF A MARBLE FACTORY IN RUSKEALA

Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts

Project idea

The project proposes the creation of an expo-park through the restoration and adaptation of historic buildings and the construction of new buildings to ensure business, scientific, cultural and entrepreneurial activities, as well as the organization of a network of walking routes and the unification of all territories into a single tourist complex.

Project description

The factory territory is located near the border of Russia and Finland in a picturesque forest area in the village of Ruskeala. A huge canyon was formed on the territory due to the active extraction of marble, which was later flooded and turned into a place for outdoor activities. The structures that have been preserved on the territory of the plant were erected in the 19th century. The first buildings were built for managers and 3 square kilns. In the 1930s, another 6 round kilns were built and a processing factory was built to process marble into crumbs. In the 1990s, the factory stopped working and kilns were extinguished. Now the facilities of the plant are in critical condition, despite the fact that the buildings are recognized as monuments of federal significance. Part of the territory on which the marble canyon is located today is successfully developing in the field of ecological and sports tourism.

Technical information

At the entrance of the territory there is an exhibition complex with 3 flexible exhibition halls for temporary and permanent exhibitions, workshops for artisans; an information center and a hotel. Further cafe and souvenir shops are located in the former manager`s buildings. The concrete building of the processing factory is duplicated with a similar volume made of marble. A mining museum is located here, and kilns are restored and preserved as mining monuments. Next is the research center, which will be a place for the scientific activities of local scientists and will provide educational activities for beginners. The restaurant and the concert hall with 500 seats finish the route.
Distinctive feature of the project is multi-level: there is a network of bridges and passages across the entire territory that connects all the objects of the complex with each other and with the territory of the marble canyon at different heights. The main pedestrian highway passes through all buildings, from the entrance to the viewpoint and to the restaurant. There are transits from the concert hall to the hotel and from the exhibition complex to the research center on the lower level. All paths intersect in the heart of the complex - near to the mining museum.