Renovation project of alpine camp Zeskho

Yaroslavl State Technical University

Project idea

The collapse of the USSR resulted in a pause in the development of the international sports movement and the depopulation of many sports and tourist bases. Mountaineering was one of the sports that received the most damage. The cessation of funding led to the closure of most alpine camps and the decline of the territories they occupied. However, these seemingly deserted and a little wild lands have rich tourism potential. The regeneration of such territories will make it possible to fully realize this potential and make an invaluable contribution to the economy of the regions and nearby settlements.

The main idea of the project was to identify the features and specifics of the formation of mountaineering complexes within the framework of modern socio-economic conditions, building an approach to the regeneration of the territories of former alpine camps using the example of the Zeskho alpine camp.

Project description

The alpine camp "Zeskho" is located at the foot of the Main Caucasus Range, not far from state border, at an altitude of 1840 meters above sea level, near settlement of the same name Zeskho. It became long-liver among the alpine camps of Svaneti and slowly works to this day. Originally, there were several houses and developed infrastructure, but today only two "Finnish houses", buildings of banya (russian steam bath) and cafeteria and two-storey administrative building remains. The terrain of the territory is calm due to the absence of sudden elevation changes. A smooth descent leads to the picturesque valley of the Zeskhura river. Also preserved is the ring road, along which the existing buildings were arranged.

The key point of the functional program of the tourist complex is the formation of an extended typology for each element of the functional register. The secluded position of the territory, in turn, requires a more global approach to the proposed scenario, which allows expanding the potential and possibilities for the functional content of the complex.

In this project, the compositional axes rather set the direction for the development of the composition, than being the basis of the master plan. The main axis is determined by the entry point to the territory and the visual field of view - a panoramic view of the mountain range from the eastern side of the site. Additional axes determine the direction of placement of the residential sector and the cable car station. Compositional centers are formed at their intersection - in this case, this is the main square of the complex and the square in front of the hotel.

Technical information

The basis of the composition in the design of "Zeskho" was the Svan mountain villages. The closed structure and building density are reflected in the main spaces of the complex.

From the point of view of shaping and visual techniques, the entire territory can be divided into two parts. The first category includes all public buildings, common features for them are the massiveness of architecture, the use of large planes of plaster and glazing, and the wooden detailing of facades. The second part is the zone of the residential sector.

Considering the formation of public buildings, first of all it is worth mentioning that they are all composite volumes. This approach is based on the architecture of Svan villages. The varied slope of the roofs, in turn, refers to the second visual image, reflecting the mountain landscape surrounding the territory of the complex.

The residential sector is visually radically different from the public sector. The main material used in the decoration of cottages is wood. The shape of the houses is rectangular in plan, the ratio of length and width, as well as the slope of the roof, are based on the proportions of traditional Svan houses - machubi. When forming the facades, we used a large number of decorative panels, decorated with traditional ornaments for Svaneti. The detailing of the facades of residential buildings is based on traditional machubi interiors - recreating them in modern conditions is irrational, so we decided to follow the path from the inside out and transfer part of the detailing to the facades.

The compositional and functional center of the complex houses the main square, formed by the buildings of the restaurant with a bakery on one side and the information center and bar with shops on the other.
From the point of view of perception, the restaurant building is one of the main ones, since it, together with the hotel building, is what forms the visual sector of the view from the point of entry into the territory. Its volume consists of two large elements connected by a glass passage, in which there is a dining room for 200 people and a full-fledged technological kitchen complex with food warehouses.

The creation of a bakery on the territory is a tribute to the history of the complex - at the time of the greatest popularity, a full-fledged farm was located on the territory of the camp, providing it with products, from which they baked bread, traditional for Svaneti. On the first floor of the building there is a small hall for 27 people and a kitchen, warehouses are located in the basement.

The ensemble of the square is completed by the buildings of the information center and a bar with a two-story hall for 43 people with adjacent shops, including food and souvenir shops.

The three-part volume of the hotel is located in front of the entrance to the main square, which makes it possible to form a small public space here. The visual image of the building is based on a combination of massive masonry walls and glass facades with open balconies. The entire first floor is occupied by sports, public, administrative and utility blocks. The housing stock can also be divided into a hotel block, represented by 2- and 3-bed rooms, and a hostel block. The total capacity of the hotel is 90 people.

On the side of the main square opposite the hotel there is a climbing school. Its distinguishing feature is the tower overlooking the complex, which is a reference to the famous towers of Svaneti. An observation deck is located on its top floor, and one of the walls is an open climbing wall. The sports component is located on the ground floor: a multifunctional sports hall with adjacent locker rooms. An auditorium for theoretical studies and a conference room with a library occupy the second floor.

The rental building includes halls for climbing, tourist and sports equipment, appropriate warehouses, laundry and drying chambers, as well as a repair shop.

From a planning point of view, cottages in the residential sector have a typical solution, fundamentally differing only in the number of bedrooms. They are represented by houses for 4, 6, 8 and 10 people. All common rooms are located on the first floor, and private - on the second.

Documentation

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