Kaliningrad Oblast Government
“Kaliningrad City” Urban District Administration
NP «Urban planning bureau «Heart of the City»
Album of Appendices No2
to the Architectural and Urban Planning Terms of
Reference for the International Competition for the
Elaboration of the Concept of Development of the Historical Part of Kaliningrad City Core
(within the boundaries of: Zhitomirskaya ul. – Leninskiy Prospect – Shevtchenko ul. –
Zarayskaya ul. –
Moskovskiy prosp. - Oktyabrskaya ul. – Novaya Pregolya river)
Kaliningrad 2013
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APPENDIX 1. EXTRACT FROM HISTORICAL,
CULTURAL AND URBAN PLANNING STUDY OF
”HEART OF THE CITY” PROJECT AREAS1
Table of contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................3
Section 1 Backgrounds on historical areas and sites ....................................................................................5
1. 1. Medieval core ...................................................................................................................5
Königsberg ...................................................................................................................................5
Three medieval towns of Königsberg ..........................................................................................6
Facade and typology of a residential house ................................................................................8
1.2. Altsstadt ..........................................................................................................................10
Altstadt market + Fish market ...................................................................................................11
1.3. Löbenicht ........................................................................................................................12
1.4. Lastadie ...........................................................................................................................12
1.5. Vorder-Steindamm and Nikolsky public gardens ...........................................................12
1.6. Paradeplatz (Parade square)...........................................................................................13
1.7. Nizhneye Lake. The Order’s possessions by the Castle and Castle Pond (Zamkovyi Prud)
15
1.8. Rossgarten ......................................................................................................................16
1.9. Korolevskaya gora + castle, neighboring squares and the Order’s possessory estates .16
Section 2. Analytical conclusions by sites and territories ...........................................................................18
2.1. Medieval core .....................................................................................................................18
2.2. Altstadt ...............................................................................................................................19
2.3. Löbenicht ............................................................................................................................21
2.4. Lastadie ...............................................................................................................................21
2.5. Steindamm..........................................................................................................................22
2.6. Paradeplatz .........................................................................................................................22
2.7. Nizhneye Lake .....................................................................................................................22
2.8. Korolevskaya gora and House of the Soviets .....................................................................23
Section 3. Expert proposals .........................................................................................................................28
3.1. Altstadt ...............................................................................................................................28
Altstadt as a fragment of the “Medieval core” .......................................................................29
3.2. Löbenicht ............................................................................................................................32
Expert proposals and regeneration stages ...........................................................................32
1
This study represents the concise materials on investigation and analytics of the historical part of Kaliningrad city (former Königsberg), being directly or indirectly tendered for the elaboration of the development concept for this area. All materials are divided into three sections where the first one is a historical survey on the area and projects included in the competition scope. The second section comprises
an analytical part. The third section presents some expert proposals for the development of this area
which can be taken into account by bidders however are not necessary to be used. All materials of this
study can be found in Russian under the following link: http://tuwangste.ru/research/ The team of
study contributors consists of: Oleg Vasiutin, architect, Alexander Popadin, culture expert, Maria Sizikova, architect-restorer, Danila Kotov, architect, Anna Barsukova, architect.
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3.3. Lastadie ...............................................................................................................................34
3.4. Korolevskaya gora...............................................................................................................34
3.5. Front Steindamm and Nikolskiy public garden ..................................................................36
3.6. Paradeplatz (Parade Square) \University Square ...............................................................39
3.7. Nizhneye Lake .................................................................................................................39
Sites of a separate archaeological interest for potential museumification or reconstruction .41
Subzone (and intra-zone) linkages ............................................................................................42
Introduction
The strongest impulse that Soviet and Russian Kaliningrad (including its historical centre) has ever received in urban planning falls on the end of the 60s – mid 70s of the last century. Just then the main
foundations and principles were laid for the development of postwar Kaliningrad that mainly represented a destroyed body of defeated Königsberg. Just then the strategic bridges and large-scale development areas, criteria and methods for city development were thought over and drawn on the master
plans. From the macro perspective these principles are few:
 Typical residential areas implemented in the ideology of soviet microdistrict housing to be built
on the site of demolished postwar ruins and the block grid network.
 Over the historical core of the city a “Soviet Cross”, i.e. Moskovskiy prospect and overhead road,
was laid and thereby had destroyed a capillary residential area of small and medium-sized side
streets making the city centre a place of continuous transit from some former outskirts to another ones. Politicians declared that “the new Soviet city shall have broad streets and boulevards”; ideologically a city in the soviet tradition was thought to be a tool for ensuring industrial
processes while aesthetically the focus was on “a large-scale landscape composition in the city
centre” the example of which was Niemeyer’s project of Brasilia city. “House of the Soviets”
should have been at the head of this composition.
 Therewith the historical city centre was left empty for several reasons: both as a landscape in
the city centre (“park area”) and as an “ideological ambiguity” - because of some professional
uncertainty it was not clear how exactly “the most central and historical” areas should be redeveloped and therefore this task was reasonably forwarded to “the next generations”.
Today the Soviet urban planning impulse is exhausted. All macro-blocks have been rebuilt and almost all
bridges inside historical embankments have been either rebuilt or are to be rebuilt in the short run. The
stalemate with Korolevskaya gora (the King’s mountain) and House of the Soviets (“Refrain not to kill
king Edward is right”) and the emptiness of the former historical centre became a motive for the beginning of “the second urban planning impulse” as evidenced by the international conference in 2004, the
international workshop in 2007 as well as the present study.
Immanuel Kant’s anniversary in 2024 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup looming on the horizon pose some
new challenges and a new agenda in front of the Oblast and city authorities. These consist of the three
sets of objectives to be addressed simultaneously:
1) to prepare strategic infrastructure for FWC-2018 in such a manner that after the championship
it could to the maximum extent possible be integrated in the life of the city and the region;
2) in the light of improvement of tourism attractiveness of the region, the “inactive” historical areas of Kaliningrad centre to be returned back to the urban active business shall be subject to revitalization (reanimation) or renovation, or those of them that had been redeveloped without understanding and regard to historical contexts in Soviet times shall be returned back into historical
context;
3) Korolevskaya gora remaining in anabiosis shall be revitalized by erecting on its top (as a historical Spot of Authority for these lands) a new building that shall become a symbol embodying the
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new phase of development for Kaliningrad and the oblast as well as the new historical situation
“Kaliningrad-Russia-Europe” in general.
The significant nuance of the present moment is the inconsistency between the planning horizon of the
decision-making municipal systems (and relevant infrastructures for preparation of the decision) and the
tasks magnitude implying the cumulative investment of resources into the future strategic infrastructure
of the city: first into its design, then into its construction.
An important factor we consider is the integration of “the new urban planning unit” (“Heart of the City”
to be regenerated) into the urban fabric of the Inner city including this project to be taken into account
when developing a new Masterplan for the city.
On a macro scale of the area under consideration it can be stated that upon the subsequent reconsideration of the “Heart of the City” area urban planning we suggest the important town-planning assets to
be preserved in the new urban fabric:

breaking down city areas into historical and urban planning units (zones) with their individual
historical contours – territorial, toponymic, stylistic and others. Based on our analysis we highlighted 14 such units (zones): Korolevskaya gora + the Order’s lands (the Order possessions;
these are different “zones” but their evolution shall be seen in combination); Altstadt, Kneiphof,
Löbenicht, Front Lomse, Front Forstadt, Left bank of Pregolya “from a bridge to a bridge”; Right
bank of Pregolya “from a bridge to a bridge”; Lastadie, Front (Vorder) Steindamm, Parade-platz,
Left shore of Schlossteich (Nizhneye Lake), Right shore of Schloss-Teich (Nizhneye Lake) .

the town planning ensembles and architectural themes that emerged historically or were conceived and implemented (at least partially) in the specified areas. These are: Parade-platz, Stock
Exchange ensemble, Monetnaya square, Cathedral square of Kneiphof and two compositional
pairs “Southern terrace of the castle + Market square of Altstadt” and “Wilhelm square + south
western corner of the castle”. We suggest these areas (even against the general background of
“Heart of the City”) to be separated as the territories of a particular regulation.
A separate subject for design activities shall be the so-called “buffer” territories that emerged either
historically or as a result of the contact with landscape features or neighboring zones. These are either
sub-zones or squares or other “transitional” territorial sites.
Competition site area. In the course of this historical and cultural study we have estimated and defined
the historical border both for the mountain area and for a direct as well as an indirect impact of
Korolevskaya gora on the Upper city and this border is proposed to be used in the design specification as
an area for direct design efforts – in addition of the area of Korolevskaya gora (please see the scheme).
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The competition site area of Korolevskaya gora and surroundings: 531 934,8 sq.m
Section 1 Backgrounds on historical areas and sites
1. 1. Medieval core
Königsberg
Königsberg (Latin: Regiomontum, German: Königsberg, Prussian:
Kunnegsgarbs, Knigsberg; full name Königsberg-in-Preusen,
German: Königsberg in Preußen — Königsberg in Prussia) is the
name Kaliningrad had before 1946. In the period from 1773 to
1945 the city was the centre of Eastern Prussia province.
The city core from and around which the city started to take
shape was the Teutonic Castle which was founded and named
“King’s mountain” (Korolevskaya gora) in 1255 (in Latin Regiomontum, later on Regiomonti, in German - Königsberg). Until
1721, only the castle was officially called as Königsberg though
long before that the three neighboring towns had also been informally united by citizens under this name.
The city was founded as a castle on the hill of the elevated right
bank on the lower reach of the river Pregel on the site of the an-
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cient Old Prussian settlement Twangste in January 1255 by the knights of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Poppo von Osterna and the Czech king, Duke of Austria Przemysl Ottokar II.
On 28 February 1286 the settlement that arose near the castle walls was awarded the town rights by
Landmeister of Prussia Konrad von Tierberg (Kulm “standard charter”). As the town growth was limited
by the walls other settlements started springing up around because the proximity of the town and the
castle brought about many advantages. In 1300 the settlement Löbenicht was also granted town rights.
In order to avoid confusion the original settlement was renamed to Altstadt, i.e. “old city”. The third
Königsberg settlement that received its town rights became Kneiphof in 1327. It was separated from
Altstadt by the arm of the river Pregolya (German Pregel).
After thirteen year war of 1454—1466 the Teutonic Order declared itself a Polish vassal and moved its
capital from Marienburg (present Malbork in Poland) to Königsberg. In 1525 году the Grand Master of
the Teutonic Order Albrecht converted a theocratic state into the secular Prussian Duchy subject to Poland and became the Duke himself. Königsberg became the capital of the new state. The university that
was later named Albertina after Duke Albrecht was opened in the city in 1544.
Such a «triple» city that was virtually united but consisted of three administratively autonomous parts
(each of three Königsberg towns had its own town hall, a burgomaster, a court and etc.) continued its
existence until 1724 when the three towns, numerous villages, trade quarters and outskirts as well as
the castle which was not a part of any town but had a special status of the government residence,
merged into one city Königsberg. In the 19th century the city grew considerably. In 1782 the city had
31 368 inhabitants, in 1888 — 140 909, in 1910 — 249 600, in 1939 году — 373 464.
In the 20th century the city has expanded significantly and passed the borders of the defense ring.
Even before the end of the Second World War in August 1944 the city of Kaliningrad was severely destroyed by British bombers during the operation “vengeance”. The target of bombing attacks was mostly the city centre where there were almost no military facilities. Lots of civilians died, the old city and a
many ancient monuments burned down, and the castle suffered a heavy damage. Later on the city was
taken by storm by the Soviet troops.
On 4 July 1946 after the death of Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin Königsberg was renamed to Kaliningrad.
Three medieval towns of Königsberg
After the foundation stone for the castle of Königsberg was laid by the Teutonic order three medieval
towns arose on the youthful side of the Castle hill.
The first realistic representation of Königsberg dates back to 1557:
Königsberg in the likeness of Jerusalem (1557). The fragment of Hans Nimpch’s (1476-1556) epitaph that
was once kept in the northern nave of Königsberg Cathedral.
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The development of the three medieval towns of Alstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht went on along the
historical routes leading from Lithuania to Zamland and from Sambia to Natangia. These routes have
partially survived by the 13th century and became the elements of the urban fabric. The construction of
the Order castle was followed by the development of urban infrastructures of the European medieval
settlements (each of them had its own town hall, markets, churches, ramparts, moats, gates, bridges
and suburbs). The castle existed as a defensive and dominant basis and densely built-up ground floor for
the adjacent urban development. Creation of the main architectural and town planning tandem during
this period - the Castle and Cathedral - shaped the specific panorama of Königsberg.
The layout of shapes, dimensions and proportions of the residential blocks proceeded based on then
existing ”experimental” templates of the medieval towns and construction traditions in colonies. In the
subsequent periods of development Königsberg retained its common planning framework and landmark
sites with the stepwise enrichment of planning and architectural shapes. The construction of ramparts
determined and fixed for a long time the unchanged spatial dimensions of the three medieval towns
that continued their existence in unchanged form until unification in 1724 when the neighboring outskirts (suburbs) were simultaneously attached.
This was the date of de facto completion of the Middle Ages (the pattern of life as well as the concept of
life construction) in Königsberg.
The buildings of the Middle Ages survived in Königsberg for quite a long time occupying a large area of
the city centre. In the 18th century many city manors were built within the earth ramparts that had
been built of a large diameter to accommodate future expansion.
Urban planning stages of the city’s development STAGE II (late 13th century – the end of the
16th century)2
The key event of this stage is the formation of three self-sufficient urban planning units and three subjects of the medieval town law - the towns of Altstadt (1286), Löbenicht (1300) and Kneiphof (1327), and
in 1340 their joining the system of the European integration – the Hanseatic Union.
The common urban planning culture (archetype) of the three towns genetically corresponds to the urban planning typology of Roman military towns of the 2nd century AD (Lambesis, Timgad, Gerasa) that
were based on the regular plan after Hippodamus.
The comparative analysis of the planning of Königsberg and the elements of Roman military towns reveals numerous similarities: the long street of Altstadt (А-А) Langgasse (Moskovskiy Prospect) – decumanus maximus; the long street of Kneiphof (В-В) Kneiphoffische Langgasse (Leninskiy Prospect) – a
cardo; the point of their intersection (the tower of Altstadt church, the gates Steintor) – a tetrapyle with
a temple.
As a result of the Christian reconsideration of the regular grid plan, its new interpretation emphasized its
multiple repetitions of the Latin cross. The use of this phenomenon in town planning made it possible
to pursue missionary, protective, ritual and sacral purposes.
At this stage the first scale of the city equal to approximately 500 meters in diameter was determined,
and the dimension of each town was proportional to spatial landscape unit of Kneiphof Island.
2
Zabuga Y., Vasjutin O. “Information and analytical materials on historical and cultural feasibility of the reconstruction of the
missing layout and historical buildings in the historical part of the Kaliningrad city central core (within the boundaries of:
Leninskiy prospect –Shevtchenko str. – Zarayskaya str. – Moskovskiy Prospect – Oktyabrskaya str. – Novaya Pregolya river)”,
2008
-8Urban planning stages of the city’s development
Stage II (late 13th – the end of the 16th century)
Legend
I Altstadt
II Löbenicht
III Kneiphof
1
2
3
4
Castle
Cathedral
Altstadt Church
Löbenicht Church
(A-A) long street of Altstadt
(B-B) long street of Kneiphof
Suburb areas
In terms of style, the second stage includes Gothic and the early Renaissance, its genetic code is the imperial Ancient Roman regularity.
( O. Vasjutin. «Historical and development stages of Königsberg/Kaliningrad». // Materials from the International Symposium, 15-17 July 2005, «Kaliningrad: Visions of the Future. Urban development of the
city centre», page. 38)
The structural element of the masterplan of the medieval town was a residential block called ”inheritance” and consisting of two rows of plots built up along the red line of separating streets. There were
full and half full ”inheritances” and the so-called “Buden” , or tents, shacks. Different plots were intended for inhabitants with a different level of prosperity.
Facade and typology of a residential house
The most ancient structures in Königsberg were timber-frame constructions but from the beginning of
the 14th-15th century the well-off citizens started to build their houses of brick, covering roofs with
tiles. From the late 14th century each of the three towns comprising the city of Königsberg, had its own
building prescriptions regulating construction of the residential houses of timber and brick. The regulations strictly specified the length, the depth and the height of a building as well as the neighbors’ mutual
liabilities in the construction process, for example, erection of the obligatory partition walls of brick –
the firewalls.
The distinctive feature of construction building in Königsberg is a certain conservatism manifested in the
preservation of the medieval urban fabric of the city centre that remained almost unchanged up to the
beginning of the 20th century. Moreover, a certain time lag was observed, caused by the city’s remoteness from the main artistic centres of Europe.
Except for big public buildings the most part of the residential houses of the medieval trilogy of towns
was woven from the rows of blocked houses – they stood as a solid line of buildings, about 8,6 m high
and about 20m deep. This traditional for Baltic cities medieval structure of residential development
rested upon Kulma urban law. This implies that most of the facades were divisible by Kulma “measur-
- 9 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
ing cane”: the old one (4,32 m) and the new one (4,707 m). The standard facade fronting on a street
was two measuring canes wide and 8,6 m high (from the ground floor to the gutter). Thus boxed-in by
this historical constitution even the well-off citizens could not show their wealth by the width of their
façade; the only thing that could indicate their taste and authority was a richly decorated entrance portal or a frontispiece.
As a result of the evolutionary development the three medieval towns for a long time retained their initial dimensions and development scale. Only architectural forms and styles underwent some changes.
The most sustained and successive development element appeared to be an urban planning grid. The
buildings of the Middle Ages survived in Königsberg for quite a long time, occupying major part of the
city centre. In the 18th century many city manors were built within the earth ramparts that had been
built of a larger diameter to accommodate future expansion.
The architecture of Königsberg developed over centuries along with the artistic styles characteristic for
the Baltic south coast. The Medieval Brick Gothic style of the 16th century gave way to the Renaissance
in its Northern European version, known historically as Mannerism and observed in the transition from
the Middle Ages to Modern Times in the regional schools of tramontane countries.
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Scheme of architectural and urban development theme
Identifying and distinguishing the scale of the environment with the historical
and cultural identity in the
historical city core and
establishing a “Museum of
the medieval urban culture”
on this piece of the area.
The reconstruction of
authentic historical and
material culture using
historical building materials
and technologies (pavestone, coping stones, granite
paving checker and etc)
The fragment of the “Architectural and Urban Planning Concept of Development of the Kaliningrad Historical Centre” Project. The International Competition of Architecture and Design «Eurasian Award 2011», 2nd place nomination “Urban planning and urbanism”, Yekaterinburg. NW Architecture Agency (Y. Zabuga, O. Vasjutin)
In terms of structure and environment the Middle Ages can be distinguished as the great (important,
solemn: a cathedral, a stock exchange, town halls) and the small (residential housing, daily routine)
times.
The architectural themes are: the building front floor at the bottom of the mountain, the ”Castle/Cathedral” tandem; «square/town hall», «square/flanking with historical facades», the silhouette of
architectural dominants, street front of development.
The waterfront of the three towns was formed based on two processes:
 As a result of the demolition of town defensive walls and building on the released area the
houses that are specifically (but not always) water-facing;
 As a need for port (storage) functions inside of the city.
Later on (in the 19th century) in Königsberg the pan-European tendency to have the public quay walls for
private small boats and yachts began to spread, and this became the third function as the element of
the private “luxurious life in the city by the water”.
1.2. Altsstadt
Altstadt was granted its town rights by the Landmeister of the Teutonic Order Konrad von Thierberg on
26 February 1286. At the same time Altstadt received its coat of arms: a red and white shield, depicting
a cross and a crown which reminded of the Königsberg’s founder – the king Ottokar II. In 1724 the Königsberg new coat of arms united the symbols of Altstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht. Now the coat of
arms of Altstadt is the central element of Kaliningrad emblem.
Following the geography of present day Kaliningrad, Altstadt was bordered by Pregolya river, Moskovskiy Prospect, the overhead bridge and Oktyabrskaya street. In the Middle Ages Altstadt was on three
sides surrounded by natural borders: by the Castle hill in the north, Pregel in the south and the stream
Löbe (in the headwaters –Koshachiy (Katzbach), presently filled-in) in the east. During 1333-1350 for the
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purpose of city defense a town wall with six towers was built on the west while the Castle played a defensive role on the north. As of 1815 Altstadt (by that time one of Königsberg’s districts) was extended
for 840 m along the northwest-southeast axis and 330 m along the northeast-southwest axis.
Altstadt was considered to be an aristocratic place where mainly noblemen, royal servants, well-off estates and craftsmen settled. In the Middle Ages besides residential houses and trading places in this area there was also the St. Nicholas Church, the hospital church of the “Holy Spirit”, a small collegiate
church and a chapter house (a place for the college of ministers). In 1339 the town joined the Hanseatic
Trade Union. Altstadt ceased to be an independent city only in 1724 – by that time the three towns,
many of settlements and communities had virtually grown together into a single city and to simplify
administration were legally united into a single Königsberg.
During the Second World War Altstadt suffered heavy damages. The earthworks conducted in its area
during 1967-1974 had completely razed it to the ground and with the laying of Moskovskiy Prospect the
topography of this area had also changed. Altstadt turned into a vast public garden.
Altstadt market + Fish market
Altstadt market stretched from the fountain with the ”Drinking Knight” sculpture by the castle wall nearly to the Pregel River, and was separated from the Fish market only by one building. Formally the square
(more similar to a wide street) was also a place for the town hall: the Altstadt town hall was situated
there. Since the 14th century it had served an important role of Königsberg commercial and administrative centre: this is where post coaches departed from as there had been a mail handling terminal here
since 1730. A huge three-storey high Christmas tree was put here every year.
In 1724 the three medieval towns together with their outskirts formed the united Königsberg and this
was announced in a solemn atmosphere of Altstadt town hall at the meeting of the representatives of
all three towns. After that the city management system underwent significant changes and the town
hall building became occupied by the municipal court that had survived there up until 1879
Against the background of growing outskirts where the commercial and business centre of Königsberg
had shifted to, Altstadt had gradually become a symbol of the conservative medieval manorial history.
Everything that was standing in the way of a “dynamic century” was moved there: for example, early in
the 20th century the “Eve” fountain by architect Stanislaus Cauer was moved from Steindamm to the
Altstadt town hall where it occupied a spot opposite of the Renaissance buildings of the 15th-16th century.
The Fish market was situated on the embankment of the Pregel River between Kuznechnyi (Blacksmith)
and Derevyannyi (Wooden) bridges. The peddlery from trunks, “kiosks” and boats was ongoing from the
very morning till noon. After that, a stone sett paving was washed with water and trading in the shops
located on the ground floors began. All was for sale – from the bulk quantities of herring to furniture
and goods from the craft guilds.
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1.3. Löbenicht
The city Löbenicht was the second of the three medieval towns to receive its town right in 1300, but
through all of its history remained in the shadow of its “older brothers”. Its location and the very format
of the “town of peasants and craftsmen” ordained its destiny of a brother “serving” the first two. It
could be seen both from its inarable lands that had to be developed (in addition a part of these lands
from the west with a strategic site – the mill of the Order- was bitten off) and from the fact that all of
the events at all significant in the history of the Königsberg triple-city occurred either in Altstadt or in
Kneiphof. This was also reflected in its urban fabric and in the fact that during the growth of the city areas and new functions in the century of Enlightenment the neighboring towns Sackheim and Rossgarten
were developing, but Löbenicht stayed in the shadow again. Nevertheless some of the remarkable heritage of this town should be mentioned, such as Lesnaya birzha (Timber stock exchange), marketwarehouse for commercial timber near Derevyannyi most (Wooden bridge) in the Lomse territory
(round timber floats were drifted with the current from Lithuania and headwaters of the rivers), as well
as three Protestant churches if taken together with the neighboring Sackheim.
In 1349 the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights founded a Benedictine convent which was built under
supervision of the Master Winrich von Kniprode. In 1530 the convent was converted into a hospital
which was called the Large Hospital (in German - Grosse Hospital) or Löbenicht Hospital (German: Löbenichtsche Hospital). After the fire of 1764 the new hospital building with a Protestant church was
built, and later in 1903 rebuilt in a different place.
1.4. Lastadie
The construction of the inland water network enabling the inner shipping in the Eastern Prussia was initiated by the Teutonic Knights in the 12th- 14th century. Over seven centuries the water transport network including rivers, lagoons and a great number of other hydraulic structures had been created. At the
same time at the confluence of the two arms of the river Pregel a Königsberg port was born. Here, in
1327 the first lastadie (port warehouses) that became one of Königberg landmarks, were built in the
Laak district. Each of the three medieval towns had its own “warehouse base” but only Altstadt Lastadie
grew into a full-fledged port: they were located downstream the Pregel river and took over the cargo
passing through the customs of Holland from the sea and the Frischen-haff. Each warehouse had a timber-framed structure, a narrow 5-7 storey high façade, a characteristic extended roof ridge under which
a hoist wheel was hidden, and numerous wooden doors on each floor (the height of the inner floor did
not always exceeded 2 meters). Port speicher- warehouses burned down so often that the fire station
with a mountainous timber-framed training tower functioning also as a watch tower had to be built a
short distance away. Despite these measures the fires flared from time to time in Laak and by the 20th
century the oldest port facilities remained had been from about 1740s.
Each warehouse had its own mark (a label, marking) inherited from the Middle Ages.
In 1890 the construction of the Königsberg Sea Canal began, and in the 20s of the 20th century the new
port of Königsberg was built, one of the most advanced ports in the world at that time. In the mean time
the whole railway center of Königsberg was reconstructed and since then Lizentskiy Railway Station
(Lizentbahnhof) began functioning only as a freight station. The general freight turnover shifted to the
Volnaya Harbor of the new port, and the old Lastadie began to play an auxiliary role.
After the Second World War the burned down Lastadie were cleared away without remainder; the extension railway passing through the railway station was taken out of operation and preserved; the railway station itself ceased to exist. The spans of Zheleznodorozhnyi (Railway) bridge have been removed
and at present are stored in the area of the World Ocean Museum.
1.5. Vorder-Steindamm and Nikolsky public gardens
Steindamm («Stone causeway») has been the main “entry” and “exit” thoroughfare of Königsberg ever
since the time of its foundation. It began as the road to Hufen (the area of the present zoo) and to the
coast towards Rauschen (Svetlogorsk) and gradually was supplemented with houses. Steindamm began
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at the Steindamm Gate of Altstadt (in the vicinity of the present building of Rostelekom) and in the 16th
century led out through the town wall. After the towns were united and “the walls fell down” the street
at the Gate began as a broadened thoroughfare built up with commercial and representative buildings.
At that time such spaces were usually called “markt”, a market or a market square. They were naturally
formed at the “nodal intersections” - Steindamm was one of them on the section from the same named
gate to St. Nicholas church. After unification of the towns the street-”a causeway” stretched to new
boundaries and the new Steindamm Gate in the area of the present ploschad Pobedy (Victory square);
however we are interested in “Front/Vorder- Steindamm”.
Historically it started developing in parallel with the foundation of the Castle of Königsberg and had
even received a non-legal status of the “first town settlement”, but after the uprising of the Prussians
who had burnt down the “first town” it was decided not to restore the settlement in this area of the
Upper town but to lay out the town settlement in the Lower town – and that was done, and this settlement became Altstadt later on.
In Vorder-Steindamm not far away from the castle there was an ancient church of St. Nicholas, which
originally gave guidance to young Christian Prussians and travelers. Step by step, due to the objective
”stream of people and goods” this suburb started developing and as it was not connected to the town
walls it turned into a prosperous block of “nouveau riche Königsberg citizens” - while the “old” ones
were decorously sitting in the town councils of the medieval “triple-city”.
Steindamm became a main ”secular” street of Königsberg of the 18th-19th century: here is a quote
from the book by Karl Rosenkranz ”Königsberg sketches/Königsberger skizzen” (Danzig, 1842). «Steindamm is the brightest street of Königsberg. However its architecture is fairly plain with rare exception.
For the most part it is grocers and butchers, tradesmen and public servants who live here. The street is
quite wide. It has pavements and serves as a “promenade” street leading to “Hufen” - the place of recreation and entertainment for citizens.... Therefore it is full of many well-dressed passers-by and busily
moving polished carriages … Steindamm is a pinnacle of the social life of Königsberg streets».
In the vicinity of the fragment of our interest (the area of Zhitomirskaya and Kopernika str.) there was
the New Altstadt Church, the St. Nicholas Church, the Central Post Office, Gesekusplatz, the Central Telegraph Office building, many hotels, a cinema, tenement buildings and the most expensive shops of Königsberg of the 19th-20th century from this perspective the district has partially repeated its destiny in
the 21st century).
In the Soviet times due to the change in the main line of the thoroughfare through the city (in the Middle Ages this function was served by Landgasse) and the construction of the overhead bridge and Moskovskiy Prospect, Steindamm was mainly used for the lay-out of Leninskiy Prospect. However the oldest
of its fragments, the medieval Vorder-Steindamm was converted into the secondary blind street Zhitomirskaya and built up with typical 4 storey apartment buildings from the west, partially using the housing lines of the old Steindamm which retained some fragments of pavement, the former streets that
were turned into the inner yard passageways in the Soviet times; a public garden and a former square
near the St. Nicholas Church as well as some buildings near Kopernika street that was only partially built
up with new houses. The retail and office centre “Plaza”, the bank and the House of Communications
(“Rostelekom”) built in the Soviet times are situated on the east between Zhitomirskaya street and
Leninskiy Prospect.
Numerous sources mention that after the war in the area of Vorder-Steindamm there was a multi-storey
secret “Brusov’s bunker” where pictures and museum treasures were hidden and up till now their destiny remains unknown.
1.6. Paradeplatz (Parade square)
A garden was established north of Königsberg Castle In 1509 by the decree of the Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights Frederick of Saxony. It had many trees and shrubs but it was mostly known for its centuries-old lime tree under the branches of which high ranking public servants and statesmen liked to
host their guests. There were several galleries under the tree branches. During the severe winter of
1709 this ancient lime tree was winterkilled. Later on the garden (due to its belonging to the crown) received the name “Korolevskiy” (Royal).
- 14 -
When the three medieval towns (Altstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht) were united into Königsberg in 1724,
the problem of a new main square of the united city arose (each medieval town had its main square).
The Eastern Prussia became a part of Brandenburg-Prussian kingdom and Königsberg received the status
of the “royal residence city”. In 1740 Friedrich Wilhelm I died and power was inherited by his son
crowned as Friedrich II. The new ruler disliked Königsberg and after a modest coronation was held, he
just ordered to establish a park north of the castle in place of the old royal garden and then departed to
the capital.
A sketch over the Royal (Korolevskiy) garden:
Almost sixty years later the
king Friedrich Wilhelm III
faced the problem: to make
the main representative
square for its residence. His
choice fell on the Royal
garden. In 1806 a City theatre/Stadttheater (which
later on became an Opera
theatre) was built in the
Royal garden; and in 1809
Friedrich Wilhelm III donated the Royal garden to the
city of Königsberg on the
condition that “the layout
of the garden should never
be changed”. Over time the
Royal garden had turned
into the Parade square of
the city of Königsberg. In August 1851 the grateful citizens of Königsberg inaugurated an equestrian
monument of the king Friedrich Wilhelm III at the very centre of the square.
On the day of the 300th Anniversary of the University of Albertina in 1844 the King of Prussia Friedrich
Wilhelm IV laid the corner stone for the new building of “Albertina” on Paradeplatz. The former Royal
garden became gradually built up along the perimeter with the buildings serving the most important
functions for the kingdom (there had already been an Opera house here and the building of justice was
planned to be built), and the new university building was expected to determine the style of the whole
Paradeplatz (classicism was traditionally a “royal style”). At that moment the square itself was as a matter of fact a vast public garden that had to be shaped without changing its contours (the perimeter).
This was exactly what one of the best German architects of that time Friedrich Stüler attempted to accomplish. The building in the neo-Renaissance style with a gallery, sculptures on the roof and bas-reliefs
on the façade of yellow clinker brick, was opened 18 years later and was designed for 500 persons. The
architect’s conception originated from Italian university galleries: he was going to build up the whole
Paradeplatz with roofed-in galleries on all four sides, and if Stüler had managed to do that, the city
would have received a unique pearl of urban development…
In the 20s of the 20th century it became necessary to expand the building of Albertina. The design of the
extension building was done by Robert Liebental; his design had considerably increased the useful areas
of the university building without diminishing the magnificence of the main façade. A multistoried
House of Book stood up opposite of the university. An expanse of the Nizhnyi Prud (Lower Pond) was
used by the university for festivities and as a “university” lake where students had their trainings in the
rowing club – therefore the connection between the university building and the lake was fairly intensive.
In the end of the World War II the university building and the surrounding Paradeplatz buildings burned
down and remained in ruins until 1960s. The remains of the gallery were dismantled and the building
was restored in a simplified form: at the beginning it became the location for a secondary school, then a
teaching institute, which had over time received the status of the university. The geometry of the square
was broken by construction of the typical Soviet Krushchev-buildings. A through passage boulevard was
built from the side of Leninskiy Prospect, and the square of “classicism” ceased its existence.
- 15 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
1.7. Nizhneye Lake. The Order’s possessions by the Castle and Castle Pond (Zamkovyi Prud)
A Castle Pond came into existence in the 13thcentury after the Teutonic Knights stopped the outflow of
the stream Koshachyi and set the Order mills at the pond that were an important part of the economic
picture of the Middle Ages. The pond was a part of the complex system of potable water channels and
lakes not far away from Königsberg. The southern part of the pond and adjacent territories did not
belong to any outskirt and were not regulated by any town constitutions but by possessory acts of the
Order and later on, of the duchy and by the crowns. However its shores became gradually developed
and the lack of sewage had by itself made the pond a hot bed of diseases and pollution. The city was
unable to change the situation until 1810 when the pond and a part of the adjacent territories were
bought out from the crown.
From then on the lakeside building-up was more regular so that the lake itself and its shores would be
gradually turned into the main promenade area of the city. It acquired such a priority that in the early
part of the 20th century the municipality bought out several buildings to demolish them just in order to
complete a free walking promenade at Schlossteich. Monetnyi dwor (mint) was bought out and destroyed, and in its place a small but extremely cozy Monetnaya square was built. To undertake these
arrangements a city lottery was established; the lottery proceeds were spent on construction of the
House for Swans, Monetnaya square, lakeside protection works and a pier for boats. Manufacturers and
big bourgeois took an active part in decoration of the pearl of Königsberg: one of them donated forged
gratings and ornate lampposts; another one – the figure of the Archer; the whole city experience spirit
rising feelings in the beginning of the new 20th century. Small restaurants sprung up on the semibasement floors of the waterside buildings; their summer terraces overlooked the water and on Sunday
mornings prompted the ladies to put on their best dresses and bonnets and the men – their formal suits
and bowlers on to come to these terraces for morning coffee, newspaper reading and opinion exchange.
Greenery of the Castle pond served as a perfect background as much for a quiet and contemplating
stroll on weekdays as well as for numerous festivities and illuminations; it was in its own right considered the heart of the city. The water surface of the pond was a place for one of the most romantic city
holidays: the first May night (that was also called Walpurgis Night). The shores were decorated with
lights. The students of Albertina held their traditional rowing competitions on the lake and in the evening thousands of Königsberg citizens were sitting on the slopes of the shores and watching festal illumination accompanied by the sounds of an orchestra.
By 1930 the waterfall had been built from the Upper to the Lower Pond, which later on inspired the architects of the House of Soviets to make a similar waterfall east of the building.
A bridge over the pond in the area of Stadthalle was built in 1753 but in 1869 during the King Wilhelm I
visit to Königsberg the bridge collapsed; there were human casualties. Forty years later an architectural
competition was held and the assignment envisaged a bridge with two lanes of vehicular traffic as well
as a tramway track and pedestrian pavements. Fortunately, the plans for crossing the pond with vehicular traffic had not been realized. The northern shores were adorned by high trees, in the south the castle
was dominating and on the southwestern shore stood long ranges of magnificent and high (five storey)
facades of the houses. In the southeast on a small knoll there was Burgkirchen looking from behind the
trees, and another dominant of the eastern shore was formed by Stadthalle (Town hall) with its body
and the terrace of the café located in front of it.
After the Second World War new owners renamed the pond into Nizhneye Lake and in the 80s the land
area around the pond had been improved by the completion of the construction of the major ideological
site of the whole region: House of the Soviets. In 1983 in place of the old bridge destroyed by the war a
new pedestrian bridge was built, and a bit later and further to the north the second one connecting the
regional Dom Pionerov (House of the Pioneers) with the “city block of hospitals” was erected. The waterfall connecting two lakes had been left abandoned up to 2012 when it underwent some reparation.
- 16 -
1.8. Rossgarten
The district of Rossgarten (and neighboring Neue-Zorge) lying on the right bank of Schloss-teich (if seen
from the Castle) began actively developing after three towns were united. Here stood villas of the Kaiserlings, von Bulows and other noble families. Here the king shying away from the gloomy castle apartments built his Letnyi (Summer) royal palace not far away from the ancient gymnasium Friedrichscollegium. And here among the organized greenery of lime and chestnut trees stood the old building of the
Academy of arts.
This district of the city was dissected by three main streets: Königstrasse, Hinter- and FriederRossgarten. “The main square of the district” was Rossgarten market. The word “market” should however not be misleading: sales of horses ended here for a long time ago but by the beginning of the 20th
century the name went to a busy square where tramlines intersected with wheel and pedestrian traffic.
The square was also overlooked by Französische strasse (French street, where Ernst Theodor Amadeus
Hoffmann lived once upon time).
1.9. Korolevskaya gora + castle, neighboring squares and
the Order’s possessory estates
Castle (1) 3
The typology (archetype) of the Order castle as a defensive, administrative and household facility (fortification) has formed as a result of the combination of three components:
1. The level of development and experience of the European artistic and architectural culture for
that period of time.
2. The character and the techniques of combat operations and the management system on these
territories.
3. The availability of the certain kinds of building materials and resources for construction.
Architecture and planning as well as fortification idiosyncrasy and the inner design of castles had been
developed based on analogue examples, engaged expertise and as a result of the regional activities. It is
very worthwhile mentioning a continuity of the distant traditions in castle construction by the Teutonic
Order, usage and synthesis of the architectural and construction traditions of different countries covered by the German Order activities. By that time the Order had already acquired an extensive experience and diversified knowledge in the areas of administration, management and construction.
The echeloned system of defense was borrowed from the chivalrous fortifications of the Near East. The
citadel was a building with the inner courtyard. A donjon could be located in the corner of the fortress
citadel or at the outer wall. One more tower (danzker) connected to the citadel by the passage on the
second floor, was placed outside the first line of fortification walls. It had sanitary functions. The citadel
was protected by several rows of fortification walls and a moat. The access roads to the gates were
blocked by one or several front fortifications – vorburg (the courtyards enclosed by a defensive wall with
service and storage rooms).
The process of construction was based on their own metrological system, a so-called Kulma measures of
length: one Kulma rute (4,32 m) consisted of 15 Kulma feet (0,288 m).
Castles had a regular as well as irregular layout structure. Distant architectural traditions intertwine in
the planning and architectural elements of the buildings of citadel monasteries. A space-planning decision is based on the typological layout of the Muslim fort-Ribat but a rectangular shape of towers is an
inheritance of the tradition of Byzantine border fortresses. A roundabout gallery of the inner courtyard
3
Information and analytical materials on historical and cultural feasibility of the reconstruction of the missing layout and historical buildings in the historical part of the Kaliningrad city central core (within the boundaries of: Leninskiy prospect –
Shevtchenko str. – Zarayskaya str. – Moskovskiy Prospect – Oktyabrskaya str. – Novaya Pregolya river)”, 2008. NW Architectural
beareau (Zabuga Y.I., Vasjutin O.I.)
- 17 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
of a Christian monastery was converted into the defensive gallery that could be easily dropped in case of
a danger.
The structural designs of chapels and halls of a chapter house were in line with a Gothic style of their
time. In their décor we could see numerous examples of borrowings from Muslim art: encaustic tiles and
use of inscriptions in the form of an ornament. These architectural traditions could be borrowed from
the Middle East, Sicilia or Spain.
Over two centuries (1231-1410) the German order had built about 200 fortresses on the territory of
Prussia. A recognizable idiosyncratic architectural style pertaining to the north German Gothic architecture of brick was created based on the interplay of various distant architectural traditions used in construction practice and as a result of the impact of the whole complex of a regional character.
As a rule the magnitude of the Order castle complex corresponded to the scale magnitude of the settlement (town) that often has sprung nearby and the dimension of each settlement was directly related
to a spatial and landscape unit of the adjacent area and proportional to it.
During the whole history of functioning and usage the castles had underwent the stages of construction,
restorations and adjustments. By the early 16th century in the context of the development of the new
battle techniques and the new defensive initiatives all of the Order castles had lost their military strategic significance as well as their driving force in town development. As a result the territories, settlements and towns situated nearby a castle continued developing but under different urban planning
laws.
Castle courtyard
Since the times when the House of a convent was demolished and the castle courtyard received its present look about 500 years had passed and over all these years Königsberg had been rebuilt and modified
and with it the courtyard has changed as well. It should be noted that the eastern part of the castle in
the time under consideration was a “residential and service” area: there were apartments, household
and security services; a Land tribunal (before moving to Hansa-ring). The western wing was designated
for representative and spiritual purposes: there were a Zal Moskovitov (Hall of Moscovites) and a Castle
church (Schlosskirche); all of it had set a seal on the design of the inner courtyard.
There was a well in the middle of the courtyard. At different periods it was decorated in different ways
but by the 20th century it had been conserved and a flowerbed was laid out in its place. Later it was finally removed.
It is also interesting to mention a tall wooden gallery added to the northern wing. In the mid 19th century in the royal period all of the Order castles of the Eastern Prussia including Königsberg underwent reconstruction: Königsberg received a neo Gothic tower and a new entrance fronton in the representative
southwestern corner. Architect Konrad Steinbrecht also wanted to restore a ”Gothic chivalrous gallery”
of stone in the inner courtyard however there was not enough money therefore on the third floor level
(the level of the Hall of Moscovites) a “tradeoff” gallery of wood was built. The gallery was rather a temporary structure but “nothing is more permanent than the temporary”. A Castle church occupied the
second and the third floors (if the semi-basement floor to be considered as the first one) and on the
third floor there was the Hall of Moscovites. The broadness of its support-free area had made it for a
long time the most respectable fashionable hall of the Eastern Prussia. Coronations of the Prussian kings
and audiences were held here. A small balcony situated in the upper part of the bay window and decorated with sculptures led out of this hall to the courtyard. From this balcony a king could greet his servants and in the Nazi times Hitler could review his troops.
Monetnaya ploschad (Mint square) and Zamkovaya ploschad (Castle square)
The main gate of the Order castle – Albrecht Gate- was situated in the eastern wing. Accordingly a small
square was built to allow for dropping-off guests in front of it, quartering of a patrol duty guards and
their ceremonial change at a fixed hour. Earlier, before there were guards there was a moat separating
the Castle from Marsovy stables of the dragoon barracks. Later the moat was filled-in and a through
Castle square that served for a transit from Schlossteich to Altstadt, was laid out in its place.
There was nothing surprising in the surrounding of the castle with squares as well as the filling up of
spaces by the castle with triumphant statues, lyrical fountains and various bas-reliefs. On the Castle
- 18 -
square stood only the Putti fountain (later it was moved from this temporary location) and the statue of
King Friedrich I (he was also known as Kurfürst Friedrich III), the first king of Prussia, by Andreas Schlüter. The monument had such a long-suffering history that its unclear artistic value had over and above
been traded off by its “adventures”. At first it had taken a long time before it could be installed. It had
been stored in the Berlin zeughaus. In 1760 it was taken out by the Russian troops as a trophy but
reached only Spandau where after the liberation of Berlin it was as near as could be to being melted
down. In 1764 the statue was moved to the zeughaus again and only a half century later on the day of
the king’s birthday with the extensive support from citizens “homeless” Friedrich I had found its place in
the vicinity of the dragoon barracks in Königsberg. A semicircular wall around the monument and the
pedestal was created by architect Schadow. During the 19th century the monument was covered by the
oil paint (revealing the trace of the solicitous hand of the military supply officer) and because of this its
precious patina had been destroyed forever. When in 1928 the dragoon barrack became obsolete and
was demolished for a new Reichsbank to be built there it was conceived to shift the monument. Patriotism had won and the wall by the sculptor Schadow that had been demolished was precisely restored in
1930. The destiny of the sculpture after 1945 remains unknown but considering its trials and tribulations before the installation at the Castle square… However the true copy of the statue has been recently found in Berlin Charlottenburg.
If looked from the Ovsyanaya (Oat) tower of the Castle over Schlossteich a small orderly square with low
wrought iron gratings and two noticeable obelisk-lamps would found its room between the Castle and
the pond. Not wishing to install a ponderous monument the city authorities made a sound decision to
combine these two functions in a single object by creating the paired obelisk-lamp supports and making
them a dominant of the vertical composition on the new Monetnaya square. It is mentioned as new
Monetnaya square because it emerged in the early 20th century after the old Monetnyi Dwor (the mint
that had been situated here since the Order times until 1802) was bought out and demolished and two
lamps-obelisks served as a memorable monument of “Liberation”, “the city revolution at the turn of the
century” during which a new city Charter was adopted and the city territory was dramatically expanded
by several times at the expense of the former suburbs. This square was built simultaneously with two
tenement twin buildings on both sides (there were cozy restaurants on the ground floors and the Gelhaar’s marzipan confectionery in the left building, please see more about it below) and opened a perspective from the Castle over Schlossteich by functioning as a main “entrance” drawing in idly strolling
people towards the freshly made promenade of the pond.
Section 2. Analytical conclusions by sites and territories
2.1. Medieval core
Nowadays the significance of the true medieval core is increasing because of emerging imitations and
wrong ideas about the Middle Ages and the historical city of Königsberg therefore there is a need for a
precedent of authentic history with shifting emphasis and putting modern imitations into perspectives.
Sites and elements of environment
The following architectural themes of the Medieval city are proposed to be restored in the form of sites:
Medieval square. The notion of a medieval square comprises virtually any open space with the social
and commercial function (a market) shaped by the facade lines of surrounding buildings. The sites to be
restored – Bolshaya Sobornaya (Big Cathedral) square, Malaya Sobornaya ploschad (Small Cathedral)
square, Rybnyi (Fish) market, Lipovyi (Lime Tree) market.
Medieval dominant. The sites to be restored – continued restoration of the Cathedral and medieval surroundings of the Cathedral, recovering of the immensity and the ratio “cathedral –development”. Following the regeneration of the historical surroundings of the Cathedral – first of all of the building of the
University Albertina (1569) – the former will be again perceived as was originally designed. The restoration of more ancient development in the place of Kneiphof Gymnasium built in 1865 is also justified by
- 19 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
the intention to come back to the harmonic combination of the embankment to be built up and the
magnificent bulk of the Cathedral. [Köster].
Medieval street. The fragment of the medieval street is needed for full perception of the medieval city
environment. The sites to be restored – Magisterschtrasse or Poperechnaya.
Medieval block. The sites to be restored – the blocks of Altstadt No 1, 2, 3; the blocks of Kneiphof No. 1,
2, 3, 7, 8 (please see the expert proposal for Altstadt, Kneiphof). It is important to realize that it is not
the medieval building-up which has almost been reconstructed by the end of the 19th century, that is
proposed to be reproduced but the medieval urban fabric in the framework of which architectural
styles were developed and facades were shaped. The method of the restoration of the development is
reproduction of the scope and dimensions using modern construction materials and techniques including the historical facades restored in authentic construction materials. The developments of Köster are
proposed as the basis.
Medieval embankment. The sites to be restored – the blocks of Altstadt No 1,2,3; the blocks of
Kneiphof No 5,6,7.
Medieval bridge. The sites to be restored – Kuznechnyi most(Blacksmith bridge), Derevyannyi most
(Wooden bridge), Medovyi most (Honey bridge).
Medieval fortification wall. The sites to be restored – Blue Tower.
The environment based method of restoration is implying the following items:
Medieval elements of life. Elements of the medieval urban tradition, including those that have been
transformed by the present day. For example, it is desirable that along with a number all of the houses
would have a house-mark or a specially designed entry portal.
Construction techniques and materials. For construction materials it is preferably to use timber-framing
or hand moulded brick (either used or new) and lime as a binding base.
Medieval toponymy. The toponymy of historical cities is being preserved longer than architecture or
individual buildings. Therefore in case any ”new historical streets” spring up we suggest to give them
back their old names and to give the landscape units their old typonyms (for example ”Fruit embankment” in place of “Fruit market” or “the Holy Spirit street”).
Mode of life (inhabitants). The mode of communication (morals) , behavior pattern (getting into the
past), a particular kind of trade (market, fair), clothes (historical costumes), language (dialect), cuisine
(an inn, a pub) visual historical attributes, recalling historical events – ”historical reconstructions”, episodes from life, street artists, vehicles, etc. Prototypes: public servants, clergy, craftsmen, guild and
craft union representatives (medieval professions).
Status of territory. It is proposed to define and allocate a ”medieval city” along with a potential special
historical and cultural zone with the status of a ”Landmark” within it (the Cathedral with epitaphs, the
tomb of Immanuel Kant, the restored Albertina, the statue to Albrecht, pavestones and pavements from
the medieval period, the revetment of the embankment of ”Cyclopean” masonry, the authentic elements of the medieval city environment found over the region – removed genuine timber-framing,
metal and processed stone). All of this together with archaeological artifacts may constitute an open
“Museum of medieval city culture” within the limited territory.
2.2. Altstadt
The land area of Altstadt is rich with traces of the sites illustrating the medieval part of the city’s history.
It has the highest density of the archaeological objects that require surveying and a considerate incorporation in the current cultural interchange and the urban environment in their various forms. These are
the territories of: the Old Cathedral (РархС); Pfeifen-tower and Lastadien gate (РархПЛ); the city walls
and tower (РархБ); Steindamm Gate and neighboring fragments of the city wall (РархШ); Altstadt tower
(after final specification of the spot of location; РархАб); Löbenicht gate (РархЛ).
One of the most known and symbolical “secular” sites of Altstadt is its Town Hall, an outstanding representative of the Renaissance style architecture, and its adjacent square – Altstadt market.
- 20 -
Following the demolition of the defensive walls of Altstadt the adjoining territories west and east of the
city were converted into buffer subzones which had still traced the borderline and ”transitional” built-up
pattern of these areas. During the international workshop many architects suggested to retain the
characteristics of transitional subzones (elements) for these territories. These are the subzones ЗГ (in
place of the western city wall) and ВГ (in place of the eastern city wall) – they may play an important
role as the future borders between “historical” and modern territories.
Besides, Altstadt had several alternatives of the town planning nodes serving the functions of ”connection/disconnection” of the Upper and the Lower city at its northern borders. In particular, these were:
- a junction node with Steindamm (Rollberg, Steindamm Gate, Yellow tower and Gesekusplatz );
- a node (Лп) of the ending of the Southern terrace of the Castle, the corner of the «Unfried’s wing”
(Unfriedbau), the corner of the castle barracks (the building of a bank) and Kuznechnaya street built
over the former moat;
SCHEME OF REGENERATION STAGES
ПлА
ПлВ
РА
Рарх
Т1, T2
Фз
Кв1-23
R
ВГ -Eastern city border
Гм - Mill mountain
ЗГ
-Western city border
Лп1 - Grand staircase 1
МД -Wooden bridge
МстД -Old Wooden bridge
МК -Blacksmith bridge
МЛ -Merchant’s bridge
МС
-Cathedral bridge
-Altstadt square
-Wilhelm’s square
-Altstadt Town Hall
-Sites of archaeological excavations
-Terraces 1 and 2 of the Castle mountain
-Front corner façade of the Castle
-Blocks 1-23
-Complementary blocks
- a node around the Mill gate (Melnichnye vorota) (the northeastern corner of Altstadt), that was sophisticated by merging of three historical estates (Altstadt, Löbenicht and those of the Order) as well as
the connection of the Upper and the Lower city.
Each of these nodes has its own pattern of solution for “transitional areas”.
The “city water transit” from the Lower Pond to Pregel: the stream Koschachyi (with a mill) and Löbebach (Mill node + ВГ) – is considered to be of a special value.
Within its boundaries Altstadt has two architectural and town planning ensembles: a classical Wilhelm’s
square (ПлВ + Фз) in the tandem with the front corner of the Castle (Фз) and a compositional pair
«market of Altstadt + the Southern terrace of the Castle» (ПлА + Т1), which require a special plan of restoration due its high value.
Besides, it is important to retain the scale and the nature of architectural interaction of the northern
façade line of Altstadt (the northern facades of the blocks Q. 20, 21 and 22), the Southern terrace of the
Castle (Т1).
The Waterfront of Altstadt (Q1-5) is considered to be the most important element of the port «city on
water» (Hansa membership). «Bridges-ghosts» (the old Wooden and Cathedral bridges) survived in the
- 21 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
“memory of the place” in the form of the elements of embankments and routing on the ancient maps;
they can also become a “theme” for cultural enrichment of the new/restored embankment and the waterfront of Altstadt.
Archaeological sites
o
Old Cathedral (РархС).
o
Altstadt Town Hall (РА)
o
Pfeifen-tower and Lastadie-gate (РархПЛ).
o
City walls and towers (РархБ).
o
Steindamm Gate and neighboring fragment of the city wall (РархШ)
o
Löbenicht Gate (РархЛ)
After the completion of archaeological works the further destiny and museumification of the findings
shall be determined. The complex of Pfeifen-tower and Lastadie Gate can be considered as an autonomous site for a historical reconstruction in stone which in particular can be used for practical implementation of technologies and principles of restoration of the lost historical sites.
2.3. Löbenicht
It appears to be impractical to select any structural elements of Löbenicht for restoration. From the side
of the Pregolya river Löbenicht neither had any developed waterfront nor any regular ”waterfront development” – nevertheless the rhythm of the street “punctures” leading to the waterfront and the bay
window string of the houses on the street, along the embankment are appeared to be valuable. The
blocks of Löbenicht followed the curve of the flood valley ridge, the altitude line between the Upper and
the Lower cities and therefore they did not have such a regular pattern as Altstadt did. Therefore they
do not have to be replicated in a new town planning scheme. The only remarkable and repeatable
graphical image of Löbenicht is the side-view of three churches with its spires “making” a character of
the right side of Königsberg panorama which has been traditionally silhouetted from the south. It is
interesting to mention the ancient building on Löbenicht – a monastery which later became a hospital;
in case of archaeological excavations it will be possible to use it as an example in order to see the progressive development of this place.
Started in the early 1900s the extended works on reconstruction of the riverside territories, the arrangement of new blocks, straightening and widening of streets and the embankment are of interest.
An architectural merit is also the project of the spatial composition of the “two banks” – Lomse and Löbenicht, expressed in the combination of the wide street with a pathetic name Kurfürstendamm overlooking the bank of the river Pregel in Lose and the square New market overlooking the bank of the river
Pregel in Löbenicht right opposite Kurfürstendamm along with the project proposals of the early 1940s
regarding the construction of a new bridge.
As a valuable town planning accent we see the characteristic corner on the riverfront of Löbenicht (east
from Wooden bridge to the New Market (Hamann street)) - a little tower of Löbenicht gymnasium
named after Hamann. It has been captured on numerous photographs of Löbenicht and this city node.
This “corner with a little tower” shall be reproduced as a principle in case of construction in this place.
2.4. Lastadie
The valuable feature of this district is the “riverside” port image of Lastadie itself, amalgamating: the tall
narrow facades of the warehouse frameworks with a diversity of speicher-marks at the house doors,
berths, ships at berths and an unloading square (quite possible that authentic setts with the narrowgauge railway tracks still remains under asphalt). This image and its components – the riverside em-
- 22 -
bankment and the unloading square paved with setts shall be envisaged for restoration or renovation in
this area.
2.5. Steindamm
Steindamm has been always a “node of intersection”, a gate to the medieval Königsberg, аnd a passageway from the Lower city to the Upper city and vice versa – the point of building up the traffic with
the trade functions.
The block pattern of the small streets of Steindamm appears to have an architectural merit: some of the
roads continue existing as roads today, some remain a “local thoroughfare” which is bad and violates
the principle of the ”visual historical fabric”: in future it is required not to lose “invisible roads”. Another
architectural merit is historical broadness and the scale of the main street/market being a panoramic
view site and opening up a panoramic perspective of the Lower city and the Stock Exchange.
Today’s public garden opposite the building of ”Investbank” partially imitates the square around St.
Nicholas church but has not retained any memory about this fact except for specifically “paved” road
with an extended fragment that at present has been converted into a parking lot. The sett paving and
the shape of this “street-square” are historical: in combination with the public garden they form an individual historical element of Zhitomirskaya street: (a square) with a symbolic centre piece (the monument).
The «Underground Königsberg» in the area of Front Steindamm may be used to solve the problem of
the present traffic flows by including the elements of the underground archaeology sufficiently available
here into the current traffic.
2.6. Paradeplatz
 In terms of town planning the Parade square (Paradeplatz) is a fragment of the smaller traffic
circle of historical Königsberg + a transit spot between the present Leninskiy prospect and the
Lower Lake.
 In representative terms it is a new Main (Parade) square of the city as a royal residence with not
fully completed design in classicism traditions. The concentration of royal urbanity all across surrounded by large royal (”federal”) objects among which are: the university (the building was donated by the king); the Opera house + a royal passionate element in the form of an equestrian
statue + (sideways) the monuments to Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schiller (a square as a polyphonic site). The gallery (unfinished all around) as an architectural indication of two European
traditions: a gallery= neoclassicism + university.
 Paradeplatz was the core of the updated brand “Königsberg as a university and theater city”
(German-Soviet-Russian periods, during the latter two the theater centre has shifted). It is a
“square” understood in European (German) terms: a developed site area with meaningful
greenery (dendrological idea), paving, benches, lamps and symbolical objects.
 According to the typology it is an architectural and urban planning ensemble of classicism with a
symmetrical planning composition including New Altstadt church. The largest Russian counterpart is Dvortsovaya ploschad (Palace square) in St. Petersburg with a passage through the arch
of the General Staff building.
 Regularity of classicism (a complex ensemble) - within the city it has been partially implemented
only here as an element of the “long-term” conception.
 A pedestrian transit. The Soviet pedestrian boulevard is a partial successive concept of the historical ideology of regularity.
2.7. Nizhneye Lake
The area of Schlossteich (Nizhneye Lake) should be divided not lengthwise – into «the left shore/the
right shore», but into two zones characterized by different historical development: the “Castle (south-
- 23 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
ern) part” of Schlossteich that at first was directly dominated by the castle but later on became intensively urbanized/ when these areas were passed over to the magistrate at the turn of the 19th and 20th
century; and the “City (northern) part of Schlossteich”. These zones were separated by the Schlossteichbrücke Bridge. Both of these zones had a different pattern of development and subsequently they
need to be considered as two interlinked but different historical landscapes.
As a result of its development the castle zone of the lake was the first to receive the walk-through
promenade on both shores following the “urban liberation” on the threshold of the First World War.
Before that the lands had been bought out from the royal family and private persons; the buildings that
were on the way had been demolished and the complex of the architectural ensemble of Monetnaya
square linking the castle to the pond and representing a unique “triumphant opening” of the promenade had been erected. This promenade was a “city” part: the building line along the embankment was
built up with facades facing the lake. The facade line of this southern part of the pond was a main distinguishing feature. Unlike the castle part the ”city” part of the lake was provided with the walk-through
promenade only right before the Second World War and the shores with a small exception had not been
developed here and the building facades in this part of the city looked not towards the lake but the
streets. The exceptions were Bellevue, Park-hotel and Stadthalle.
In German times the lake was crossed only by one bridge (a neck up at the waterfall cannot be considered as a bridge). In the Soviet times a new bridge was built in place of the old one and then two more
bridges were constructed. As a result there are University and Museum bridges and the third bridge
without a name; their names are not in citizens’ daily use. The German building-up along the shores had
been dismantled. The buildings that have remained are those of Stadtshalle and the Park Hotel on the
shore, the building of the hospital complex between the lake and Klinicheskaya street, the facilities of a
distillery and the complex of the waterfall in the north end of the lake.
The Soviet embankment of the lake and the bridges were designed as a complex by architect Eremeev in
the 70s of the 20the century; as a result of the soviet reconstruction the dimensions and consequently
the water surface of the Lower pond decreased. On the northwest shore some large public buildings
with regional or municipal functions were erected, the last one was the building of the court; the place
for standard housing construction was found on the southeastern shore. Therewith the bridges were
interpreted as not architectural but engineering structures.
2.8. Korolevskaya gora and House of the Soviets
Construction of the most famous landmark of Kaliningrad on the site of the former vorburg – the House
of the Soviets, became an apotheosis of the 70-80s of the Soviet times. The House of the Soviets became the embodiment of brutalism of the Brezhnev stagnation and the result of the architectural competition of 1974. Its monumental image was supposed to eclipse the monumental image of the Royal
castle that was still remaining in the memory and at least not to be inferior in heaviness of the architectural mass, the impact, the construction density and the compositional combinatorial set of elements.
By the way some of the compositional themes and elements of the former architectural “castle” form
were merged into the new structure and were given a new translation.
For example, the inner horizontal courtyard of the Castle merged into the inner vertical courtyard – a
space of the new structure of the House of the Soviets, and the former historically tested quadrangular
shape was replicated in the quadrangle of the House of the Soviets. The strengthening of the angles of
the Castle by the towers with horizontal fortification links echoed in the fixing of the angles of the new
building by the elevator shafts with the horizontal links –passages between them. The bare structural
elements of the western wing of the castle – counterforts, were reflected in the vertical rhythm of lower
supporting elements of the House of the Soviets. The coordinate grid of the sitting of the new Soviet
structure also fits the cardinal direction orientation of the former Royal Castle.
The major conceptual change has occurred in the naturally determined forceful gravity of the new architectural mass – a symbolic shift of the coordinate ”zero” point of the House of the Soviets sitting which
can be expressed in the sententious saying – “further away from Berlin and closer to Moscow”.
House of the Soviets
- 24 -
The design of the House of the Soviets came to life in 1968. It had been approved by 1970 and in the
same year the construction commenced. The chief architect was Yulian Lvovich Shvartsbreim, an honored architect of the RSFSR, a laureate of the USSR state prize, the head of the architectural group of
TsNIIEP named after B.S. Mezentsev (Central Scientific Research and Experimental Design Institute). The
construction of the House of the Soviets started on Korolevskaya gora alongside the castle foundation.
All successive concepts up until the early 90s considered the House of the Soviets as an accomplished
fact. Its height is 71.6 m. According to constructers the House of the Soviets has an immense safety factor. It is standing on 1148 piles plus up to a meter and a half thick cast in-situ foundation footings, heavy
duty steel and reinforced concrete frames, four stiffening cores cast in situ on different levels – from the
basement up to the top. It has four halls, 8 express lifts, the developed basement part with the space for
a restaurant and service facilities. According to its design the House of the Soviets should have been finished with a special material – stemalite (enameled glass) but after the replacement of this material
with the concrete panels initiated by the higher authorities the House of the Soviets got its present look.
The House of the Soviets has a high quality of the architectural composition and aesthetics in the ideology of Soviet brutalism which is a constituent part of the common architectural and artistic programme
of that time and is defined as Soviet modernism. Soviet brutalism is in its turn an echo of the international brutalism – an architectural style of the Western Europe, USA and Japan of the 50s of the 20th
century and its vivid continuation metabolism which is originated in Japan in the late 50s of the 20th century. The representatives of metabolism of the 60s are such famous architects as K. Tange, K. Kikutake
and K. Kurokawa. The peculiarities of the architectural language of metabolism are incompleteness, understatement and openness of the structural arrangement of the buildings for a “dialogue” with a
changing architectural, cultural and technological context of the urban environment.
Thus, the House of the Soviets represents a monument of the good stylistic architecture. It builds up
interest to Contemporary history and vividly presents the views of that period as nothing more interesting and significant has been created in Kaliningrad during the Soviet period. No examples of such magnitude exist in other provincial cities of Russia. By its scale, ideological power, intensity of the administrative will and the resources spent it is comparable to the construction of Konigsberg castle by the Order.
Design of the House of the Soviets. Mezentsev TsNIIEP, workshop No.2, Head Y. Shvartsbreim. (Architecture of public buildings, Stroyizdat, 1980).
Architectural and town planning elements of Zamkovaya
(Korolevskaya) gora/Upper city
1. Landscape unit – berg (mountain, elevation)
- 25 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
2. Terrain with a slope (elevation difference is 15 m)
3. Ancient Old Prussian settlement Twangste
4. Trade route to Zamland-Lithuania
5. First town settlement
6. Site of the old castle
7. Coordinate zero point – starting point of urban planning
8. Centre point of the radial plan structure
9. Focus on the south and the city’s silhouette (southern panorama)
10. Three scales of the Mountain:
Medieval – of the Order (XIII-XV)
Renaissance - Ducal (XVI)
Classicism – Royal (XVII- early XIX)
11. Key dominant – Königsberg castle (the Order’s fortress, Royal castle)
12. Fortification infrastructure
13. The Order’s lands, areas outside the castle
14. Projects of the castle modernization in the 16th century (Renaissance)
15. Castle part of the Lower Pond
16. Streams:
 Löbebach (Katzbach)
 Stream west of the castle
 Mühlenfliess
 Melnichnyi kanal (Mill’s channel)
17. Mills:
 Castle mill (Upper mill, Haus-mühle)
 Old castle mill (Lower mill, Katz-mühle, Burg-mühle)
 Middle mill (Mittel-mühle)
18. City defensive walls and gate
19. Complex of dominants:
 St. Maria Magdalena Church
 St. Nicholas Church
 New Altstadt Church
 Burgkirche
 St. Barbara Löbenicht Church
20. Irregular blocks based on roads leading to the castle
21. Blocks based on defensive walls
22. Measuring scale (height dimensions of 3-5 storey building-up)
23. Streets (passages), connecting the Upper and the Lower city
24. Complex of squares:
 Münzplatz
 Schlossplatz
 Bergplatz
 Gesekusplatz
 Kantplatz
 Architectural ensemble of the new Monetnaya square
25. Terraces of the castle and man-made (artificial) landscapes of Korolevskaya gora area
26. Monument to Duke Albrecht
27. Momunet to Keiser Wilhelm I
28. Monument to Friedrich I
29. Monument to I. Kant
30. Central Post Office
31. Building of the Central Telegraph Office
32. Building of Reichsbank
33. Subzones and elements adjoining the Mountain/Upper city
34. House of the Soviets
35. Central square
- 26 -
36. Waterfalls
37. Soviet open landscape
Analytical conclusions
Enlargement of scale
In the postwar period the construction of the House of the Soviets, the overhead bridge, the entertainment complex ”Plaza” has radically enlarged the urban planning scale of this area. The built-up spot of
the former castle is limited all around by the building-up that has nothing in common with historical
construction. Nevertheless this area has not lost its town planning and compositional relevance in the
historical core as well as in the planning framework of the city. The strategic and compositional significance of this area is determined by preservation of the major radial plan structure of the Inner city.
According to the historically developed “memory of the place” it appears to be expedient to build up
this area within the borders of the former fortification complex of the Order (within the outer borders of
vorburg) and thus to manifest the urban planning genetic continuity of historical periods.
Height characteristics of the future building-up can be in a scale comparable to the previously existed
historical site. More exact parameters will be determined by the future function of the whole complex
of the building-up.
The most important aspect is the designation (the purpose) of the future silhouette and compositional
dominant of the complex. It is impossible to underestimate the factors of the existing town planning
environment affecting this area – a high-rise building of the House of the Soviets, the hotel Kaliningrad
and the commercial centre Plaza.
Three facets: material, symbolic and ideal
(The main representative facade of the Order’s
castle)
While further developing (renovating, reviving
and regenerating) this area it is necessary to envisage the existence of “three castles” here,
three guises of a “public power-wielding body”.
The Underground castle – a castle hidden under
ground – with passages, “punctures” through the
mountain and other hidden transit traffic
through buildings and the body of the mountain.
(At the same time it serves as a metaphor for the
multi-branched network of legendary underground passages, which always exists both in the
symbols of the “mountain” and in the allegories
of “power” and with which the legends about
the Amber room in the castle cellars are associated.) The Aboveground castle which is a “visible
body” and for which one of the key tasks is to
“package” its functions in the utmost representative and up-to-date but not ponderous manner.
This is the task that shall be completed by “functional architecture”. The “Nonmaterial castle4”
(aboveground, image-bearing, ideal) which shall
be broadcasted on screens and in books as a
symbol or an image “covering” a memory appeal to the castle.
4
This «castle» will be a part of the medial environment as is the case with the Moscow Kremlin which is not entirely a part of it
but only a few of its canonical forms are.
- 27 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
Formula of the mountain: Korolevskaya gora → Castle→ Upper city.
Mountain morphology
Scheme 1. Terrain of the mountain area: the Order’s period (XIII - XV), Renaissance (XVI) and the Royal period
(XVII – early XIX) and rhythmic of links of the Upper and the Lower city.
Scheme 2. Dominants and four town planning frames with the main entrance node to the castle.
Scheme 3. Man-made (artificial) landscapes of Korolevskaya gora area.
Spaces and functions
Castle and “necklace” of squares. After the demolition of ramparts and backfilling of moats the Order’s
castle had been tightly built up around by urban housing and only from the north formerly the Order’s
territories were developed according to the internal needs of the Order rather than any town constitu-
- 28 -
tions, later the Duchy’s and the King’s needs until at the turn of the century these lands were transferred to the magistrate and used for the layout of the new Monetnaya square and the promenade
along Schloss-teich (Nizhniy prud). Everywhere from west and east, north and south the building-up
was adjoined right to the castle and it was “spaced” from the building-up by specifically created areas of
the square type. From the northeast – by Monetnaya square, from the east – by Zamkovaya square,
from the south- by Yuzhnaya square and Keiser Wilhelm square, from the west –by Zapadnaya terrace
and Gesekusplatz. Unexceptionally crossing of the Order’s Castle with the “node traffic” became manifested by the square which provided the castle with a ”middle ground” while a ”background” was secured by corner towers, the main tower and the main (southwestern) facade.
A different situation arose with the House of the Soviets. Technically it “reigned” alone on Korolevskaya
gora against the “democratic” declaration of its content. Its loneliness was secured by non-built up areas of the former Altstadt and Kneiphof from the south; by Tsentralnaya (Central) square that had never
been completed (but became an embodiment of the public space of forlornness) - from the west; by the
area of the cascade of fountains–from the east and by a smaller square before Shevchenko street and
spaciousness of Nizhneye lake - from the north. As a result spiritless loneliness came about instead of
magnificence.
According to different estimates a Castle inner courtyard (of about 700 sq.m. in area) could accommodate up to 1500 persons. Assuming that the castle embodied almost absolutist power (of the Order, the
Duchy and the King – functioning as a residence) the inner courtyard had a role of the ”main square”
space but not within the city but within the functions of the state or the ”city-royal-residence”. It was a
meeting point for the Authority and Estates and for this meeting an infrastructure was designed – a
”governmental bay window” with a balcony on the 3rd floor (accessed from the level of the Hall of Moskovites) from which the king greeted his servants.
In the Soviet design the function of the inner courtyard was split into two spaces: “vertical inner courtyard” of the House of the Soviets and the site of Tsentralnaya square. The function of holding the parades and demonstration had been also envisaged (designed) for which a pedestrian subway was built
to enable dispersing large masses of people, but neither the square nor the pedestrian subway had ever
been used. The square itself had been rather interpreted as a spacious public garden with fountains and
benches across which many Soviet clerks would have hurried to the House of the Soviets: this is clearly
evidenced by the concept of equipping the square with fountains. Thus no places with a “forum function” had been designed in Kaliningrad (the place for demonstrations and parade that ploschad Pobedy
(Victory square) has been until the anniversary of Kaliningrad in 2005 shall not be considered by us as
such a “platz” for demonstrations and parades). Inside of the House of the Soviets itself a spacious multifunctional hall was designed and together with the lobby it was that one “Soviet forum” under roof.
Today when there is a demand from oblast and city authorities for ceremonial representative events
with capacity from 600 (including buffet) up to 1.5 thousand (excluding buffet) people, the sites for rent
are the halls of Dom Iskusstv (House of Arts), Dramteatr (Drama Theatre) or a sport complex “Yunost”
which are unfit for these purposes and outdated in representative and technological terms.
Section 3. Expert proposals
3.1. Altstadt
Considering the criteria (historical area-city, touristic meta-site, potentially incorporating touristic flows;
riverside location, abundance of historical sites) we propose to use here the principal of the “polyphony
of the historical centre functions”. It shall have the following functions in significant proportions: smallscale retailing, cultural and social facilities, apartments, commercial agencies, specific accommodation
types (studios); hotels, offices, parking, cultural and museum function, gift shops, yacht mooring function, craft and art workshops, public catering of all kinds.
- 29 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
SCHEME OF REGENERATION STAGES
ВГ -Eastern city border
Гм - Mill mountain
ЗГ
-Western city border
Лп1 - Grand staircase 1
МД -Wooden bridge
МстД -Old Wooden bridge
МК -Blacksmith bridge
МЛ -Merchant’s bridge
МС
-Cathedral bridge
ПлА
ПлВ
РА
Рарх
Т1, T2
Фз
Кв1-23
R
-Altstadt square
-Wilhelm’s square
-Altstadt Town Hall
-Sites of archaeological excavations
-Terraces 1 and 2 of the Castle mountain
-Front corner façade of the Castle
-Blocks 1-23
-Complementary blocks
Stage 1.
1.1. Restoration of the Blacksmith Bridge (МК) with the little house by the bridge.
1.2. Target archaeological excavations on sites:
1.2.1.РархПЛ
1.2.2.РархБ
1.2.3.РархШ
1.2.4.РА
Defining the destiny of each site inspected.
1.3. Restoration of Altstadt waterfront: blocks Кв1, Кв2, Кв3, Кв4. Development of Rybnaya naberezhnaya (Fish embankment) (formerly Fish market) and mooring places.
2
In parallel to Stage 1: the elevation levels of Moskovskiy prospect shall be lowered (or Moskovskiy
prospect shall be covered with a slab on top) and historical vertical levels of Altstadt shall be restored in the fragment allowing for the restoration of the district in accordance with its principles.
3
Altstadt market (square) + commercial blocks Кв12, Кв13, Кв20 and Кв21 shall be restored. Residential, commercial and office blocks “Three citizens” Кв8, Кв9 and Кв10 shall be built. Transport blocks
Кв13 and Кв14 and water blocks Кв5 and Кв6, «borderline» blocks Кв16, Кв17, Кв18 and Кв19 shall
be built.
4
Merchant’s Bridge (МЛ) shall be restored. Estakadnyi most (Overhead Bridge) shall be dismantled.
The remaining block configurations shall be built in the former block dimensions according to the
principles specified in the Expert proposal (see above) except for the complementary territories R,
the destiny of which shall be solved depending on the current situation. The height of buildings shall
correspond to the dimensions of a historical block.
Altstadt as a fragment of the “Medieval core”
- 30 -

As an element of the general regulations for the «Medieval core» it is encouraged to restore
a historical built-up area not only according to the 30s-40s of the 20th century but also according to an earlier period down to architecturally stylized but technologically authentic
replicas of the medieval structures (for example taken from Gdansk, Olsztyn, Lubeck etc.).

It is recommended to restore old house-marks for all building structures within the area of
the “medieval core” consistently with the personal history of these buildings. In case the oldtime arrangement of narrow blocked facades is replicated on the remaining areas of Altstadt and manifested in new materials and architecture, we recommend “inventing” housemarks for the majority of houses. These are the blocks of Waterfront + Altstadt market +
Northern façade of Altstadt.

To reconstruct the fragment of the Waterfront, the blocks Кв1, Кв2 and Кв3 using old technologies (brick, fachwerk, lime as a binding mortar and others) and by retaining authenticity
of historical materials, facades and dimensions with a different interior layout if necessary.

In place of the two old bridges on the embankments - the old Wooden bridge (МстД) and
Cathedral bridge (MC) to mark historical cross-sections and install commemorative plaques
and quotations in place of “МстД” (as it was done in the vicinity of the historical bridge,
please see the historical background “Lomse”) and other quotations from the same work to
be arranged in place of MC.

Toponymy. Pereulok Sviatogo Dukha, Altstadt Dolgaya street, Melochnikov street, Kant
street, Hamann street, Bannaya street, Kuznechnaya street – these and other names and
toponyms (Monastyrskiy dwor (Monastery courtyard), Melnichnyi kholm (Mill’s hill) and
etc.) shall be brought back to their sites when restoring the urban fabric of Altstadt. Therewith a question regarding any modifications of toponyms “Derevyannaya, Drovyanaya or
Drevesnaya ulitsa (Wooden, Wood or Timbered street) shall be solved on an individual basis.

«City clothing» - paving, benches, curbs, lamps etc. in the area of the “Medieval core” shall
differ from those in other parts of this area. They shall be more “personal” in the direction
of authentic stylization: modern replicas of their ancient counterparts from Gdansk-ElblagLubeck.
Common element with Kneiphof. To restore the Blacksmith Bridge (MK). Due to the replacement of a
hydraulic mechanism with an electric one a house for the turning machinery shall be functionally
adapted for an art-residence or for “mooring bureau” (for example, “Marina Altstadt”).
To restore the Waterfront of Altstadt in the following scope:
o
To restore the blocks Кв1, Кв2 and Кв3 by retaining the authenticity of historical materials, facades and sizes with a different internal layout if necessary.
o
The blocks Кв4, Кв5 and Кв6 to be built in the proportion of 50:50, i.e. the scale and the
fabric of the historical development shall be retained but 50% of buildings shall be restored with preserved authenticity of historical materials, facades and dimensions (if
necessary with a different internal layout) while another 50% shall represent new architectural concepts of “buildings by the water” built using new materials but at the historical height of cornices and ridges as well as with retained historical structural properties.
To reconstruct Altstadt Town Hall (РА) with preserved authenticity of historical materials, facades and
dimensions but if necessary with a different interior layout. Functions: a museum of Altstadt: to bring
here all artifacts of a museum’s value found during historical excavations and construction.
To restore Altstadt market (Ratuschnaya ploschad – Town Hall square) with preserved dimensions, paving and front facades (the façade perimeter overlooking Altstadt market) (ПлА + Кв12 + Кв13 + Кв20 +
Кв21 with historical facades, overlooking a square and a terrace (by Кв20 and Кв21)). Materials shall be
historical; block dimensions, the height of the ridge and the cornice shall be preserved. Planning shall be
adapted to the new functions which shall be, for the most part, commercial (the first two floors) and
bureaus or studios (other floors).
- 31 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
Common element with Korolevskaya gora. To distinguish a compositional tandem (an ensemble) «Altstadt market (Town hall square) + Southern terrace of the castle» (ПлА + Т1) as an architectural and
town planning ensemble with its restrictions aimed at the restoration of this composition. This means
that in case of any (political and architectural) decision taken with regard to the restoration of the castle
it is necessary to build a southern terrace near a building on Korolevskaya gora, and the node at this
place shall have a fundamental formula “A junction of two vertical long spaces, one of which shall be the
terrace of Korolevskaya gora and another one – an Altstadt square (Rynochnaya –Market) restored with
proper dimensions”.
Common element with Korolevskaya gora. To distinguish a node “Wilhelm’s square + front corner façade of the castle” (ПлВ + Фз) as an architectural and town planning ensemble with its restrictions
aimed at the restoration of this composition. This means that in case of any (political and architectural)
decision taken with regard to the restoration of the castle the city node at this place shall have a fundamental formula: “Front corner façade of the Main building of the city (region) + a solemn square in neoclassical style”.
Common element with Korolevskaya gora. An intermediate element between “the Upper and the
Lower” city, between the site of the castle and the site of the House of the Soviets, between the
“aboveground castle and the underground castle”, requiring a special design concept in the zones of
“Zamkovaya gora (Castle mountain) and the area of the Order’s possessions + Altstadt” was designated
as “Kuznechnaya grand staircase” (Лп). (Here was a place of Kuznechnaya street leading from the castle
down across Altstadt to Kuznechnyi most (Blacksmith bridge)). This transitional element was proposed
by many participants of the Workshop. It shall begin on Korolevskaya gora as an element of the through
transit route from Nizhneye Lake to Kneiphof. On the passageway “mountain/Altstadt” it is supposed to
be in the form of the grand staircase; on the passageway “Upper Altstadt/Blacksmith bridge” it is supposed to be in the form of the succession of galleries stretching through different buildings along Kuznechnaya street down to Blacksmith bridge – so that a pedestrian could get from the Upper Altstadt to
the bridge and nearly avoid getting out in the rain.

To restore the housing blocks “Three citizens” (Three Eastern Blocks) (Кв9, Кв10 and Кв11)
in an “integrated” concept” – in all times they have existed as a “triple alliance” and therefore we propose to design them as a “triple composition” under any forms. Southern facades of these blocks shall be reproduced in a historical form to bring about the effect of a
“historical section of the street”.

To build the northern front line of Altstadt (northern facades of the blocks Кв20, 21 and 22)
facing the Southern terrace of the castle (Т1) with regard to the height of historical blocks
and with a 50:50 ratio between historical and modern facades.

Common element with Korolevskaya gora. The eastern border (sub-zone ВГ) of the historic
area of Altstadt is proposed to be restored as non-standard development blocks Кв7 and
Кв16 (+РархЛ) and a spatial concept of the zone of Melnichnye vorota (Mill’s Gate) (М)
(please see section “Korolevskaya gora and the Order’s possessory estates”). We have
agreed with one of the options for this area elaborated at the Workshop and as one of
through elements “sewing together” this subzone into a single pattern (and linking the Upper city with the river) we propose to design such an architectural and town planning concept that would enable a through (gallery-like) pedestrian and “water” transit from the Upper city to Pregolya. Thus, we would repeat the trajectory of the ancient streams Koshachiy
and Löbebach while partially supporting the fundamental idea of the combination of the
House of the Soviets water cascades with the Grand staircase-2.

The blocks Кв19, Кв18, Кв17 and Кв16 are proposed to be restored within the former height
scale and overall dimensions and new architectural concepts but with regard to their interaction with the Upper city (through the design idea of the Workshop – terraces Т2 and staircases Лп1, subzones of ВГ and Melnichnyi holm (Mill’s hill)).

The blocks on the west of Altstadt (R) are proposed to be reserved – depending on the traffic situation after dismantling of the overhead bridge and restoration of the Merchant’s
- 32 -
Bridge. The architecture shall be new; the size of the blocks and the height of a ridge and a
cornice shall be historical.
3.2. Löbenicht
Expert proposals and regeneration stages
When reconstructing the complex of Soviet buildings with the building of the department store “Moskovskiy” at the top, on the site of the former church we propose to restore a panoramic composition
with a vertical dominant in one material manifestation or another.
Stage 1.
a. To conduct archaeological excavations (АрхМ) of the foundations of the Benedictine
convent (Löbenicht hospital) and Löbenicht gymnasium (АрхГ) on Hamann street. The
destiny of findings needs to be determined after the completion of excavations.
b.
At the same time to restore the navy motor boat standing as a statue to turn it into a
museum vessel to be handed over to the Museum of the World Ocean to the Historical Fleet
Embankment in the same way as it had happened to the combatant submarine. The riverside
fragment from the Wooden Bridge to the last 9-storey building shall be used to lay out the embankment to be named after the philosopher Hamann.
- 33 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
SCHEME OF REGENERATION STAGES
Б1,Б2
Кв1-10
МД
МстД
ММ
Оз
ПлЛ
РархГ
РархМ
Сг
Сп
- Towers 1 and 2
- Blocks 1-10
- Wooden Bridge
- Old Wooden Bridge
- Honey bridge
- Green island
- Lime tree square
- Hamann Gymnasium
- Benedictine Convent
- New Synagogue
- Orphanage
c.
Stage 2. To unify two banks of the New Pregolya river further east of the Wooden Bridge, two
embankments and the built up area situated across the river into a single compositional idea.
The embankment of Pregolya from the Wooden Bridge to the 9-storey building on Moskovskiy
prospect (Hamann embankment (street)) “in a tandem” with the embankment Lomsenskaya
(Lomse) and three building blocks are proposed to be developed as a general composition “Five
riverside blocks of Lomse/Three blocks of Löbenicht” with the preservation of the block ideology. The height of the blocks can be 5 levels (according to the proposals put forward at the Workshop). Three blocks Кв8, Кв9 and Кв10 are proposed to be built with a typical architectural element used to be applied on Löbenicht nearby – at Luther street: high-rise bay windows facing
the water and starting from the height of 2-3 floors. The functions of these three blocks shall be
hospitality, social, residential (on the upper floors), offices (on the upper floors), gallery (in case
the Art Gallery will be removed from the old building at Moskovskiy prospect); the first two
floors shall be for commerce, catering and consumer services. The corner of the building opening to the Wooden Bridge shall be designed with a tower (the indirect replication of tower Б2).
The architecture of the three blocks shall be modern, devoid of historicism, responding to the
river, the embankment and three other buildings on the opposite bank. It is proposed to take a
tandem “courts of honor/bay windows” as a planning principle for the building-up of these two
banks and to make this principle as a common rule for this node: bay windows for Löbenicht
- 34 -
part, courts of honor – for Lomse. The exits of crosscutting streets to the river (”airways”) are
proposed to be made in the locations of historical streets. The streets (lanes) shall be named using the topography of Löbenicht.
In case the excavated elements found on the site of Benedictine convent (АрхМ) and Löbenicht
gymnasium (АрхГ) are found valuable they shall be included in the current designing concept of
the blocks Кв10 and Кв8 respectively.
3.3. Lastadie
This historical zone is proposed to be assigned a basic function of the main river port (node) for tourism and pleasure of Kaliningrad city and of the river touristic zone.
On Lastadie it is proposed to restore the function of a mooring embankment and to reconstruct a former unloading (Speicher) square Пл2, built up around on all sides by timber-frame blocks Кв2, Кв3 and
Кв4. These three blocks are proposed to be restored in the following manner: Кв2 – to be restored by
using old materials and shapes and by adjusting an internal layout to new functions. Two other blocks
(Кв3 and Кв4) shall be built in the ratio of 50:50 «old timber-framing/new timber-framing», i.e. a new
one shall be completed by using new materials but an old measuring scale with the preserved style of
exposing the “interior design” outside. The square shall be paved with setts (or genuine setts shall be
retrieved from under asphalt).
The archaeological excavations Арх2 shall be arranged from the north on the territories of Lastadien Tor
(Lastadien Gate) and Pfeifen-turm (Tower). Based on findings from the excavations it is necessary to
determine a further destiny of this area and the excavated items. An optimum option would be to reconstruct a characteristic Pfeifer-tower in order to strengthen a historical image of this district.
Sportivnaya ploschad (Sport Square) Пл3 that would be formed between the facades of the sport complex Yunost, the swimming pool and the block Кв3 shall be paved so that paving would demonstrate in
different colors and materials (paving tile, different cobblestone and sett) the developed spots of this
area as of 1940. Probably, a housing block Кв3 shall be elevated “on pilotis” for the unification of
squares or service areas with transit corridors (café, small shops, gift shops) shall be located there.
3.4. Korolevskaya gora
Allocation of functions (hypothesis)
This section comprises a collection of proposals on functions which have been articulated during discussions of the subject held at the Council on Culture of the Governor of Kaliningrad region, in mass media
and in an expert community in the course of different consultations over the past 10 years.
−
Covered space of the congress hall that can host Christmas tree parties for kids, international
trade exhibitions and different fashionable show and events intended for a large number of
people. The number of floors at the House of the Soviets shall be decreased and a hotel of Hilton class shall be placed on the site between the House of the Soviets and the Wedding Palace.
(International architectural exhibition-biennale”Monument”, competition project, I. Shelepov, 2002)
−
European Commercial Centre (on the site of the castle and the House of the Soviets), that shall
become a promoter of political development and business and a place for different kinds of
events. It could house the General Consulate of the EU or offices of the European economic unions.
(Project by German students. Institute of Theory and Design in Architecture (IGE) Germany, 2004)
−
… to develop a poly-functional fabric of the city while implementing the functions of federal, regional and municipal scale, providing conditions for the creation of unique sites in a dialogue
with different social groups and city community associations; the 3rd site is the area of the for-
- 35 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
mer Castle mountain: its purpose – predominating function - is culture and leisure, exhibition,
all-purpose rooms, hotels, museums (the site of culture, leisure, science and education). The
land area between the House of the Soviets and the Wedding Palace: stylistics is a complex of
modern buildings.
(From summary materials of the International symposium «Kaliningrad: visions of the Future. Urban development of the city centre» (2005) and the international project workshop (WORKSHOP) «Prospects
of development of the Central Part of the City of Kaliningrad» (2007))
−
Commercial and office mono-function.
(Project of the Commercial and office centre “House of the Soviets”, OOO ”MOLL kontsept”, 2006)
−
Music theatre with developed public spaces
(Competition Project of the Music theatre, 2007)
−
Restoration of the Castle and business office “City” of high-rise building-up
(A. Bashin’s projects, 2005-2008)
−
Castle and Korolevskaya gora Museum.
−
Multifunctional Congress Hall combined with a concert hall for 1,5 thousand people. (A roofedin forum of a module type with a possibility to expand/reduce useful areas).
−
Public civil complex, International Congress-Hall, Art Gallery, House of the Soviets – business office centre.
(Project “Architectural and Urban Planning Concept of Development of the Kaliningrad Historical Centre” Project. The International Competition of Architecture and Design «Eurasian Award 2011», 2nd
place nomination “Urban planning and urbanism”, Yekaterinburg. NW Architecture Agency (Y. Zabuga,
O. Vasjutin))
−
Governmental buildings (regular location of the Kaliningrad Region government)
−
Representative part of the complex of governmental buildings – for solemn events (assuming
that daily operations of Kaliningrad Region Government are in another place)
−
Historical and cultural archaeological complex “Royal castle”+ House of the Soviets+ Public civil
and museum complex “Museum quarter” (Art museum, Centre “Hermitage”, Gipsoteca of Kaliningrad-Königsberg”, Public civil and cultural forum, congress-centre, library/media library).
−
Concept of “District of culture”: “Museum mountain” – “Museum quarter” – “Museum square”
– “Museum street”. The possibility to create a brand: Korolevskaya gora (the King’s mountain) –
Mountain of Culture – City of Culture.
Presentation at the Council on Culture “Art Museum of Kaliningrad Region on the basis of Art Gallery“ O.
Vasjutin, G. Zabolotskaya, 2012
−
Place for exhibiting the Cabinet of Friedrich ( museum and representative function)
−
Trade fair and festival function and the function of mass political events 2005-2013
−
Main fan zone for FIFA World Cup 2018
- 36 -
3.5. Front Steindamm and Nikolskiy public garden
Status and function in the urban fabric. After changing the traffic scheme (please see Stage 2) we propose to give back a historical status of the “principal business thoroughfare of the city” to Front Steindamm, i.e. to change the ideology of the place, to make it a historical and touristic shopping (gallery) pedestrian street with a memorial public garden as well as to promote the development of “luxury and
fashionableness” in this area.
Stage 1.
a. Kopernika street: to be historically paved, by using setts and block pattern. To return
public life and consumer service business to the ground floors and thus to restore the
function of historical blocks – providing the dense public life on the ground floors (consumer services). To renovate or to make appropriate repairs (by “complete renovation”)
(see Dm. Sukhin) of the historical buildings Д1-Д4. If necessary, to introduce regulations
for refurbishment and operation of historical buildings with a new form of the protection agreement to be elaborated on an individual basis.
b. To solve a problem of a missing corner building (Kopernika street and Zhitomirskaya
street)
c. Archaeology. To conduct archaeological excavations of the foundation of the medieval
Steindamm Gate. To determine the destiny of the remains with regard to the value of
remaining building materials after excavations. We propose to preserve the fragments
as a historical element of the urban landscape. The best option would be to use fragments while laying out or designing the pedestrian traffic zone between the Lower and
the Upper city (Zhitomirskaya street and Moskovskiy prospect –Altstadt).
d. Archaeology. To conduct archaeological excavations of the foundation of St. Nicholas
Church. To determine the destiny of remains with regard to the value of remaining
building materials after excavations. The best option would be to preserve a part of the
open basements (foundations) of the Church and to include them in the interior of the
pedestrian crossing across Leninskiy prospect in the vicinity of the former church (please
see Stage 2) or to make them as a historical landscape element of the new Nikolskiy
public garden.
e. To conduct archaeological excavations of the foundation of New Altstadt Church. To
determine the destiny of remains with regard to the value of remaining building materials after excavations. An optimum option would be to make them a historical landscape
element of a new Nikolskiy public garden (please see stage 2).
- 37 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
SCHEME OF REGENERATION STAGES AND MODES
Б1
-Tower 1
Д1-5 -Houses 1-5
Кв1-4 -Blocks 1-4
ПП -Underpass
ПТр -Underground vehicular transit
Р
-Underground parking
РархА -New Altstadt Church
РархВ -Steindamm Gate
РархН -St. Nicholas Church
СкН -St.Nicholas public garden
Area of the Stage 2 territories: 27 800 sq.m.
Stage 2.
a. Traffic scheme. A historical node of Front Steindamm as a “gate between the Lower and
the Upper city” shall have a modern translation. We propose to separate pedestrian and
vehicular traffic by levels with a developed consolidated network of underground parking lots and passages.
b. Roofed-in commercial galleries “Steindamm”. To expand pedestrian traffic from
Leninskiy prospect towards Moskovskiy prospect along Zhitomirskaya street, to reconstruct historical paving of the same broadness and configuration; to refurbish residential
buildings of Khrushchev times (Кв1-Кв4) and convert them into commercial galleries by
retaining the historical size of blocks and small roads between them on the section “Zhitomirskaya/Saltykova-Schedrina” and “Zhitomirskaya 2-8/Wagnera 2-8”. In other words
it is proposed to rearrange and merge scattered houses into block complexes with consumer services on the ground floors and accommodation on the others. Gallery shall
- 38 -
have modern architecture. The height and dimensions of historical blocks shall be 4-5
levels. A remarkable historical turret (Б1) or another corner emphasis (in modern shapes
and materials) shall be made at the corner of Wagner/Zhitomirskaya street. Antiquity
shall be placed in this novelty with the help of dimensions, objects, a material, a function and richness of plasticity of the new architecture.
c. Kopernika street: Krushchev-building (Д5) at Kopernika street 8-10 shall be reconstructed based on neighboring historical buildings.
d. Nikolskiy public garden: recreational, symbolic and touristic place. A meaningful symbolic loading “remaining from two churches” shall be transferred to a public garden in
the vicinity of the bank and its design shall be reconsidered. With this aim the public
garden opposite of the today’s building of Investbank shall be given the name “Nikolskiy” (СкН, named after the ancient church that has existed here once), redesigned and
included as an element of the common pedestrian zone of Front Steindamm. After excavations of St. Nicholas and New Altstadt churches it will be also possible to discover
“Brusov’s bunker” and “Alfred Rhode’s key” here. An option is to museumify the church
basements by making entrances from the side of the public garden. Under the public
garden an underground parking (P) shall be arranged.
e. Underpass. An underpass shall be built from Nikolskiy public garden across Leninskiy
prospect. It will be partially linked to the basements of the church or the Brusov’s bunker as an archaeological and museum object. A possibility for two archaeological sites
(St. Nicholas church and New Altstadt church) to be incorporated in the interiors of the
underpass shall be considered.
- 39 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
3.6. Paradeplatz (Parade Square) \University Square
0
Preparatory stage. To distinguish a territory of the former Paradeplatz as a separate cadastral
plot and grant it the status of a square.
1
Stage. To make a new design of the University square based on Stüler’s design in which a green
regular parterre (in front of the building of the university) shall be restored with a center at the
focus of the composition. To restore a university gallery and a decorative design of the facade
of the University building as they was before. To build a walkway (an alley) of trees around the
periphery of the University square according to the principle set forth by Stüler.
2
Stage. To restore principal dimensions and façade lines of the old Paradeplatz with a partial restoration of old facades and demolition of five-storey buildings of the Soviet period. On the site
of five-storey buildings modern public buildings with representative facades facing the square
shall be built.
3
Stage. To restore links of Paradeplatz to the land area of the castle and to narrow down an appropriate development range from the side of Nizhniy Pond.
3.7. Nizhneye Lake
1
Stage.
a. Archaeology: Burgkirche. Foundations of the church (РархБ) shall be surveyed by archaeologists. A conclusion on further use shall be made after archaeological excavations. As a minimum in case of development of this area with large public facilities - the
basements and foundations of the church shall be integrated into a new building or a
landscape (please see Stage 2).
b. Hotel Bellevue. Reproduction of the hotel on the historical site and improvement of the
adjacent promenade.
c. A «City part» of the lake as a future landscape park, adjacent areas and embankments.
- 40 -
SCHEME OF REGENERATION STAGES AND MODES
BK
-Waterfall
Koм - Commandant’s office
М1
- Bridge 1
ММз - Museum Bridge
МУ
- University Bridge
ПлМ - Monetnaya Square
ПТ
- Pedestrian transit
РархБ - Burgkirche
i.
To identify the park area borders of a landscape park and separate it from the
“outer” development and adjacent areas, including the water surface itself. To assign a status of the city landscape park (or a similar one, for example, a historical
landscape area) to this part of the lake. A lakeside building-up shall be prohibited
except for reproduction of old buildings (a hotel Bellevue), terraces and light
structures – pavilions and bridges.
ii.
To develop a concept of the park and thereafter to hold a competition for the design of lakeside amenities and embankment development within the landscape
park layout (landscape area). The scope of the competition shall include the tasks
for individual lakeside facilities (fencing, view sites, garden-houses, etc) with
mooring embankments for pleasure and rowing boats; a rowing club with a shore
- 41 – Appendix 2 to Terms of Reference for International Competition “Concept of development of the historical part of Kaliningrad city core”
base to be established by the University here (as an option for the repetition of a
historical tradition. No ready-made catalogue solutions shall be applied. Two
bridges situated in the “City part” of the lake (ММз and М1) shall be also included
in the competition: they shall be designed not as architectural but as engineering
structures and not in a park but urban style. A bridge without a name shall be
given a “landscape” name (following the selection of an architectural concept).
2
Stage.
a. A «castle part» of the lake and adjacent lands and embankments (from Monetnaya
square (ПлМ) to the bridge Schlossteichbrucke, at present University Bridge (МУ)) shall
have a different character than the “City’s” one. As an option, the built-up area of a
lakeside type with facades facing the embankment and with social and recreational
functions on the ground floors shall be restored by taking into account that historically
there were 4-5 floors with lodging on the upper floors. To accomplish this, a competition shall be conducted for the integrated landscaping concept of the development of
this part of the lake banks with due account for a promenade to be accentuated, the
construction of catering places, terraces, boat station and improvement elements
(benches, urns, gratings) and other elements of the historical area design. At the same
time the University Bridge (former Schlossteichbrucke) shall be redesigned and made
not as an engineering but as an architectural structure with a “city character” – including the design of gratings, lamps, etc. As an option it is also possible to hold public hearing on the competition works dated 1908 (please see page 69), to select the winning option and to build it as a “gesture of memory”. Since the name of the bridge has been
nearly missing in the citizens’ daily use the bridge shall be renamed (an alternative could
be a Castle Bridge).
b. Traffic scheme. Shevchenko street. Based on the workshop materials and competition
works on Music theatre we propose to divide the vehicular and pedestrian traffic into
levels by using all principles of the underground development of this part of
Korolevskaya gora area and routing the pedestrian traffic from Nizhniy Pond to Altstadt.
c. Ensemble of Monetnaya square. The node of the former Monetnaya square shall be
designed together with Korolevskaya gora and herewith it is necessary to take into account the necessity to: a) create an ensemble complex at this node (the node shall be
designed as an urban planning and landscape ensemble), b) continue a promenade of
the “lower” – through mountain - pedestrian traffic to the southern side of Korolevskaya
gora (a proposal that was articulated by many participants of the international workshop). This node shall be included either in a separate competition to be announced or
in a competition assignment for Korolevskaya gora as a half-autonomous (linking) project node.
d. New bridges across Nizhniy Pond shall be designed and constructed to provide various
opportunities for pedestrian traffic along and across Nizhniy Pond.
Sites of a separate archaeological interest for potential museumification or reconstruction
This register lists the sites that shall be subject to preventive archaeological surveys. For other programme sites and areas archaeological surveys are carried out before the project development of historical areas is commenced.
o
Foundations of Steindamm Gate and towers of Altstadt city wall in the area of
Gesekusplatz and Rollberg. To be preserved and included in the urban public landscape.
o
Site of the Old Cathedral on Altstadt: to be subject to archaeological surveys. A conclusion regarding further utilization shall result from archaeological excavations.
- 42 -
o
Site of the old Benedictine convent (later a hospital) in Löbenicht and Löbenicht gymnasium: to be subject to archaeological surveys. In case any significant historical building
material is found it shall be subject to preservation and incorporation into the body
(space) of a new building to be designed at this place.
o
Foundations of Pfeifen-tower and Lastadien Gate: to be subject to archaeological surveys. . A conclusion regarding further utilization shall result from archaeological excavations. In a favorable archaeological situation a fragment of the complex shall be used either for a partial reproduction in order to be included in the city public landscape or for
a full reproduction (Pfeifen-tower) in order to strengthen historical individualization for
this section of the embankment.
o
Foundations of Burgkirche: to be subject to archaeological surveys. A conclusion regarding further utilization shall result from archaeological excavations. A minimum option is to integrate the retained historical building mass into a new building or a landscape.
The items listed separately are:
o
Foundations of Altstadt Town Hall: to be subject to archaeological surveys and subsequent recreation with the facades as of the mid 20th century, including modern layouts.
In case any significant historical building material is found it shall be subject to preservation and incorporation into the body (space) of a building to be refurbished.
Subzone (and intra-zone) linkages



Historical bridges:
o
Kuznechnyi and Lavochnyi
o
Potrokhovyi and Zelenyi
o
Schlossteich Bridge
Compositional historical and classical ensembles:
o
«Wilhelm’s square + Parade corner of the Castle»;
o
«Altstadt market + Southern terrace of the Castle»;
o
«Monetnaya square»;
New linking elements:
o
Underpass “Front Steindamm-Paradeplatz” (via Sovetskiy prospect in the area of the present TC “Merkuryi”;
o
Staircase node “Front Steindamm +Alstadt” or “Rollberg + tower Laak”;
o
Staircase node Лп1 (connects the Lower and the Upper city as well as the area of the
Castle with the area of the House of the Soviets)
o
Melnichnyi hill and the cascade of fountains near the House of the Soviets.