LOCATION
Tyumen, Russia
DATE
2020
SIZE
7.5 ha
TYPE
Masterplan Comission
STATUS
Ongoing project
CLIENT
Brusnika
PROJECT TEAM
Patrick Verhoeven, Martin Arfalk, Danny Bridson, Francesca Savio, Konstantin Miroshnychenko, Manon Otto.
COLLABORATORS
Brusnika
A masterplan for the redevelopment of a Siberian port on the bank of the River Tura.
Tyumen River Port
Tyumen’s River Port is a fantastic opportunity for the City. Lying in the lowlands alongside the Tyumen’s largest River - the Tura - the area represents an opportunity to connect the urban fabric of the City with its most prominent landscape element.
Over the last few years, the City of Tyumen has made efforts to improve its relationship with the river, with the construction of the public embankment project just north of the city centre. The embankment creates a new frontside for a city that has turned its back on the river. The River Port can learn from this, and embrace the river with its urban form and public space, creating a synergy between its buildings, spaces, and natural landscape. Like two friends meeting again after many years, here the City and river can meet, and benefit from each other. The design of the district is organised around a set of principles that will maximise this synergy.
Open, Porous & Connected
The River Port Phase II is opened up with linear connections that create frequent and short public access to the River Tura. The most important and prominent of the connections extend existing public space corridors all the way to the water and are brought to life with active ground floors, generous public spaces, and landmarks on the water’s edge.
A Riverfront Sequence
The opening up of the River Port fills a gap in the east-west connection of the riverbank. From the east the natural riverbank is pulled into the site, colliding with the robust industrial quay from the east. The walk along the 700-metre riverfront is broken down into a series of experiences and scales, with the architecture and public space responding to the context and opportunities along the banks. Landmark moments like the Albrecht Crane and hanging balcony, lookout tower, and river steps allow people to experience and celebrate the River in new ways.
Industrial at Heart
The spatial planning, public space design and architecture of the area is inspired by the site’s industrial charms and spatial qualities. The surfaces of the port, the key public spaces, are kept open and generous, and elements of the site’s history are integrated into the spaces. Warehouse buildings, cranes, railway tracks, industrial elements, and preserved quay walls retain a sense of place and identity for the new urban district.
Designing from context
The new urban structure follows a set of clear spatial logics that integrate the site into its context and establish clear principles for the continued development of the river port area.
Industrial and iconic crane skyline
Today, the river port is closed off to the public and inhabited with warehouses contrasted by the vertical rhythm of the cranes. It forms a memorable industrial skyline along the riverbank.
Learning from the past
The transformed urban district will open up the riverfront and create a new skyline that is inspired by its industrial past.
The River Port
Phase II of the River Port is rich with industrial landmarks, textures, views, experiences and qualities. By orientating the blocks and streets towards the river these qualities can be enhanced and celebrated.
Preserving the industrial quay
The surfaces and textures of the public spaces are directly inspired by the qualities of the site, picking up the scale, roughness and architectural diversity of the existing River Port. New materials create a layered patchwork on the industrial quay, bringing robust, functional and low maintenance public spaces to the waterfront.
Riverfront Sequence
The edge of the riverfront is broken down into a sequence of public spaces that respond to the context and position in the plan. Architecture and public space work together to introduce a mix of scales, function, program, and character.
River Links
Clear links connect the city behind to the riverfront. Industrially inspired public space landmarks mark the intersections between the links and riverfront. Each invites a different way to interact with the water.
Cultural Quay
Lookout tower
Industrial Quay
Hanging crane balcony
Natural Riverfront
River steps
River living
The buildings embrace their position on the river, providing waterfront views to as many as possible. Their orientation and massing maximises sunlight access into the courtyards and quay.
Life in the green valley
The volumes of the building step back inside the courtyards to create an airy and light social space. Ground floor entrances, terraces, balconies, playgrounds, and seating areas activate
Diverse & Modular
The masterplan is developed using a modular architectural system. The massing and selection of typologies are designed to introduce spatial and architectural diversity within an efficient construction framework.
Terraced block typologies
The housing blocks step down towards the water, bringing down the scale of the architecture at the water's edge. This has the added benefit of opening up views from behind.
