Благоустройство территории Березуйского оврага в Калуге

Project contents

I. Context Analysis — location of the project area and its history — landscape and visual analysis of the site — the Stone Bridge — conclusions about the project site

II. Project proposal — concept of planning organisation of the territory — master plan — proposal for the organisation of the landscape and slopes — architectural objects: wooden bridges, pavilions, restoration of the Stone Bridge, new bathhouses on the old site

Kaluga is a city 160 km south-west of Moscow, located on the banks of the Oka River and its tributaries — Yachenka, Kaluzhka, Kiyovka. Berezuysky ravine — an area in the centre of Kaluga, which is a densely overgrown gully with trees.

This relief formed as a result of glacier melting, and later it became an important strategic object for the city: the ravine was the border of the Kaluga Kremlin and Zavershye, and later it divided the city into two parts.

Nowadays the ravine territory is not used in any way, and instead of the bathhouses and manor houses that once existed in the ravine there are chaotic self-buildings, and the Berezuya brook has been replaced by a storm water drainage system.

The project of the bridge was designed by architect Peter Romanovich Nikitin in the style of Russian classicism (1777–1780). The length of the structure is about 160 metres, height about 20 metres. The bridge is supported by 15 large stone arches, the central arches are made in 2 levels.

Advantages: — unique for the urban environment territory; — preserved monument of cultural heritage — the Stone Bridge; — location in the city centre; — presence of watercourses — Berezuy brook, Oka; history of the place.

Disadvantages: — Lack of connection with the town; — lack of a distinct function of the territory; chaotic self-buildings; — a large number of weedy, dry trees that hinder the view of the ravine; — polluted and partially piped Berezui brook.

Ways of solution: — clearing the gully of dry and weedy trees; — stream restoration; — strengthening of the banks; — creation of a park zone; — organising links with the city.

The first is the three arterial paths. They run through the entire ravine and set three parallel vectors to which organised descents from adjacent streets lead. Where the descents directly approach the three main axes, wooden bridges are provided to cross from one axis to the other. The final layer consists of pavilions located on both slopes of the ravine. Some of them are viewing platforms, some of them are closed pavilions where you can sit down and relax.

1 — tennis courts 2 — promenade 3 — shopping square 4 — ruins of Davingof baths (conservation) 5 — new baths 6 — small market square 7 — big market square

S of the projected territory = 10,2 ha S of the territory of the object of cultural heritage of federal significance ‘Stone Bridge’ = 6,56 ha Total length: metal ramps = 709,62 m wooden decks = 807,1 m stairs = 714,5 m

In the 19th and 20th centuries, wooden bridges and steep ladders were built across the stream in the ravine in several places. On the basis of these structures, a typology of wooden structures was created, which are responsible for the descent into the ravine and provide transverse connections between its slopes.