Kaliningrad Square

A monumental urban ensemble in support of Russia’s emerging civic identity

Seeking a strange balance between such distinct historical periods and architectural styles as modern and medieval, exemplified in Kaliningrad by the Brutalist House of Soviets and the ruins of the old medieval castle, our project proposes an urban “ensemble” that aims to reinstate the lost visual coherence, physical harmony, and civic meaning of the public square.

The new complex seeks to create an integral fragment, generating a diverse and unified skyline for the new city center. Consciously but without nostalgia, the design draws inspiration from the castle’s medieval outline, constituent elements, and eroding materiality to create a contemporary “open” fortress. Arranged around a monumental courtyard, the public square is flanked by “pillars” and “minerals” on each corner — building masses with surfaces cladded in dark brick and grey stone. Conforming to and standing out from the context, the new ensemble is brutally articulate, monumentally idiosyncratic, and mysteriously powerful.