Objective: To design a cozy park near the walls of the Kolomna Kremlin, attractive for local residents and tourists. Preserve and emphasize the identity of the historic site.
Solution: To use elements and materials already existing in the environment to preserve the peculiarities of the historical place and the atmosphere of the county town.
It was important for architects to preserve the identity of the historical place when working with the small square near the walls of the Kremlin in Kolomna (a small Russian town located three hours of Moscow).
To emphasize the identity of the place, clinker bricks were used in the paving of the paths, projected from the bricks on the Kremlin wall. The shape of the wooden lamps for landscape lighting is copied from the elements of the Kremlin towers. Landscaping is becoming a characteristic feature of the new space: brick paving is gradually integrated into the fresh lawn, and the preserved mature trees provide comfortable shade. All newly planted plants are characteristic of the local ecosystem.
It was important to convey the “home” atmosphere typical for a small county town, so we kept the proportions of a person in proportion and used “warm” natural materials. In the evening, the space is transformed due to the spotlighting built into the paving. The square also has a scattering of lights to highlight the Kolomna Kremlin wall as a backdrop to the park.
Kolomna Kremlin Park
Design Firm: Basis Architectural Bureau
Location: Kolomna, Moscow region
Head of Basis: Ivan Okhapkin
Architects: Tatiana Kozlova, Alena Zakcharova, Olga Zolotko, Alina Podkopova, Monica Galstyan
Engineers: Svetlana Podoplelova, Dmitry Belostotsky, Sergey Kozlov
Images: Courtesy of Basis Architectural Bureau