New Holland

Rotterdam, February 8, 2006 - Erick van Egeraat associated architects is one of the leading candidates for the design of the development of New Holland Island in St. Petersburg. This competition is an initiative of the city of St. Petersburg and the Swedish-Russian investment company, Russian Real Estate Investment Company (Ruric), the financial partner of EEA.
The site on New Holland Island was originally built as a shipyard during the reign of Peter the Great. It is located in the western part of the historic center of St. Petersburg. Water canals surround the entire island and are connected to a central basin, which creates an inner port surrounded by historic buildings. The oldest and most interesting historical buildings are wood-drying warehouses built of brick, the central basin, and the original jail - a remarkable round-shaped building. These structures are to be preserved and revitalized with a diverse program.
Due to its exceptional strategic location within the cultural and historical center of St. Petersburg (the State Hermitage Museum, the Admiralty building, St. Isaac's Cathedral, and the Mariinsky Theatre), the design emphasizes the cultural and entertainment use of the island. The site will become a new destination for contemporary international culture and entertainment in St. Petersburg, offering space for large open-air concerts, festivals, social events, screenings, fashion shows, art installations, and performances.
The diversity of the program creates a multilayered dialogue between the new and the old. A new identity formed by three elements - icons / Palace of Festivals, Dutch Houses, Hotel / enhances the site's attractiveness. The atmosphere of the inner port is preserved, and the water basin becomes the center of the entire island. This central space serves as a connector of different functions and embodies the relationship between the past and the present. The buildings include a four-star and a five-star hotel, as well as the so-called Dutch Houses, which are a multifunctional commercial, residential, and entertainment complex. Their mass solution refers to the historic city houses characteristic of the Netherlands. Palace of Festivals - a flexible space designed for various cultural events. Under the entire complex, there are two levels of underground parking.