Kammennoostrovsky (Stone Island) Theatre Reconstruction
Project Awarded Gold Medal
Prof. Vladimir Ulitsky, Dr. Alexey Shahkin, and Dr. Michael Lisyuk
NPO “Georeconstruction”
Saint Petersburg, Russia
On 17-20 November, Leipziger Messe Exhibition Hall hosted its biennial Denkmal event — European Trade Fair for Conservation, Restoration and Old Building Renovation under the patronage of UNESCO. Out of 440 exhibited projects a gold medal was awarded to Kammennoostrovsky Theatre Reconstruction, currently being completed in St. Petersburg, whereby the theatre is upgraded to serve as the Second House of Tovstonogov Academic Drama Theatre.
The theatre was constructed as a wooden structure by Architect Shustov in 1828 and renovated by architect Kavos in 1843. Modern reconstruction of the theatre commenced three years ago.
The Theatre Overhaul Project implied provision of works sequence unique in international practice — whereby a new fully functional underground area had to be provided under the authentic historic timber superstructure, accompanied by its simultaneous restoration. The project featured the first implementation of the famous “top-down” construction method in its particular restoration modification: structural restoration of historic elements proceeded upwards, whereas the new underground areas were excavated downwards.
The chief designer for the project was Georeconstruction Institute, Corporate Member of ISSMGE (Director General — А.G.Shashkin, Scientific Advisor — Professor V.M.Ulitsky). The restoration design as such was delivered by Spetsprojektrestavratsiya Institute; Theatre Set Workshops Company (TDM) served as the designer of Stage Management Technologies. The General Contractor was “City Colours” Restoration Company, and the Subcontractor for the underground sections — Geoizol. The client was the St. Petersburg Directorate for the Preservation of Historic Monuments. Scientific and methodological supervision, as well as monitoring of design and restoration works, were provided by State Committee for Inspection and Historic Monument Preservation (KGIOP), headed by Director V.A. Dementieva and Deputy Director I.L. Grishin.
The chief designer was given a seemingly insuperable task: how it would be possible to house new stage management equipment, set storage areas, state-of-the-art noise-free air conditioning rooms serving the main auditorium, wardrobes, foyers, and cafes for the attending public in a building which had been constructed as a summer-time (unheated) structure. Neither adjoining new structures nor adding to the superstructure was permitted, as any such alterations would have distorted the historic appearance of the building. It was there that the contemporary geotechnical engineering was close at hand: all new addenda and enhancements required by a modern state-of-the-art theatre could be located underground, immediately underneath the historic theatre superstructure.
Old foundations were first underpinned with piles, following which walings were provided along existing masonry foundations for the piles to be able to assume loads from historic structures at minus 2 m a reinforced concrete slab was then placed upon the piles connecting them as with a stiff disc. Following construction of a cofferdam along the underground area perimeter and upon connecting it with the slab, excavation commenced, and the entire building was suspended on thin piles which were tied together into spatial structures as excavation was advancing. At the level of 6.5 m the bottom slab was cast, serving as the pile cap. After this the walls and the columns of the underground floor were constructed, and the piles now unnecessary in the underground area were cut off. In this way a new spatial scope appeared, four times exceeding the existing historic theatre square area. The settlement of the historic superstructure was never in excess of 24 mm and displayed remarkable uniformity, while the settlement of a closely located Baron Kleimichel’s Memorial Mansion reached max. 7 mm over the entire construction period (being as of today the best result in St. Petersburg). This geotechnical design was made by the professionals of Geotechnical Design Department at Georeconstruction and the contractor Geoizol.
Download ISSMGE Bulletin – Volume 4 Issue 4 (pp. 43-45)
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