Published on: 2026-04-08
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
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Students of the Saint Petersburg State Architectural and Construction UniversityUlyana MotorinaиAlina Leontiwon the open architectural competition for the development of a design project for the improvement of the trading square in the settlement of Solovetsky on the Solovetsky Islands. The competition was held among students of architectural and construction universities and was aimed at finding modern solutions for public space in the context of a unique historical and cultural environment. Participants were invited to develop a concept for a square that unites trade, public, and event functions.
The organizers of the competition were the Agency for the Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago of the Arkhangelsk Region and the ANO “Directorate of the Solovetsky Archipelago.” The jury included representatives of the competition organizers, the Solovetsky Monastery, the Administration of the Primorsky District of the Arkhangelsk Region, as well as specialists in the field of architecture, including the Deputy Minister of Construction and Architecture – Head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Arkhangelsk Region and the Chief Architect of the Fund for the Preservation and Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago.
The work of the female students of SPBGASU “Solovki Trading Square” received a high rating from the jury for the integrity of the concept and the elaboration of the architectural environment. The project involves the formation of a flexible public space with the possibility of transformation for various scenarios of use: daily trade, fairs, and public events. The basis of the solution is a modular system of pavilions, reinterpreting the traditions of northern wooden architecture, as well as an open public core of the square with the preservation of visual connections and panoramas of the settlement.
Among the winners of the competition were also other students of our university. Second place was shared among four projects, including works by SPbGASU students “Design project of the trading area ‘Northern Ornament'”Anna Vasyanovich, Ekaterina Chepur) and “Solovetsky Posad” (Vasilina Vlasova, Anna MaizelsиZoya Tomilova), and the project “Pomorskiye Ryady”Sofiya Glushenkovabecame one of the awarded third places. According to experts’ reviews, the presented solutions unite the aspiration to create an adaptive and functional environment that takes into account the seasonality of territory usage, the natural context, and the possibility of phased implementation.
According to the evaluations of the jury, the victory of the students of SPbGASU confirms the high level of architectural training at the university, the ability of students to propose comprehensive architectural solutions that combine functionality, respect for the historical environment, and a modern urban planning approach.
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