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In
August 2012, several mass media discussed the glass superstructure
on the roof of the General Staff building. The State Hermitage
Museum has been overwhelmed with questions concerning its origin
and future.
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Work on restoring the General Staff building and turning it
into a museum is a good example of the correlation between
different structures. The State Hermitage Museum maintains
constant oversight of the progress of the work. Many problems
arise, and all of them are resolved in the process of the
work without hysterics.
As part of the second stage of the work, due to the imperfection
of construction materials and the natural divergence between
virtual maps and reality there has been an increase in the
permitted number of skylights. The State Hermitage Museum
noted this at an early stage.
At present, several experiments are being carried out and
a working timetable has been drawn up for changing the angle
of the slope of the skylights. We wish to note that the historical
level was not exceeded in the first stage. The existing covers
are of the original historical sizes.
We wish to thank the city's residents for following the work
so closely. We believe that these attentive people have no
grounds to be disgruntled.
Over many years the State Hermitage Museum has steadily and
consistently argued for maintaining and preserving St. Petersburg's
skyline throughout the implementation of any city projects,
and remains faithful to its position in the current situation.
¼.B. Piotrovsky
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Why
are there so many construction trailers near the General Staff
Building? Why can't they be located elsewhere?
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We have received a request to answer this question on behalf of INTARSIA Group:
"The reconstruction of the General Staff Building is a complicated project involving more than 30 subcontractors. Each shift at the site involves about 1000 people. The presence of the construction trailers on the territory directly adjourning the restoration and reconstruction work is necessary to organise work at the site effectively. The trailers are mobile offices where engineers and site supervisors work. Unfortunately the scale of the construction and the limited territory allowed for the construction village makes it necessary for the construction trailers to be located next to the buildings on Moika Embankment, Bolshaya Morskaya Street and Palace Square."
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How
are the interests of visitors with physical disabilities accommodated
in the General Staff?
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For visitors with physical disabilities all
necessary provisions are made to ensure their comfortable stay
in the museum.
Two special lifters (elevators) will deliver visitors from a
cloakroom to any floor of the museum.
All transitions are arranged so that wheel-chaired people can
move freely without additional help.
In addition, the building has several WCs with all necessary
devices.
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We heard
that a new front staircase will be built in the General Staff.
What will it look like? Can this cause any damage to the building?
Can this change its appearance?
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It is true that a new staircase has been
built within the territory of one of the covered yards of the
General Staff which will become the entrance foyer of the museum
complex. Designed as part of the yard's space, it is not disturbing
to the current architectural environment.
The General Staff building is an architectural landmark of
federal significance. Its facades, historical interiors require
thorough restoration and no modifications are acceptable here.
A staircase built within the territory of one of the covered
yards of the General Staff will become the principal staircase
of the museum complex.
It leads to the second floor of the building to the New Grand
Enfilade - a sequence of atriums with glass roofing and exposition
halls. Designed as part of the atrium, the staircase is not
disturbing to the current architectural environment.
By the concept of architects, the design of the new staircase
of the General Staff should be consistent with front staircases
of the Hermitage. Simple at first glance, it has a sophisticated
spatial geometry; on the one hand, it resembles a semi-circular
form of amphitheater, on the other hand - it is consistent
with the lines of perspective descent of the New Grand Enfilade
as a converging wedge towards the Palace Square. The staircase
consists of 4 flights, each having 12 steps. It is made of
Italian marbleized limestone. With the invariable width (350
mm) and height (125 mm) of steps, each stone on this staircase
has its specific length and curvature radius. Therefore, during
the performance of works, machines had to be re-adjusted for
each specific stone. In addition, Italian porphyry is used
in decorative finishing of floors of the Grand Atrium Hall
which will become the entrance foyer. Areas made of Russian
granite are available.
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Recently
there have been active discussions in the mass media concerning
the origin of a crack on the facade of the General Staff building
along the embankment of the river Moika. Could you tell us when
it appeared and what caused it?
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This crack is an indicator of the state of the walls of the
5th General Staff building situated along the Moika river.
It has emerged due to several factors. In 1890s, when the
Ministry of Finance was headed by Sergey Vitte, the buildings
were re-designed. In order to build a large two-height convention
room the inner main walls had to be removed, and a suspended
ceiling was constructed. That increased the load on the bearing
walls. In 1920s the building was severely damaged by the fire.
For a long time it had no roof covering; the walls were being
destroyed. During the Soviet times the buildings were adapted
to the needs of the institutions that were located there;
the old wooden poles were replaced by new metallic ones that
were supported by already 'defect' walls. All those negative
factors led to the emergence of cracks both on the facade
and on the inner walls of the 5th building facing the yard.
The crack on the facade wall was discovered in 2003. The following
year the dismantling of the neighbouring building situated
along the embankment of the river Moika started with the purpose
of building a modern house with an underground parking. In
the older historic districts such practice inevitably leads
to damaging the adjacent buildings. As a result, the building
subsided unevenly, and the crack in the wall opened. The problem
was diagnosed. The state of the walls is being monitored.
The so-called "beacons" that allow to follow the
process in its dynamics have been installed. The specialists
were particularly concerned about the inner wall, which, according
to the evaluation, was in an emergency condition. It has been
decided to preserve the historical walls by repairing them;
the load shall be distributed across a new bearing structure
situated inside.
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Nikita Yavein is telling about the restoration
process
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The crack is being inspected by journalists
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How can the developer guarantee that the elements
of the building not intended for dismounting will remain intact?
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Restoration of such a building as the General Staff admits
no haste and ill-considered decisions, and all members of
this complicated process are guided by the principle 'do no
harm'. The integrity of the building monument can mainly be
guaranteed by the strict observance of the design decisions
and by compliance with the work practices. The project documentation
contains rules and regulations of this type for builders,
which, if observed, guarantee the stiffness and integrity
of the building structures in the process of the works. Should
any cracks in the walls, defects of the brickwork, etc. be
detected, the construction activities shall be suspended in
such location and shall be resumed only upon completion of
qualifying survey, final evaluation of the condition of the
walls, vaults, floors and, finally, development and implementation
of the required technical solutions. All uncovered defective
spaces, especially abutments and intersections of the walls,
are subject to pressing repair and reinforcement. The structures
are strengthened exclusively 'bottom-upwards' (from foundations
to roof structures).
Developer - St Petersburg Foundation for Investment Projects
bears responsibility for the strict observance of the work
practices.
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What sets
conditions for demolition of the elements of a monument of federal
significance?
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Adaptation of the Eastern Wing of the building of the former
General Staff for use as a museum largely presents a restoration
project. All historical facades, interiors and structures
are thoroughly inspected and restored. Integration of the
chain of courtyards in the New Great Enfilade will become
the only constituent of reconstruction under the project.
Five courtyards are the site where minimum of reconstruction
can yield maximum results from perspective of spatial layout
of the museum complex. The word 'demolition' is not relevant
for this case - the question is about dismounting small fragments
of the walls of bridging transverse blocks in order to form
the enfilade of yards and rooms of the Hermitage scale integrated
in the solid texture of enfilades and rooms of the historic
edifice. The New Great Enfilade, which is formed by alternation
of exhibition rooms and hanging gardens, is conceived as the
core of the picturesque and functional structure of the future
museum and its major communication space.
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Installation of scaffolds for dismounting
and reconstruction of cornices
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How the supervision of the execution of works
will be effected?
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St Petersburg Foundation for Investment Projects (FISP)
signed an agreement with the company Geninzhconsult
on supervision of the work quality and correct cost management.
Author's supervision of the restoration and construction
works is exercised by the specialists from the engineering
company of the project - the Architect's Workshop Studio
44.
To date 10-12 specialists are available on the construction
site on a continuous basis, and their number may subsequently
be increased. Continuous monitoring of the building condition
is also effected by the company Underground Engineering
Ltd.
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Have historic
interiors been preserved? Where and which ones? Do you plan to restore them?
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Yes, they have been preserved. Private apartments of the
chancellor of the Russian Empire the Earl Karl Nesselrode
who was the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under
Nicholas I remained until our times.
The Minister and his family as well as the employees occupied
the Eastern Wing of the building. Decoration of private apartments
of Karl Nesselrode was done upon the project of Carlo Rossi.
The windows of the show rooms face the eastern border of Palace
Square and Pevchesky bridge over the Moika.
At present the historic interiors house the exhibitions of
the State Hermitage: Under the Sign of the Eagle. Empire
Art, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. St Petersburg
Age 1802 - 1917. Despite the fact that restoration works
in the Eastern Wing of the General Staff Building are in full
progress these exhibitions continue their work.
The 'Family' chapel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was
restored and opened for visitors in 2001. One of the most
interesting exhibits is the field iconostasis of Emperor Alexander
I.
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Second living-room in private apartments
of the Earl Karl Nesselrode
Field iconostasis of Alexander I
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Has the project
been granted approval of the Russian Federal Surveillance
for Compliance with the Law in Mass Communications and Cultural
Heritage Protection and the Committee of State Control, Use and Protection
of Historical and Cultural Landmarks?
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The project of restoration and adaptation to the museum complex
of the Eastern Wing of the General Staff Building was granted
approval of the Committee of State Control, Use and Protection
of Historical and Cultural Landmarks of St Petersburg August
1, 2006, and the Russian Federal Surveillance for Compliance
with the Law in Mass Communications and Cultural Heritage
Protection September 15, 2006. In 2007 design and estimate
documentation received a positive resolution from the Directorate
General for State Environmental Review of the Russian Federation
and was approved by the order of the Ministry of Culture.
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Repair works in one of the courtyards
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What is the works period?
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The first stage of the restoration of the Eastern Wing of
the General Staff Building is expected to be accomplished
by August 30, 2010. Full completion of the works is dated
to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the State Hermitage
in 2014.
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Meeting of Intrasiya representatives
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Would
the building be superstructed, would it change its appearance?
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No, the building would not be superstructed. From the outside
the Eastern Wing of the General Staff Building shall remain
the same as we see it now.
As explained by Oleg Yavein, the head of the architect's
Workshop Studio 44, the architects followed the 'do not harm'
principle. All facades, historic interiors and constructions
are analyzed and restored. The only thing that the authors
allowed to do was to partially dismantle the walls of the
cross bulkheads in the utility well-courtyards. Due to that
the enfilade of the courtyards and halls for exhibitions and
location of 'hanging' gardens will be created.
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Restoration project draft of the Eastern
wing of the General Staff Building
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