Saint Petersburg-based architectural bureau Rhizome has unveiled the proposal for the new leisure and business campus at the city’s new vibrant public space ‘Sevkabel Port’. A rooftop extension overlooking the sea gently complements the post-industrial ensemble of the oldest cable plant in Russia whilst offering new functional programs and spatial experiences for the users of the building. 

The project was shortlisted in the nation-wide open architectural competition launched by the ‘Sevkabel Port’ Managing Company in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The cluster occupies a historical building in the former Siemens-Halske factory overlooking open waters of the Gulf of Finland. Blending together social and business functions, Rhizome aims to create a shared space that can simultaneously accommodate an important meeting, a weekend fair, or a Sunday spa visit — all with a spectacular view onto open water. 

The multifunctional, flexible space of the campus consists of four main elements and is open for different scenarios of seasonal activities. The two-storey office space is formed by several self-enclosed work areas for the future operators of the project. Combined with study rooms, a conference hall, and a cafe, the block includes a quiet semi-insulated courtyard and terrace. 

On the other side of the roof, guests can pay a visit to a sauna — a vital activity popular across the Baltic region and Russia. A spacious steaming room is complemented with an enclosed solarium and two open summer terraces with a panoramic view of the tranquil waters. The sauna and offices are separated by a wooden boardwalk area of 1900 m2 with mobile furniture and podiums that could be reassembled for different kinds of activities. A 385-meter-long running track made of tartan rubber encloses the campus space and invites users to join an evening jogging club or a rollerblade race.

Transparent volumes of new campus spaces keep up with the laconic geometry of the warehouse. All new blocks are assembled from prefab spatial units supplied by a local producer. The use of modular technology serves two purposes. It allows for the incremental launch of the project, according to the wishes of the client while also avoiding a long-term construction process that would disturb the normal operations of the cluster.