Azatlyk Square
DROM
Dmitry Chebanenko
The renovation project for the main public square in Naberezhnye Chelny, a soviet city built in the late 1970’s around the famous Kamaz truck factory, is a fresh take on the role of public space in the single-industry city. Through the strategic relocation of the central axis to the edge of the square, to an existing row of densely planted trees, they stripped it of its ideological underpinning.
In place of the former central axis, DROM created a “city carpet” that functions as three squares, each with its own unique character: The Event Square, a paved urban space used for weekly outdoor markets; the “Green Square”, for relaxing and enjoying the seasonal municipal landscaping; the Cultural Square with a renovated fountain and a new shallow pool for playing in water on hot days.
All these aspects amongst multiple strategies helped to reduce negative emotions about the enormous transformation in the city center, making the project more sustainable, resilient, and financially viable.
HYBRIDS
↪ How can we rethink traditional city planning and respond to the urgencies of the continuously evolving urban environment?
Azatlyk Square
DROM
Dmitry Chebanenko
The renovation project for the main public square in Naberezhnye Chelny, a soviet city built in the late 1970’s around the famous Kamaz truck factory, is a fresh take on the role of public space in the single-industry city. Through the strategic relocation of the central axis to the edge of the square, to an existing row of densely planted trees, they stripped it of its ideological underpinning.
In place of the former central axis, DROM created a “city carpet” that functions as three squares, each with its own unique character: The Event Square, a paved urban space used for weekly outdoor markets; the “Green Square”, for relaxing and enjoying the seasonal municipal landscaping; the Cultural Square with a renovated fountain and a new shallow pool for playing in water on hot days.
All these aspects amongst multiple strategies helped to reduce negative emotions about the enormous transformation in the city center, making the project more sustainable, resilient, and financially viable.
HYBRIDS
↪ How can we rethink traditional city planning and respond to the urgencies of the continuously evolving urban environment?
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