The article is of a generalizing nature; the authors investigate the problem associated with architectural design in the historical environment. The newly built civilian objects are considered as examples of the organic interaction between “old” and “new” in European cities. The authors’ positions of domestic and foreign professionals regarding the development of the potential of the historical centres of modern cities are considered. In connection with the dynamics of urban growth in the XXI century, the problem of renewal and development of historically established centers arises. Development as a modernization of the historical environment assumes a high-quality level of integration of relevant functions in the unique conditions of authentic urban structures. The cultural aspect of the problem is to solve the main problem of the historical environment -the preservation and protection of the valuable architectural and urban planning heritage. The authors highlight the need for an integrated approach to theproblem and formulation of a development strategy. The experience of Odessa shows the negative results of delay in such matters. Urban space as a living organism presupposes a progressive process of regeneration of both the urban structure and the “tissue” of the city, filling the space and being subordinated to the structure. A scientific approach presupposes discussion, variability and flexibility concerning the protection and development of the historical environment. However, taking into account the whole complex of economic, administrative, and cultural conditions, we can say about two main approaches in relation to the historical architectural environment in Ukraine. One is based on a conservative approach and denies the objects of modern architecture in the historical environment. This approach assumes that a historically formed urban planning formation is an integral urban planning phenomenon and only allows the construction of new objects in historical styles, allows the priority task of restoration and reconstruction of existing objects. Another approach is based on a dialectical approach and allows the introduction into the historical tissue of the city of new objects that meet all progressive achievements of engineering and technology, have modern and current features of the style (stylistic direction). At the same time, an important aspect is the novelty and high aesthetic level of architecture, due to the requirements of modern society. The logic of this approach comes from the very essence ofarchitecture, placed in the classic triad of benefit, strength and beauty. The most important factor that determines the value of the historical core of the city, in particular, the historical centre of Odessa, is the integrity of the historical structure, the interaction of all elements of the architectural complex, and a balanced urban infrastructure. At the same time, the architectural complex consists of objects of different value categories. Some are historical and architectural monuments of the universal, state and local importance. Others are authentic objects of “back-ground” development that contribute to the integrity of the city’s historical tissue. This is the picture that shows a historical accuracy. According to the authors, the scale for determining the objective value of each architectural object in this case is of a relative nature and, to a large extent, in our time is not the primary task of preserving the architectural heritage. The task of an integrated approach to the problem and elaboration of a preservation strategy is a priority task. In recent years, intensive construction has taken place on local fragments of the historical part of the city, which leads to the final destruction of the historical city. In many cases, modern civil engineering works are monotonous and have doubtful cultural qualities, and at the technical level they exacerbate the situation of collapse at the infrastructural level. There is an international, in particular, European experience in solving the problem of the conflict between new and historical in the cities of Germany, Poland, Spain, etc. The destructive cataclysms of the XX century caused great losses to the architectural heritage. The world community has developed norms and rules that allow for a huge number of implementation options in the context of regional features. The problem of a new construction in the historical environment today is not about the question of whether the object is stylized or modernized. The problem is to determine the principles of interaction of the historical environment with new structures, in the degree of “civility” of a new architecture, the ability of the “new” to further develop the potential of urban space.
SPECIFICITY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PETROGRAD SIDE OF ST. PETERSBURG
