THIRD PLACE pop-up yard | DA bureau

The THIRD PLACE space is housed in a historic mansion in the centre of St. Petersburg,
where the Lopukhins and Naryshkin lived before the revolution; during the soviet era a
railway museum was located here; the building has been abandoned for the past 15 years.
Now it is undergoing a major reconstruction under a project developed by us. The
authenticity of the building will be preserved and supplemented with contrasting modern
elements.
We thought it would be great to create a temporary pop-up space in the courtyard of the
building, thus contributing to people's acquaintance with the new city cluster.
The architecture of the historical facades that are being restored is very beautiful in its own
right, and their current condition undoubtedly carries a certain aesthetic quality. Therefore
the atmosphere reminding that of ancient ruins has become one of the main zests of the
courtyard.
It was oysters that served as protagonists for the launch of the pop-up project. Therefore
we conceived an idea to combine the aesthetics of the mansion's abandoned courtyard
with an allusion to a rugged northern beach of Aquitaine, the home of oysters.
One can see white sand here, with wooden bridging slightly raised above it, along with
reeds brought from the Gulf of Finland. This view serves as a background for the bright and
contrasting art objects and food corners.
We covered one of the façades which is currently being reconstructed with a reflective foil
curtain that creates a bright and festive atmosphere.
One can get to the courtyard by 'plunging' into an arch in Liteiny Avenue. The bustling and
noisy atmosphere of the street is immediately changed for a quiet measured mood of the
northern seashore.