The Rowing Canal project was about transforming one of the main squares in Tomsk into a new civic destination. Tomsk is already deeply connected to rowing culture, and the goal was to create a space that celebrates it, both for professional teams and for the wider community, turning the square into a place that works both as a rowing hub and as an open public space.
Working in the very center of Tomsk meant dealing with an urban fabric that was already established. The square was surrounded by buildings from different periods, each carrying a piece of the city’s history. The design played with it using the mix of scales and styles around the site as a backdrop, and positioning new elements to diminish the contrast between old and new.
