On15th November, 2016 within the limits of the International week of urbanistics Urban Week, « Urban dictation» and lecture of a designer and architect Ryud Rejtelingsperger, the founder of the architectural association Observatorium (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) took place at St.-Petersburg state university of architecture and civil engineering.

The international week of urbanistics, a series of the actions devoted to development of the city environment, is spent in St.-Petersburg not the first year. The present motto of "Urban week» became K.G.Paustovsky's words: «City should be fine …. Make cities beautiful that it was possible to be proud of them that it was possible to work, think and have a rest in them…». For Ryud Rejtelingsperger and his colleagues this motto isn’t just words, but a way of life.

Ryud with his associates from Observatorium differ the non-standard approach to designing of objects of the city environment: they specialize not on traditional designing of buildings or premises, but on transformation of city spaces, working by a principle "arti-tecture" that is harmoniously connecting functional building (architecture), art and imagination. «We consider that the architecture, culture and art are integral parts of a city creation», - Ryud confirms.

«We are making cities. It isn’t an exclusive prerogative of architects and builders any more. We involve in this youth, inhabitants of cities who wish to create independently those cities in which they live. Cities are created by all citizens». The modern architect, in Ryud’s opinion, has no right to sit at a table and to project working space apart from life. He should come to this working space, organize it, communicate with inhabitants, listen to and hear them. People - the main focus of modern architects. Reconsideration of post-industrial heathlands, sad typical buildings and the thrown railway stations is impossible without simple people who are capable to inhale in new, ambitious, arti-tecture space a live spark. People come and bring the ideas, together with sounds, smells, light; it’s the art, that is materialization of sensations, which is possible to touch in a reality. Only after that the real work of arti-tect, on «city creation» begins.

Thanks to dialogue with local residents at the thrown railway station in the centre of Rotterdam there was an unusual colorful elevating platform designed by the group of Observatorium. The 20-meter height of a construction allows anyone wishing to admire roofs of the city and even to spend a night in narrow, but a cosy booth established on the top through glass walls of which the star sky is perfectly visible. It seems a trifle. But hitherto an empty place,a shelter of outcasts and suspicious persons, has suddenly revived, has dumped balls and chains of depression, became popular, has taken absolutely other form and the status.

Similar transformation has occurred to an old miner's small town in East Germany. However, it is necessary to state, in this case the major role in a space transformation have played not only people, but also history. «The history- underlines Ryud, - themost powerful tool of architectural creativity. The world varies, the future grows from the past, but the past cannot be forgotten ».The association Observatorium decided not to take down boring industrial constructions of the last century, but - to humanize them. First of all Ryud and his colleagues improved a landscape - they planted trees, constructed bicycle paths and footpaths, small gardens, anywhere and everywhere placed the information stands telling story of the small town, slightly updated facades of buildings and equipped the former industrial premises as a cosy hotel, employed the personnel benevolent and affable, appropriate to newly appeared spirit of the place. And again there was a miracle - buildings changed, got impressiveness, a touch of a certain historical mystery and even beauty; the forgotten small town regained consciousness from a long dream, tourists streamed there.

Almost the same happens in Rotterdam, too, to East square. The oppressive industrial zone close to the underground, made neighboring inhabitants feel horror and disgust, until professionals of Observatorium paid their attention on this area. Carefully, though in modern kind, having recreated historical realities (a windmill, a monument to the Dutch infantrymen once marching on the area), having planted trees and lawns and having constructed children's playgrounds, arti-tects  returned from a non-existence the whole layer of history, and people -  the first time for fifty years! – came to the area without hostility and fright, came to stay there not leave. Thanks to soft, but intensive illumination, newly appeared beauty and singularity the area today is not boondocks of Rotterdam any more, but a magnet, the centre of gravity of city dwellers.

And the alluvial port of Rotterdam, the most western slice of the Netherlands where the disappearing object of art - a cement dune in height of fifteen meters appeared due to diligence and efforts of the collective of Observatorium, unique in the world, consisting of wide open windows unexpectedly became the centre of gravity of tourists. The given sculptural composition of Ryud and his colleagues «wish to make people curious to the world around … Sometimes it is necessary to stop, look round and see this world». And people from different countries and continents were attracted in the port of Rotterdam to admire «a final point of the world», day by day swept up by sand. Ryud does not doubt - in ten-fifteen years the cement dune will completely disappear under a sand layer, becomes, at last, a real dune. And this transformation- absorption of artificial object by wildlife - true and not man-made art- should be celebrated.

With this vital appeal, Ryud Rejtelingsperger finished the lecture, and then answered questions of the students who gathered around him in a small, but attentive group. Communicating with the future architects, Ryud told about his creative way a little, about Observatorium group works, and also expressed hope to arrive next year in St.-Petersburg, to read in SPSUACE a full series of lectures on arti-tecture about which he can speak infinitely.

«Never say "no", - he addressed young men at parting. – Everything at first frightens, but anyway it is necessary to undertake and do. Then all somehow will develop by itself. Always say "yes".

"Yes" - we say to a creative aesthetics of the group of Observatorium, we wish them the further creative successes and we wait for Ryud Rejtelingsperger next year as a teacher of SPSUACE.

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