In 1854, the owner of the Peterhof Railway, a prominent Russian financier and industrialist Baron von Stieglitz, engaged architect Benois to design and construct station buildings along his railway. The most important structure in this series was the station building of "New Peterhof".
At that time, there were few railway stations in Russia, and the architect had to solve not only the challenging technical task of spanning large distances but also create an artistic image of a new type of building. The volumetric-planning and structural solution of the station building was progressive for the mid-19th century. The 20-meter span of the interior space with platforms is covered by a system of metal tubular trusses. This open structure forms a unified rigid system with the building itself. The overall layout of the station’s exterior is a reduced copy of the Catholic cathedral in the Italian city of Orvieto, whose restoration Benois participated in back in 1843.
In June 1857, regular passenger train service between Petersburg and Peterhof began. Those visiting Peterhof for the first time were struck by the grand railway station building, about which the newspaper "Severnaya Pchela" ("Northern Bee") wrote on August 20, 1857: "This elegant building opens before the passengers’ eyes in all its splendor. Above the Gothic colonnade rises a beautiful tower 16 sazhen high, which completes the impression. Persons who have been on all the railways of Europe assert that nowhere have they seen a station built with such taste and effect."
The station building was constructed between 1854 and 1857. The central part of the station—the boarding hall—is covered with metal trusses. The western facade of the building is designed as a four-tiered tower, flanked by pointed arches for train passage. Above the arches are loggias with elegant Gothic colonnades. The tower walls are pierced by narrow pointed windows and crowned with openwork parapets with pinnacles. Adjacent to the tower volume are two-story wings with rooms for passengers and staff. The southern facade of the station features a three-bay portico leading into a spacious hall with pointed vaults resting on massive columns. The northern facade is pierced by wide pointed openings separated by buttresses. All details emphasize the Gothic character. However, the romantic medieval architectural forms of the building are entirely subordinated to its utilitarian purpose. This is, in terms of functionality, a model building of a suburban railway station. Few know that this building is unfinished.
According to the project, the huge window and door frames of Gothic design were supposed to be made of cast iron. In haste, they were made of wood. But that’s not all. On July 1, 1893, the architectural community celebrated the 80th birthday of N. L. Benois. In a friendly conversation, memories of the extensive past activities of the honoree were shared. Here is what could be read in the newspaper "Nedelya Stroitelya" ("Builder’s Week") on July 11, 1893: "The Peterhof station, which can undoubtedly be considered one of the best Gothic-style buildings in Russia, turns out to be unfinished... Many parts of the facades lack the spires originally planned. When Benois requested an allocation of 1,600 rubles for casting the spires in iron, the railway manager asked him: ‘And how much income will these 1,600 rubles bring us?’ ‘I believe none,’ replied the architect. ‘In that case, leave the facade without spires...’ And so the station remained."
Initially, the station was a terminus and had a U-shaped layout. Until the extension of the line to Oranienbaum station in 1864, the tracks ended under the station roof in dead-end sidings, and the arches were closed with cast iron gates decorated with ornaments.
In front of the building stands a monument to the founder and first owner of the Peterhof Railway—Baron Stieglitz.
For some reason, this unique architectural monument is so little known.
Sources:
https://saint-petersburg.ru/m/thebest/rubin/372284/
https://www.citywalls.ru/house19485.html
https://xn--c1acndtdamdoc1ib.xn--p1ai/kuda-shodit/mesta/vokzal-stantsii-novyy-petergof/
