"Bottle" is the popular name of a building located on the island of New Holland in St. Petersburg.
The building has a ring-shaped shape, which is why it got its name in the people. According to legend, this is where the expression "do not get into the bottle"came from.
The Bottle is a former military prison building that was built in 1829 and today, after a complete restoration of the building and the island of New Holland, the Bottle is a commercial building and is part of the overall ensemble of the cultural and social and business multifunctional complex on the island of New Holland. A more detailed history of the "Bottle" is given at the end of this article.
The design of the "Bottle", as well as other buildings on the island, was carried out by the architectural bureau Ludi Architects and Lyubov Leontieva together with the team of the project "New Holland: cultural Urbanization".
The stylistic design of the building corresponds to the same style of all buildings on the island.
The building of the Bottle is made of brickwork, has an unusual round shape, three floors and a courtyard.
On three floors of the building there are various commercial premises: cafes, bars, shops, beauty salons, studios and sports sections.
The round courtyard of the Bottle is the jewel of the structure.
The courtyard is illuminated by 40 glowing "bullets" with a height of 2.5 meters, made of rough black metal.
In the center of the courtyard there is a round stage for concerts and various events.
Along the walls of the building in the courtyard there are open-air tables, where you can sit down and have a nice snack in good weather. The gastronomy is located on the first floor of the "Bottle".
The interior of the Bottle corresponds to its exterior style.
Long corridors of floors lead visitors in a circle. On one side along the corridor there are windows and doors (if this is the first floor), and on the other - commercial premises.
Also in the bottle are toilets (free of charge) and two elevators.
Each floor of the building has its own purpose and function.
The first floor is entirely devoted to gastronomy. There are various cafes, restaurants and bars, including several cuisines of the world (Mexico, Israel, Greece, etc.).
On the second floor there are shops. Here you can browse through art albums and comics, make a print on a T-shirt, buy eco-friendly children's toys or a Scandinavian chair.
The third floor is the territory of health, beauty and sports. There are salons and studios here. You can get a haircut, get a manicure, do yoga or ballet, pedal on an exercise bike.
Practical information
The "Bottle" is located on the western arrow of the island of New Holland, at the address: Admiralty Canal Embankment, 2.
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday and Sunday from 8: 00 to 23: 00, Friday and Saturday from 8: 00 to 02:00. Attention! Opening hours are subject to change.
The opening hours of the "Bottle" and individual commercial premises; which cafes, shops and salons are located in the building; as well as the plan of the premises, events and all additional information, we recommend checking immediately before visiting the official website.
Website of "Bottles": bottlehouse.
How to get
From the center of St. Petersburg to the island of New Holland can be reached on foot, the distance from the Palace Square is 2 kilometers.
The nearest metrostations are: Admiralteiskaya-1.9 km; Sennaya Ploshchad-2.4 km; Nevsky Prospekt-2.7 km.
Stop the "Area of Work": a bus - 3, 6, 22, 27, 70, 71, 100; trolley - 5, 22; taxi - K-6, K-62, K-124, C-169, C-186 To 187, K 306, K-350.
Bus stop "Pisareva Street": minibuses-K-124, K-186.
You can also visit the island of New Holland and the Bottle Building with one of the excursions
All accommodation in Saint Petersburg, including in the city center and near the island of New Holland, can be viewed and booked here
History of the "Bottle"
The building of the former military prison was built in 1829 -1830 by the architect Alexander Yegorovich Stauber.
The building had three floors and a circular shape with a circular courtyard.
The first floor of the building was set aside for security rooms, a kitchen, a bakery and storerooms. The second and third floors housed prisoners - 250 people per floor.
Staubert himself called the building "The Prison Tower", but the name "Bottle" was fixed in the people-because of the characteristic shape of the building, resembling a bottle neck. The expression "stay out of the bottle" meant nothing more than that no one wanted to be in prison.
In the first 30 years after its construction, the "Bottle" housed naval convict companies, sewing, rigging, carpentry and other workshops, a temporary hospital and a gymnastics team.
In 1863, the "Bottle "was reconstructed and turned into a" military correctional prison of the Naval Department", equipped according to the European penitentiary system.
There were 195 solitary cells in the building, where prisoners only slept. During the day they worked-turning, carpentry, rigging, and shoemaking, weaving mats, and binding books. For their work, the prisoners were paid, and were released having mastered a new profession and having some money in stock.
The Bottle worked as a prison until the Revolution. Since 1917, the building housed the premises of the Leningrad Naval Base.
In 2018-2020, the building underwent a complete restoration and was transformed into a public-commercial building. For two years, the brickwork of the external and internal facades was restored, the stairs were returned to the facing of the steps made of Putilov limestone stone and openwork cast-iron railings. All the interior spaces were newly decorated. The building has two Art Deco elevator lifts, 228 decorative window frames and 163 doors restored according to the original drawings, and the 4th attic floor has appeared under the roof.
Today, the "Bottle" is a monument of history and architecture. As well as the entire island of New Holland, it is a popular holiday and leisure destination for both locals and visitors to the city.
