Construction of the complex has been completed. IN this moment Finishing, installation work and landscaping activities are being carried out inside the building. The opening was planned for the end of 2019.

Where is it located and how to get to Lakhta Center

Metro (“Begovaya”) is a 20-minute walk from the complex. Construction of a transport interchange on Primorskoe Highway is underway; the updated traffic pattern will be approved after the construction is completed. Also, a parking lot for several hundred cars will be built on the territory of the business center.

Architectural concept

The complex project was developed in 2011 by the European agency RMJM. The concept reflected the main architectural symbols of the city: cathedral spiers and the endless sky. The tower “spins” around its axis. The effect is created due to the fact that each new floor base rotates almost one degree relative to the axis of the tower.

Lakhta Center. Photo: news.yandex.kz

The skyscraper's special feature is multilayer thermo-reflective glass with a special matte gray-blue coating that changes color depending on the light intensity. During the day, with a cloudless sky and clear sun, the tower takes on a blue tint; in cloudy weather, it turns gray or bronze. The glazing is smooth, thanks to which a special optical effect is achieved - white clouds seem to rise along the wall of the structure.

What is inside

The following facilities will be located in the public and business complex:

• Panoramic restaurant. The two-level restaurant is located at an altitude of 320 meters. Even before the opening, the restaurant was named the tallest in Europe. The concept of the establishment is traditional Russian cuisine.
• A transformable hall is a space that can be divided into two rooms. The wall configuration and seating arrangement may change to suit the format of the event.
• Planetarium. An ultra-modern center with unique optical and digital equipment, designed for the simultaneous presence of 140 people. The planetarium is equipped with a 16-meter dome screen, which displays a 3D projection of the solar system. Guests will be able to take part in a space show and walk on the surface of Mars.

Planetarium project. Photo: lakhta.center

• Center for educational and scientific events. The exhibition area is 7 thousand square meters. meters. The center will host master classes, scientific seminars and lectures for a wide audience.
• Sports complex. In a space of 4.6 thousand square meters. meters there will be gyms and fitness rooms, SPA complexes, swimming pools and massage rooms.
• Medical Center. The multifunctional complex will provide high-quality medical services to residents of the Primorsky district in all areas.
• Atrium, shopping areas. Shops and retail outlets are located on the ground floor of the building. An exhibition space for expositions and art objects is open in the southern wing of the building.
• Offices. The main area of ​​the high-rise is reserved for work space. From 70 to 120 employees will be able to be present on one floor. A comfortable temperature and microclimate will be maintained by an intelligent system.

Panoramic platform Lakhta Center

On the 360th floor of the Lakhta Center tower there is an observation deck with telescopes for studying the historical part Northern capital and the Gulf of Finland. It is expected that the skyscraper site will become one of the most visited and beloved modern attractions of the city. Currently, a webcam is installed on the 360th floor, broadcasting a real-time panorama of the surrounding area. Elagin Island and the park named after Elagin are especially clearly visible. 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg and the Zenit Arena stadium.

View of Lakhta Center. Photo: @lakhtacenter

The Lakhta Center became a symbol of St. Petersburg long before its opening. On the night of December 31 to January 1, 2019, bright green lights were lit on the façade of the building, thus turning the high-rise into a giant New Year tree for the city.

Lakhta Center:
what is it worth
for high-rise
boundaries

Partnership project

Skyscrapers are the vanguard of the construction industry. Super-tall buildings always require a special approach from their creators. In 2018, construction of the Lakhta Center will be completed in St. Petersburg, which will become the tallest skyscraper in Europe. What technologies are used to build the St. Petersburg giant?

Europe's new heights

The Lakhta Center social and business complex is being built in the Primorsky district of St. Petersburg, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Its center will be the headquarters of the Gazprom group and the Gazprom Neft company, the other part of the area will be occupied by public spaces: a scientific and educational complex for children and youth, a planetarium, exhibition spaces, medical and sports centers, a multifunctional transforming hall and others.

The complex consists of four structures: a multifunctional building with an atrium, a stylobate (there will be a parking lot and auxiliary premises), an arch of the main entrance and a skyscraper 462 meters high. It is he who will become the tallest not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. The Lakhta Center supertoll will be 88 meters taller than the current European record holder - the Federation Tower in Moscow City - and will be in 11th place in the world high-rise ranking.

Construction site in the swamp

There is an opinion that St. Petersburg is built on viscous soils, and it is impossible to build skyscrapers here. Experts answer: you can build anywhere, but you need good planning. The construction of the St. Petersburg supertoll was preceded by a year and a half of engineering and geological research. The authors of the project studied the geological, geodetic, environmental, historical and cultural features of the site.

It turned out that weak soils make up only the top layer. Beneath it lies the Vendian horizon - these are the oldest clays, which are 635-540 million years old. As strong as rock or concrete, these clays are an excellent support for a skyscraper. But getting to them is not easy: in the way of construction equipment there are deposits of the Ice Age in the form of giant boulders and sandy loams with gravel. A set of studies, calculations and full-scale tests became the basis for creating the Lakhta Center design.

Device: base

Piles and protective wall

The foundation is protected from pressure and water in the upper layers of soil by a pentagonal underground structure along the perimeter of the base of the skyscraper. Its height is 30 meters, the length of the walls is more than 300 meters. There are 264 piles installed inside the pentagon, going to a depth of 82 meters. Their diameter is 2 meters. These are the widest piles in the world. The foundation piles of a skyscraper are not driven in, but created right on the spot - in the ground. The shaft is drilled, then a reinforced frame is installed and filled with concrete.

Foundation

The foundation of a skyscraper rests on piles. It consists of three slabs separated by ten radial walls radiating out from the core. The most famous of the slabs is the lower one, 3.6 meters thick. It was she who got into the Guinness Book of Records: builders laid 19,624 cubic meters of concrete at the base of the building in 49 hours. Moreover, the uniqueness of the slab is not in its physical size, but in the technique that provides the necessary load-bearing capacity with optimal dimensions of the structure.

Read more about the record at the Lakhta Center site

Each pile under the tower is a separate complex engineering structure the height of a 30-story building. Control over its construction is a whole system, including video monitoring cameras lowered into the shaft and ultrasonic sensors installed in the reinforcement of the pile frame to determine the density and absence of voids.

Pressure test

The weight of the Lakhta Center tower will be 670 thousand tons, pressing on the ground of a relatively small area. Under pressure, the soil will compact and the skyscraper will settle - just like any other building. The main task is to ensure that this settlement occurs evenly and the building does not deviate from the vertical. To monitor the behavior of the soil, underground structures and their interaction, a geomonitoring system has been created that combines 4,800 sensors.

Sensors are placed both in the ground and in all elements of the tower’s underground structures. Thus, 95 sensors “monitor” vertical movements, 40 – pore pressure of the soil, 336 measure deformations in piles, 10 – pressure under the base of the foundation, 2136 – the dynamics of forces in foundation structures. All sensors are combined into an automatic system. After the construction of every five new floors of the tower, the system provides a full report of what is happening with the soil, piles, and foundation. Such knowledge is useful not only for builders, but also for scientific research.

Vertical management

The precipitation can proceed evenly. But the building itself can be built with a slope. This would not be surprising at a height of almost half a kilometer: an uncorrected deviation of 1 mm at the bottom would result in a deviation of 1 meter at the top. “Lakhta Center” cannot afford a strong deviation: a skyscraper is stable “in an inclination” only if it is specially designed this way (like, for example, Capital Gate - the building with the largest inclination in the world: at 160 meters in height - 18 degrees of inclination). The maximum deviation of the Lakhta Center core allowed by the project is 6 millimeters over the entire 462 meters. And the goal is to shift the deviation delta to zero, although in world practice no one has yet succeeded in achieving absolute zero.

How can the St. Petersburg supertoll not turn into Leaning Tower of Pisa?

There are examples of buildings in the world that successfully exist in a state of deviation from the vertical by meters. For example, a church from 1382 in Bad Frankenhuasen: the deviation of the spire from the vertical is 4.45 meters with a “height” of 25 meters.

Device: design

A skyscraper cannot simply be built “as long as there are enough bricks.” There are different systems that provide super stability tall buildings. At the Lakhta Center tower it consists of a core, outriggers and load-bearing columns along the perimeter of the building.

It is a “pipe” with a diameter of 24.5 meters with a reinforced concrete wall thickness of 0.8 meters. Responsible for vertical stability.

Outriggers

Outriggers located on technical floors consist of a ring beam around the core and diagonal metal trusses and columns extending from it. These elements transfer forces from the core to the outer columns and reduce the supporting moment at the bottom of the building, and also impart horizontal rigidity - for example, they dampen the sway of the tower from the wind. There are five outriggers in the Lakhta Center tower, of which four have the form of double floors, and the fifth is atypical, in the form of a powerful reinforced concrete “puck”

Made of composite materials - steel core with reinforced concrete shell. This solution was used for the first time in civil engineering in Russia. Thanks to it, the cost of columns is significantly reduced, and the construction period

is reduced by 40%, all other things being equal.

Twisted form

According to the creators, the Lakhta Center tower was conceived as a modern interpretation of the high-rise dominant, standing out against the background of the traditional horizontal development of St. Petersburg. Its “brothers” - the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Admiralty Needle, the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral - decorate the city center, while the new supertoll will become an organizing element in the rapidly developing Primorsky district. The new skyscraper will play the role of the main accent of the business space that will appear along the “sea façade” of the city.

“The shape of the building symbolizes the energy of water, the flow of spaces, openness and lightness,” explain the authors of the project. – The effect of weightlessness and maximum merging of the future complex with environment will be enhanced through the use of a special type of glass, thanks to which, depending on the time of day, the high-rise building will change color, which will create the feeling of a “living object”.

Device: facade

The Lakhta Center tower twists around its axis by 90 degrees. There are certain features in the construction of such a building. For example, due to expansion, contraction and “torsion”, all 189 thousand components of the tower’s metal structures differ from each other (strictly speaking, only two are the same). The facade elements also differ in shape and curve: 16,505 panels cover an area of ​​72,500 square meters, while 71% of the double-glazed windows differ from each other in size and geometry. The size of each double-glazed window is 2.8 by 4.2 meters, weight is 740 kilograms. To maintain such a demanding structure, a special facade maintenance system (abbreviated SOF) has been developed. With its help, the facades will be kept clean and, if necessary, repaired.

How to collect 189,000 parts and never make a mistake?

Reserve for the future

Conquering heights is always a matter of having the appropriate technology. Elevator, ventilation, electricity - at one time, high-rise buildings were the first to experience all these “new products”. After a successful start, the production of technologies became widespread: from the category of exclusive benefits, they moved into the category of minimum standards for the construction of standard housing and public buildings.

The construction of skyscrapers led to the development of modern lifting construction equipment, the invention of building stability structures, the introduction of new fire safety technologies, and modern high-strength building materials. High-rise construction is an area where orders for high-tech solutions are formed, which will then be transferred to other areas of our life.

"Walking" mechanisms for building a skyscraper

The St. Petersburg “Lakhta Center” is actively introducing technologies - some for the first time in the regional and Russian construction market, some - in the global one. The significance of this construction for the construction industry can be assessed later, but it is already clear how the environment is changing: joint production ventures are emerging, qualified personnel are growing, suppliers are using new technical solutions - this is how new heights in quality standards are being mastered.

They prepared for pouring the bottom slab in advance, because it is impossible to “redo” the work. The participants rehearsed everything they could. For example, 13 concrete supply plants practiced producing a concrete mixture using a unique recipe until they achieved its absolute identity.

The pouring speed was more than 400 cubic meters per hour, and the mixers made more than 2,450 trips. The process was organized in such a way that the event local residents we learned from the media - there was no additional traffic jam on the busy Primorskoye Highway, no noise from the construction site.

The deviation delta is monitored by surveyors. They have seven equipment systems (optical and laser) in their arsenal; duplication helps double-check instrument readings. Three of the seven geodetic systems are presented in Russia for the first time, but have proven themselves well at the world's leading construction sites.

World geodetic premiere – pulsed high-speed laser scanner with a two-axis compensator. The device is being used for the first time in the construction of a skyscraper. With its help, Lakhta Center builders check the position of metal structures inside a concrete environment when manufacturing, for example, composite columns with a steel core inside a concrete structure.

To guide the core in a strictly vertical course, “space” technology is also used - the Trimble 4D Control geodetic device. It uses a satellite signal and a system of geosensors installed at the construction site. Using GPS and GLONASS readings, the system determines the exact coordinates of the core and the displacement delta, which is constantly adjusted based on the data received.

For assembly they use BIM, a relatively new technology for Russia. It is a virtual three-dimensional model of the building that combines all the data from the design documentation. By adding a time dimension, a virtual technology for constructing an object is built: projects for organizing construction, work execution, and supply logistics. At Lakhta Center, one more application has been added to the standard use of the model. Due to its complex geometry, the tower is assembled from metal structures, each of which has a single possible installation location. The correctness of the assembly is controlled, including using BIM. Structures delivered to the site have barcodes associated with the BIM model. The part code clearly indicates its installation location in the overall structure.

Builders say about the St. Petersburg supertoll that it is “handmade.” We are talking about the uniqueness of solutions, and as for labor, everything that is possible is automated. For example, a “sliding” (automated) formwork system is used to construct the core.

Formwork is a form for concreting, formed by two rows of panels, the space between which is the future core wall. Concrete is poured between the panels and hardens.

Conventional formwork needs to be unfastened, moved to a new location and reassembled - a huge loss of time and productivity. And the automatic one “moves” with the help of hydraulic jacks as concrete is poured.

Such self-moving tools are very popular at the Lakhta construction site. The wind protection on the tower works on a similar principle - its panels slide along with the formwork. The “walking” mechanisms include a crane in the core of the tower - the first of its kind in St. Petersburg.

In mid-October 2018, the Lakhta Center multifunctional complex, the construction of which began back in 2012, received permission to put into operation. Opening of the first phase of the complex, the dominant feature of which is the tall skyscraper Europe, is scheduled for the end of next year, and for many more months work will be carried out at the new Gazprom headquarters on interior decoration, equipment and landscaping of a huge area. However, already last summer During the broadcasts of the 2018 World Cup matches, the world was able to see a new vertical dominant forming the panorama of modern St. Petersburg.

The silhouette of the 462-meter tower, the compositional center and main accent of the complex, is the embodied energy of flame, the symbol and logo of Gazprom. The five wings of the tower rotate by floor by 0.82 degrees relative to their centers, or about 90 degrees over the entire height. As they ascend, they decrease in size, thereby creating the silhouette of a spire, the proportions and shape of which allow it to be perceived as another city spire, stylistically not competing with the existing dominants of the historical center.

Philip Nikandrov. Photo by the Gorproekt press service

The shape of the tower is based on architectural principles laid down by the builders of ancient pyramids: the entire mass of the building is visually directed upward, concentrating at the apex point. Almost all historical vertical dominants of St. Petersburg - spiers and domes - were built according to this principle. The silhouette of the skyscraper is precisely a transitional form from a dome to a spire, with a gradual increase in the radius of curvature from an arc at the bottom to a straight line at the top. The rich plasticity of the tower facades through the organic composition of volumes gives the object dynamism, symbolizing energy and development.

The architectural and technical solutions of the Lakhta Center, on which the team of architects, designers and engineers of the Gorproekt company (general designer of the complex) have been working since 2011, are innovative in many aspects not only for Russia, but also for the whole world. The project, which does not have a single repeating (standard) floor, is technically considered one of the most complex and unique even in comparison with other mega-skyscrapers on the planet; Leaders of the global construction industry, leading contracting companies and manufacturers from Europe and Asia took part in its implementation. Solving the most complex design problems became possible only through the use of the latest BIM technologies and parametric design.

The facade solutions of the complex are especially unique. Firstly, a record amount of glass was used: the area of ​​glazed shells is about 130 thousand square meters. m, of which 72.5 thousand sq. m on the tower. m (this is 16.5 thousand double-glazed windows). In total, more than half a million square meters of glass were used in production, and glass was used not only as a translucent shell of hanging stained-glass windows, but also as a load-bearing structural material: record-high all-glass mullion stands (more than 17 m without a single seam) provide maximum visual lightness and transparency of planar stained glass windows at the level of public spaces of the atrium.

Secondly, the latest synthetic materials were used for translucent shells, for example, ETFE film, from which the pneumatic elements (“cushions”) of the skylight in the central atrium of the stylobate part of the complex are made. This solution made it possible to significantly reduce the weight of the structure of a huge lantern with a length of more than 250 m, while avoiding the risk of icing in the winter. On the facades of stylobate buildings, energy-saving double-thread glazing is used, which provides ventilation of buffer zones in a passive mode. On the tower itself, an intelligent two-thread facade was implemented, which allows (already in active mode) to automatically ventilate the buffer zones between the two threads of the facade - in the summer it will prevent heating of the premises when the ventilation valves are open, and in winter, on the contrary, it will accumulate solar energy due to the “greenhouse effect”, reducing energy consumption for heating with closed ventilation valves.

Curved in three dimensions, the stained glass window of the outer thread is assembled from huge double-glazed windows with an area of ​​11 square meters. m each. All 15 petal-faces of the facade look like a single shell of glass, curved in a spiral with a 90-degree rotation over the entire height. Each glass unit in plan is bent at an angle of 0.82 degrees when cold (without the use of molds and traditional heating in an oven up to 600 degrees), which allowed saving a huge amount of energy during production. Today, this stained glass window is the largest cold-formed façade in the world by area; it broke the record of our other project - in Moscow City.

The Lakhta Center tower, however, is not only the tallest in Europe, but also the northernmost mega-skyscraper in the world. For several months a year, the 100-meter spire will be hidden in low clouds, that is, in an area of ​​increased risk of condensation on the surfaces of its facades. Anti-icing measures are extremely important here, and the task was complicated by the fact that no one before us had built such tall buildings at such a latitude and in such a humid climate.

"Lakhta Center". Photo by the Gorproekt press service

In winter, condensation will freeze on the surfaces of the spire in the form of ice, which can threaten the fall of fragments or entire icicles, so we have developed a unique spire anti-icing system, which is designed to combat ice accumulation on large metal surfaces. In the tower spire, the glass has been replaced with stainless steel cladding with a heating system in the cold season, and a steel mesh to control the formation of dangerous ice and icicles on the shell of the upper part of the skyscraper.

A unique façade maintenance system for cleaning and repairing stained glass or replacing double-glazed windows moves along a spiral path along a rail parallel to the façade shell. Active dynamic architectural lighting and anti-icing systems are also integrated into these rails. Special sensors will monitor when it is necessary to turn on local heating in places where ice may appear. The flashing aircraft obstacle lights at the top of the spire operate 24 hours a day and are visible to pilots of aircraft and ships from many tens of kilometers away.

Based on the totality of innovative energy-efficient solutions used in the project, the facility claims a LEED gold certificate, which makes it a national leader in terms of energy saving and respect for the environment - after all, we are talking about the headquarters of the largest energy company.

Of course, Lakhta Center is not only a tower, it is a huge complex with an area of ​​400 thousand square meters. m, of which the tower occupies only a third. The area of ​​the first phase is 8 hectares, and large landscaped spaces will appear on them: three public squares, an open amphitheater with a stage against the backdrop of the bay, an entertaining science museum with a planetarium, and a multifunctional concert hall. The tower is completed by a publicly accessible observation deck in the lower space of the spire, an absolute center of attraction for tourists.

“Lakhta Center” is the urban flagship of the agglomeration practically in the center of the lagoon ring of the Gulf of Finland, surrounded by the ring highway (Ring Road) - it is in its orbit that “Greater St. Petersburg” will develop in the 21st century. And the tower on the shore of the bay, in the geometric center of this orbit, like a grandiose lighthouse forms the sea facade of the metropolis directly opposite the passenger port, which simultaneously receives the summer tourist season 5-7 each cruise ships. And they are all met and escorted by the Lakhta Center, the symbol of modern St. Petersburg.

Architect Philip Nikandrov tells how Gazprom's Okhta Center in St. Petersburg turned into Lakhta Center, and explains why the architect should be more important than developers and officials

Chief architect of Gorproekt Filipp Nikandrov /Evgeniy Egorov / Vedomosti

Philip Nikandrov designed high-rise buildings for St. Petersburg and Moscow that have every chance of becoming new city symbols - the Lakhta Center tower on the shores of the Gulf of Finland and the Evolution tower in Moscow City. The architect worked for 15 years at the international bureau RMJM, in offices in the UK and the Middle East, from where he returned to Russia in 2004. He began designing high-rise buildings in the 2000s, working in Dubai. At home, he led the design of two skyscrapers based on his concepts, which won international architectural competitions - the Evolution tower in Moscow City in 2005 and the Gazprom complex in St. Petersburg in 2006.

The Lakhta Center tower in St. Petersburg, where Gazprom structures will move, will be put into operation in the fall of 2018. It will become the tallest building in Europe (462 m).

– Construction of the Lakhta Center is being completed. But at one time the decision to build a tower for Gazprom in St. Petersburg caused a scandal. Tell us about the history of the project and why the move from Okhta to Lakhta took place?

– This story began on a plot of about 5 hectares in the place where the Okhta flows into the Neva. On the site of Petrozavod, which was demolished in 2008, there was once the Okhtinskaya shipyard, in the 16th–17th centuries. here was the Swedish fortress of Nyenschanz, and before that, back in the 13th century, the Swedish fortress of Landskrona. In fact, the history of St. Petersburg began with the fact that in 1703 Peter I took Nyenschanz by siege, and three weeks later founded new town downstream of the Neva, starting to build a fortress on Hare Island. The old earthen fortification of Nyenskans was subsequently destroyed. When in 2006 " Gazprom“announced a closed international competition to build a headquarters on this site, I collaborated with the British company RMJM, which was shortlisted from all Pritzker laureates. We were able to present an interesting concept that was liked by customers and the majority of the jury, while simultaneously winning the open Internet voting and voting at the exhibition of competitive projects.

The concept not only embodied the historical genetic code of the site in its forms - we proposed the museumification of Nyenschanz and Landskrona by tracing its outlines in the paving and in the numerous atrium spaces of the complex, which also included an archaeological museum for artifacts found during excavations carried out with Gazprom’s money. True, the archaeologists, having received their reward, declared the entire site “the Troy of St. Petersburg” and demanded a ban on construction, without having any scientific plans for conserving the site or recreating the earthen fortress, except, of course, a pure remake - to build one razed in the 17th century. fortification from scratch again, and then declare it a monument. Having passed the approval of Glavgosexpertiza in 2010, the project was closed, and the authorities of St. Petersburg immediately declared the entire site a monument and prohibited any construction on it.

But the project on Okhta was closed mainly not because of UNESCO’s protests about the very fact of high-rise construction in the so-called buffer zone near the historical center, but because of the revealed illegitimacy of the city’s high-rise regulations, when gross violations were discovered when it was adopted as part of the PZZ [ rules of land use and development] of St. Petersburg. In 2010, the Supreme Court overturned it. Then, about 120 projects were actually suspended, located in the territories of the industrial belt around the historical center, which UNESCO considered a buffer zone (such status in defining the boundaries of the historical center of St. Petersburg as a monument world heritage still no). But this whole story developed against the backdrop of the emerging pre-election political protest, in which the construction of a tower for opposition movements in St. Petersburg symbolized a certain act of violence by the authorities over culture and history, hence various kinds of comparisons of towers with phallic images and the lament of part of the intelligentsia about “defloration” cultural space of the city" (they came up with such a thing!). Built in the 1960s. No one seemed to notice the 300-meter television tower against the background of the spire of Peter and Paul Fortress and three dozen smoking industrial chimneys, exceeding the mark of the top of St. Isaac's dome. That is, all this was not so much about architecture as about politics; this landmark project “smelled too much of power.”

Philip Nikandrov

Chief Architect of Gorproekt

Born in 1968 in Leningrad. Graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute. In 1994 he joined the Union of Architects of Russia

Works at Lengiprogor: Workshop No. 3, participation in projects for Severodvinsk

Moved to the Personal Creative Architectural Workshop (PTAM) of Yu. K. Mityurev

Became chief architect in the offices of the UK, Middle East and Russia of the international architectural company RMJM Scotland Ltd. (since 2011 - director and co-director of the European studio RMJM). In 1999 he received a professional license to carry out independent architectural activities

Appointed chief architect of JSC Gorproekt

Initially, the idea was not received with hostility, in 2006 an architectural competition was held, there was an open exhibition of all concepts, there was controversy, but already in 2007 serious money flowed into a protest campaign to discredit the project on Okhta. I don’t know exactly who financed this, but it was about moving the country’s largest taxpayer from the capital, the amount of tax deductions of which was comparable to the total annual budget of St. Petersburg, and too many influential forces were interested, if not stopping, then at least slowing down this move from one region to another.

– You yourself did not perceive that project as a threat to the historical appearance of St. Petersburg?

- No. This would certainly bother me if it were being built, say, opposite Palace Square or the Peter and Paul Fortress, similar to the 300-meter London tower The Shard, which stands across the Thames directly opposite the Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our site was far beyond the boundaries of the historical city ensembles. We then built a 3D model of the city, carried out our landscape-visual analysis, looking at all the points from which streets the tower would be visible, and found only 5-6 streets, on the axis of which the new dominant sat, and all these streets were outside the so-called golden triangle. Five kilometers from Palace Square is quite a decent distance.

But Gazprom eventually made a strategically correct decision - to move the construction from disputed territory and away from the historical center. Since 2011, the project has been developing in Lakhta, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, on a section of alluvial territory, 5 km from the border of the historical center. RMJM was unable to survive the international economic crisis and work with it did not go beyond concept. So, together with the Lakhta Center project, I went to work as the chief architect at Gorproekt, which won the tender for the general design of the facility in 2011. Since then, the project has been completely and repeatedly redesigned; all that remains from the previous concept is the idea of ​​the silhouette of a spire tower, symbolizing the flame that Gazprom brings to the people. But now it is 462 m, it will be for many years to come the tallest skyscraper not only in Russia, but also in Europe.

Now “Lakhta Center” as a new social and business cluster is the flagship of the agglomeration practically in the center of the lagoon ring of the Gulf of Finland, surrounded by a ring highway, in the orbit of which Greater St. Petersburg will develop in the 21st century. And the tower on the shore of the bay, as a new city-wide dominant, forms the sea facade of the city directly opposite the new passenger port, which receives 5-7 cruise ships at a time during the summer tourist season, and this is more tourists than arrives through Pulkovo Airport daily.

-What was in this place before?

– There was a sand depot – they stored sand for construction projects.

– So the tower stands on the sand?

– No, it stands on 264 piles with a diameter of 2 m and 82 m deep, they go through the first 30 m of soft soil and rest on hard clay. The foundation slab was poured continuously for more than two days (a Guinness Book record).

The area of ​​the first phase is 8 hectares, there will be large landscaped spaces: three public squares, an open amphitheater with a stage against the backdrop of the bay, an entertaining science museum with a planetarium, and a concert hall. The tower is completed not by the office of the head of the company, but by an accessible observation deck, an absolute center of attraction for tourists. The facility is also LEED Gold certified, making it a national leader in energy conservation and environmental stewardship, yet it is the headquarters of a major energy company that keeps pace with progress.

– What is the ratio of the areas that Gazprom will occupy to public areas?

– Less than 45% of all areas are allocated for office functions, the rest are public spaces and functions, including recreation. Gazprom has another site of 7 hectares nearby; a second phase will be built there, where there will be more office space.

– Does Gazprom pay for everything?

– Investor of the first phase – “ Gazprom Neft", this company was initially the developer and developer of the project through its subsidiary. But in the end, all the main brands of the Gazprom group of companies will live in the complex. Now in St. Petersburg they occupy comparable areas in different business centers and pay rent. In the long term, owning a building is a definite saving for them.

– Do you assume that Lakhta will face the fate of the Eiffel Tower rather than Montparnasse? (The 210-meter Montparnasse Tower, the only skyscraper in the historical center of Paris, became the object of criticism. Two years after its construction, the construction of high-rise buildings on this territory was prohibited.)

“I really hope so, but history will be the judge.” However, any architect is convinced that he is right. Although, I think, the creator of the Montparnasse Tower was also proud of it. We - architects, designers - live and work in difficult times in the context of the ideology of universal consumerism, which forces many of our colleagues to destroy their own buildings, following the path of momentary architectural fashion, constantly inventing new styles and thereby devaluing the value of previous ones. This makes life difficult for investors, especially if it is a high-rise building. The construction period increases with height in direct proportion. And it may turn out that, having invested in a concept that was trendy at the time the project began, you will end up with a facility that is obsolete by the time construction is completed. This is why so many pseudo-classical buildings are being built in Russia (which is considered bad taste in Europe) - in this way, customers are trying to save investments and deceive time. But they are only deceiving themselves; all these “pseudo” and “quasi” will never become classics, but will forever remain in the category of pathetic parodies. The style of the facades and forms of the Lakhta Center is timeless; it is not tied to any architectural fashion.

– Is the tower reinforced concrete?

– A reinforced concrete core in the center and concrete steel columns along the periphery, between them there are steel beams and reinforced concrete floors on a steel corrugated sheet - this is the most popular type of structure for mega-skyscrapers now, it is called composite. By 2020, when the tower is fully occupied, it will no longer be included in the list of the 20 most tall towers peace. But we live in the context of Europe, and there were no goals to set high-altitude records. The task initially was to find harmony with the place in the urban planning context of St. Petersburg.

- How was it built?

– Many of the advanced construction technologies used have already been tested previously at other sites, but on a more modest scale. For example, the facades are unique: this is the largest cold-formed facade in the world (after the Evolution Tower): the glass is curved and strictly follows the spiral geometry of the form, as if flowing continuously. In addition, an intelligent ventilated façade is used here: in summer it will prevent heating of rooms when the ventilation valves are open, and in winter it will accumulate solar energy due to the greenhouse effect, reducing energy costs for heating when the ventilation valves are closed. The facade maintenance system is also unique: special rails are laid according to the shape of the building, along which beams with a cradle will move for washing or replacing double-glazed windows. Architectural lighting and anti-icing systems are integrated into these same rails. Anti-icing measures are extremely important here - no one has built such tall buildings at such a northern latitude and in such a humid climate. Special sensors will monitor when it is necessary to turn on local heating in places where icicles may appear during the cold season.

The city certainly needs such objects; they position it much further than its usual niche of a museum city or Northern Venice. St. Petersburg, like Venice, is a flat city. But the height of ordinary buildings outside the historical center has increased several times, but the height of the dominant buildings has not, now average height historical architectural dominants in the center - 50–60 m, like an average residential building on the outskirts. And this new scale dictates the scale of new high-rise dominants. But until recently, such dominant buildings were not built in the city.

Photo gallery

Turned out to be the highest

Skyscrapers and high-rise construction in general are a trend associated with the increasing density of our cities and megalopolises, as, indeed, all phenomena of our life. The trend is positive if professionals are involved in urban planning, as well as the design and construction of skyscrapers, and a frightening phenomenon if amateurs are involved in this, and this also happens.

– Do you think that increasing building density is progressive?

– Increasing building density is progressive and inevitable. It is progressive, since in general on the planet, with increasing density, living becomes more and more compact and, thus, significant areas that remain on the balance of natural ecosystems are preserved or freed from development. Inevitable, since with the growth of the planet's population, the general tendency to save resources, including energy and all types of infrastructure, is intensifying.

– Nowadays there is a lot of talk about the need to build garden cities, but they continue to build anthill cities. What needs to happen to society for progressive urban trends to prevail?

– I can’t answer in a few words. Russia is now in captivity of several trends at the same time - industrial society still predominates, but in megacities, where traditional production is being replaced by an innovative and service economy, elements of a post-industrial social structure are already visible. For example, Skolkovo can be considered as a prototype or, rather, a showroom of such a garden city. Although it is being created in some isolation from the real economy of the country and has signs of Potemkin villages, this is the fate of many pilot projects.

Russia is still dominated by mass housing construction from the industrialization era, dating back to Khrushchev's times. To this day, millions of adult children live with their parents, millions of divorced spouses continue to share living space, not to mention the millions of people living in communal apartments and dilapidated houses. New buildings are still competing for buyers’ wallets with the same Khrushchev and Brezhnev buildings: such a poor competitive background does not promise us the special quality of economy-class houses being built and improving the urban environment. IN Western countries On the contrary, there is an overproduction of housing, so there is no such scale of mass housing construction; much less is being built there, which means that the competition is much higher and better quality. This also applies to social housing, which is also built, but according to government orders and not as massively as ours, which makes it possible to use individual projects for each specific site and even involve famous architects in these projects.

Only serious competition in the field of housing construction can revive the institution of real architectural competitions and return the quality of architecture to new construction. As for the “anthills” that have already been built, unfortunately, we have to live with this, and for a very long time.

But we must understand that progressive urban trends do not promise a decrease in building density in our cities; it will continue to grow with the increasing pace of urbanization. Which will continue until at least the middle of this century, when, according to forecasts, 70% of the world's population will live in cities. But these may be completely different cities.

– Polycentric or monocentric development, agglomeration or conurbation – which path should Moscow and St. Petersburg choose?

– The general plans and public planning zones of both megacities, as well as all Russian urban planning as a science, are still based on the fundamental principles of urban planning of an industrial society since the industrial revolutions of the 19th century. This means: industrial zones were built at a distance from the downtown, and residential residential areas were located nearby, stadiums, parks for recreation of citizens, etc. were built separately. However, if we get rid of such functional zoning and zoning of cities according to the old schemes of centric development and build life of a post-industrial society, creating a mixed development in which housing, retail, offices, schools, universities, cultural and sports facilities will harmoniously coexist along landscaped and landscaped streets and squares, then a further increase in urban density due to an increase in the number of storeys of buildings can be carried out without destroying such harmony, and, on the contrary, reducing the need for daily migration. The fact that now the majority of the population lives in one area, works in another, and goes shopping or relaxing in a third, only creates a transport collapse. The answer to this challenge is the polycentric development of our cities.

– It has already become a commonplace that developers criticize architects for being “excessively beautiful”, and architects criticize developers for simplifying projects to the detriment of quality. Is it possible for these parties to reach an agreement? And How?

– This is an eternal dispute and struggle for a share in the budget. The developer will strive, if not to cut, then to extremely optimize the budget allocated for architectural expressiveness, quality of details and landscaping. An architect, on the contrary, will (and is obligated by definition) to fight for an increase in the budget for aesthetics and quality. But an agreement is possible. If, for example, we accept the principle of minimalism in the lofty sense in which [German architect Ludwig] Mies van der Rohe formulated it: “Less is more.” But it’s not the developer, not the official, but the architect who should measure “more or less” here.

– Do you agree that for an architect to make a good design for a cheap but high-quality house is a professional challenge? Do you have such projects?

– I absolutely agree, this, in principle, is the highest exam. Of course, for any architect it is great luck to receive an unlimited budget for the realization of his architectural dreams and fantasies, but, in my opinion, to build beautifully on a small budget is a much more honorable achievement and a higher mission worthy of applause.

We recently received such an order - a project for a standard residential building for rent. The result should be the concept of a rental home, which will be centrally owned and managed by a single homeowner. For this business to be successful in the market, the new landlord must offer not only affordable rent, but also exceptionally attractive housing to potential tenants in terms of quality and aesthetics. This is the task and the professional challenge you are asking about.

– At a recent forum on high-rise construction in Yekaterinburg, you painted a picture of an ideal city of the future. What should it be like?

– So that the majority of its residents would be comfortable living there, without dreaming of moving to another city. So that people born in it would like to live their lives in it. We are talking about an environmentally and socially safe urbanized urban space, in harmony with the environment and providing - due to its layout and functional configuration - convenient and easy access for citizens to the main elements of complex social infrastructure, including employment, education, healthcare, culture, trade , recreation and sports. As for transport, its structure is already changing with the process of “Uberization” and with the advent of unmanned vehicles and drones, and the goal for the person of the future, in my opinion, is to move around the city less in a car and walk more and/or use bicycles and hoverboards . The pattern of daily migrations within the city has already begun to change, online shopping and couriers have begun to slowly but surely kill traditional trade; in developed countries, street retail, malls and hypermarkets with huge parking lots are slowly dying out as a class. But people must remain mobile enough to travel between cities or travel around the world. I think that virtual reality will reduce the share of business tourism and business trips, people will travel to visit relatives or to see the world. And if tourists flock en masse to a certain city, then it means that it is already successful in some way and has thereby won its place in the present and future.

One of the tallest buildings in Russia and Europe - the modern skyscraper Lakhta Center - is located in the Primorsky district of St. Petersburg. Its construction began in 2012, the building was put into operation in 2018, and the opening of the Lakhta Center is scheduled for early 2020. In addition to Gazprom's headquarters, there will be offices, scientific and business centers, an amphitheater, a sports club and other infrastructure. The main highlight of the tower will be the observation deck, which offers a panoramic view of St. Petersburg and the Gulf of Finland. The cost of the Lakhta Center is estimated at 2.5 billion dollars.

Observation deck of Lakhta Center

The most anticipated object of the complex is the observation deck, which will be located at an altitude of 360 meters, on the top floor. It will be a panoramic site with a 360° viewing angle and telescopes for a detailed view. High-speed elevators will be available to lift visitors up. It is planned that the Lakhta Center observation deck will become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

Christmas tree

Despite the fact that the official opening of the skyscraper has not yet taken place, Lakhta Center is already taking part in the cultural life of the Northern capital. In honor of the New Year, on December 31, festive lighting was lit on the façade of the building, turning the tower into the world's tallest green Christmas tree.

Video of New Year's greetings:

Lakhta Center webcam

Currently at the level observation deck A webcam has been installed that broadcasts a panorama of St. Petersburg and the Gulf of Finland in real time. You can see the popular attractions of the city - the park named after the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the Gazprom Arena stadium, the Yacht Bridge, Elagin Island and other objects.

Floor plan and architecture

Due to widespread media coverage of the construction of this facility, many are interested in the question “how many floors are there in the Lakhta Center and what will be there?” According to the project, the tower has 87 floors, and the total area of ​​​​the premises is 400 thousand square meters. meters, of which 130 thousand square meters are designated for offices. meters. Almost 40 elevators are planned to be launched to move between floors. In addition to the main building, the complex includes two more buildings, which are located on the sides of the tower. Their height varies from 22 to 85 meters.

Lakhta Center Project

In addition to the observation deck and Gazprom headquarters, the complex will house the following facilities:

• Panoramic restaurant Lakhta Center. The halls will be located on the 75th and 76th floors (height about 320 meters). This will be a nice alternative viewing platform. Based on the results of selecting applicants to create a restaurant, the management company announced the winner at the beginning of 2019. They were famous Russian football players - the Berezutsky brothers, who proposed the concept of a restaurant of Russian cuisine, the basis of which would be Russian-made products and unique recipes from all over the country.
• Multifunctional hall - transformer and congress center. A unique feature of this hall is that, if necessary, it can be divided into two rooms. This is the first such facility in St. Petersburg. The seating arrangement and stage configuration can be changed to suit the format of the event. It is planned that the transforming hall will host concerts, performances, fashion shows and other events.
• Scientific and educational center. The main task of the scientific center will be to popularize science among the population. The center will be open to a wide audience, educational events will be held here - lectures, exhibitions. The exhibition area reaches 7000 square meters. meters.
• Medical Center. The Lakhta Center diagnostic and treatment complex is designed to provide services to residents of the Primorsky district of St. Petersburg. Equipped with the most modern equipment, the medical center will provide dental, therapeutic, surgical and other services.
• Sports complex. In Lakhta Center it is planned to create a large sports center with an area of ​​4600 sq. meters. There will be gyms, group exercise rooms, swimming pools, relaxation and wellness centers.
• Atrium, shopping areas, expositions. For office workers and visitors to the skyscraper there will be exhibition halls for art objects and works of art, a multimedia hall, as well as cafes, canteens and shops.
• Offices. Management Company offers offices for rent ranging from 650 to 2100 sq. m. meters. Detailed information from the administration, contacts can be found on the official website of the Lakhta Center.

At the foot of the tower, on the territory overlooking the bay, it is planned to build amphitheater. Designed for 2,000 seats, the facility will be the first structure of this type in St. Petersburg. The amphitheater is oriented towards the sea; according to the architects' plan, the stage can be water or the coastline.

Architectural solution

Since the Lakhta Center building has an extreme height, during the development of the project and construction, much attention was paid to the stability and safety of the structure. The main tower has a central core made of reinforced concrete, within which the most important communications and security zones are located. The foundation of the skyscraper stands on 2080 piles, and the floors and columns are made of metal and concrete.

The architectural concept of Lakhta Center was developed by RMJM in 2011. As conceived by the authors, the outlines of the skyscraper fit perfectly into the landscape of St. Petersburg and form a harmonious combination with the spiers and domes of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The glazing of the Lakhta Center is made without joints, which gives the building lightness - the smooth walls of the facade reflect water and clouds.

How to get to Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg

Metro near Lakhta Center

The nearest metro station “Begovaya” is within walking distance from the skyscraper. The walk will take about 20 minutes, but while the tower is not open, you can admire it from the territory of the park of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.

Route from the metro to Lakhta Center:

The authorities plan to build a new Lakhta metro station. The project is included in the metro development plan until 2025.

Ground transportation

There is a stop near the Lakhta Center public transport- “15th km Lakhta”. There are buses No. 101, 101a, 110, 211, 216 and minibuses No. 206, 210, 232, 305, 305a, 400, 405, 417, 425.

In addition, to travel around St. Petersburg, you can use applications from taxi services Uber, Gett, Yandex. Taxi, Maxim, Taxovichkof, etc.

Presentation of Lakhta Center: video tour

Night lighting of Lakhta Center: panorama-google