Okhta center building height. A whole city will be spread under the Lakhta Center tower

Lakhta Center is a modern socio-economic business complex located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland in St. Petersburg. The construction is financed by Gazprom, and its central office will also be located here.

It has been going on for 6 years now. And the construction completion date was set for the third quarter of 2018.

Lakhta center when opening: grandiose construction of a public and business center

The center will include a huge number of facilities: a large medical center, a sports complex, a children's science and entertainment complex, an embankment, concert and conference halls, restaurants, offices of large companies, and much more.

The key figure of the complex is a skyscraper with a height of 462 meters or 87 floors, which has become the northernmost skyscraper and the tallest building in Europe. The top will become a beacon for passing ships, searchlights are built into its hexagonal top.

Lakhta center when opening: the latest information on work in progress

According to the latest information from the construction press center, the last tower crane has been dismantled in the complex. All construction work is currently ahead of schedule. The dismantling was supposed to be completed by the semi-final match of the 2018 World Cup.

The construction management expressed the hope that the appearance of the object will cause positive emotions among residents and guests of the "northern capital".

In June 2018, work is also planned inside the building, installation of the facades of the building and the MFZ, work with the facades of the entrance arch.

Lakhta center when opening: commissioning of the observation deck

From the executive director of the project Alexander Bobkov, information was also received that the observation deck, located at a height of 360 meters, which corresponds to the 83-87th floor of the skyscraper, will become available to visitors only by the end of 2019. This is due to the deadlines that will be set for the entry into the complex of the main tenants of the premises.

A fee will be charged for entering the site and at the same time about 50 people will be able to visit it, and it will start functioning stably in 2019-2020.

Since the bird's-eye view of St. Petersburg is amazing, an influx of visitors is expected: Petersburgers and tourists visiting the city. Special telescopes equipped with interactive maps will be installed on the observation deck, which will allow you to get acquainted with the sights of the city. According to preliminary data, 300-350 thousand people will be able to visit it during the year.

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

Philip Nikandrov, chief architect of Gorproekt /Evgeny Egorov / Vedomosti

Philip Nikandrov designed skyscrapers for St. Petersburg and Moscow that have every chance of becoming new city symbols - the Lakhta Center tower on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and the Evolution tower in Moscow City. The architect worked for 15 years in the international bureau RMJM, in offices in the UK and in the Middle East, from where he returned to Russia in 2004. He began designing skyscrapers in the 2000s while working in Dubai. At home, he led the design of two skyscrapers according to his concepts that 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 autumn 2018. It will become the tallest building in Europe (462 m).

- The 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 did you move from Okhta to Lakhta?

- This story began on a plot of about 5 hectares in the place where the Okhta flows into the Neva. On the site of the demolished in 2008 Petrozavod was once the Okhta shipyard, in the XVI-XVII centuries. here was the Swedish fortress Nienschanz, and before that, back in the 13th century, the Swedish fortress Landskrona. In fact, the history of St. Petersburg began with the fact that in 1703 Peter I took Nienschanz by siege, and three weeks later he founded a new city downstream of the Neva, starting to build a fortress on Hare Island. The old earthen fortification of Nyenschantz was subsequently destroyed. When in 2006 " Gazprom” announced a closed international competition for the construction of headquarters on this site, I collaborated with the British company RMJM, which was shortlisted from a solid list of Pritzker laureates. We were able to present an interesting concept that was liked by the customers and the majority of the jury members, while winning both the open Internet voting and the 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 Nienschanz and Landskrona by tracing its outlines in the paving and in the numerous atrium spaces of the complex, which also provided for an archaeological museum for artifacts found during the excavations carried out at the expense of Gazprom. True, the archaeologists, having received their reward, declared the entire site "Petersburg Troy" and demanded a ban on construction, while having no scientific plans to conserve the site or recreate an earthen fortress, except, of course, a pure remake - to build a hidden in the 17th century. fortification from scratch again, and then declare it a monument. Having been approved by the Glavgosexpertiza in 2010, the project was closed, and the authorities of St. Petersburg immediately declared the entire site a monument and banned any construction on it.

But the project on Okhta was closed mainly not even in connection with the protests of UNESCO about the very fact of high-rise construction in the so-called buffer zone near the historical center, but because of the 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. At that time, about 120 projects were actually suspended, located in the territories of the industrial belt around the historical center, which UNESCO considered a buffer zone (there is still no such status in determining the boundaries of the historical center of St. Petersburg as a world heritage site). But this whole story developed against the background of the emerging pre-election political protest, in which the construction of a tower for opposition movements in St. cultural space of the city” (they came up with such a thing!). Built in the 1960s. The 300-meter TV tower against the backdrop of the spire of Peter and Paul and three dozen smoky industrial chimneys, exceeding the mark of the top of the dome of Isaac, no one seemed to notice. That is, all this was not so much about architecture as about politics, this landmark project “smelled of power” too strongly.

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

He became the 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 CJSC "Gorproekt"

Initially, the idea was not accepted 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 for sure who financed this, but it was about moving from the capital of the country’s largest taxpayer, the amount of tax deductions from which was comparable to the total annual budget of St. one region to another.

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

- Not. I would certainly be embarrassed if it was built, say, opposite Palace Square or the Peter and Paul Fortress, similar to the 300-meter London tower The Shard, standing across the Thames directly opposite the Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our site was far beyond the historical urban 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 a 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 in the end, Gazprom made a strategically correct decision - to move the construction site from the disputed territory and away from the historical center. Since 2011, the project has been developing in Lakhta, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, on a site of an alluvial area, 5 km from the border of the historical center. RMJM could not survive the international economic crisis and the work with it did not go further than the concept. So, along with the Lakhta Center project, I moved 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 revised, only the idea of ​​the silhouette of the tower-spire, symbolizing the flame that Gazprom brings to people, has remained from the previous concept. But now it is 462 m, it will be the tallest skyscraper not only in Russia, but also in Europe for many years to come.

Now Lakhta Center, as a new public 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 liners at the same time in the summer tourist season, and this is more tourists than daily arrives through Pulkovo Airport.

What was there before in this place?

- There was a sand base - they stored sand for construction sites.

- So the tower is on the sand?

- No, it stands on 264 piles with a diameter of 2 m to 82 m deep, they pass the first 30 m of weak soils and abut against hard clay. The foundation slab was continuously poured for more than two days (a Guinness Book record).

The area of ​​the site 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 viewing platform, an unconditional center of attraction for tourists. The facility is also certified gold by LEED, making it a national flagship for energy efficiency and environmental friendliness, yet it is the headquarters of the largest energy company growing in step with progress.

– What is the ratio of the areas to be occupied by Gazprom and 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 7-hectare site nearby, where they will build the second phase, where there will be more office space.

- Does Gazprom pay for everything?

– Investor of the first phase – “ Gazprom Neft”, this company was originally the builder and developer of the project through its subsidiary. But in the end, all the main brands of the Gazprom group of companies will settle in the complex. Now they occupy comparable areas in St. Petersburg in different business centers and pay rent. In the long run, their own building is a clear savings for them.

- Do you suppose that the fate of Lakhta is not the Montparnasse, but the Eiffel Tower? (The 210-meter Montparnasse tower, the only skyscraper in the historic center of Paris, became the object of criticism. Two years after its construction, high-rise buildings were forbidden to be erected on this territory.)

I really hope so, but history will 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 a difficult time in the context of the ideology of universal consumerism, which forces many of our colleagues to kill their own buildings, following the path of momentary architectural fashion, constantly inventing new styles and thereby devaluing the value of the previous ones. This makes life difficult for investors, especially when it comes to high-rise buildings. The construction period with height increases in direct proportion. And it may turn out that, having invested in a concept that was trendy at the time of the start of the project, you will get an object obsolete by the time the construction is completed. That 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 only deceive themselves, all these "pseudo" and "quasi" will never become classics, but will forever remain in the category of miserable parodies. The style of the facades and forms of 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 concreted steel columns along the periphery, between them there are steel beams and reinforced concrete ceilings on steel corrugated board - this is the most popular type of construct for megaskyscrapers 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 tallest towers in the world. But we live in the context of Europe, and there were no tasks to set high-altitude records. The task was initially to find harmony with the place in the urban context of St. Petersburg.

- How was it built?

- Many of the advanced building technologies used have already been tested earlier at other sites, but on a more modest scale. For example, the facades are unique: this is the world's largest cold-formed facade (after the Evolution tower): the glass is curved and strictly follows the spiral geometry of the form, as if it flows continuously. In addition, an intelligent ventilated facade is used here: in summer it will prevent heating of the premises when the ventilation valves are open, and in winter it will accumulate solar energy due to the greenhouse effect, reducing energy consumption 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 the same rails. Anti-icing measures are extremely important here - no one has built such tall buildings at such a northerly latitude and in such a humid climate. Special sensors will monitor when it will be 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 as a museum city or Venice of the North. Petersburg, like Venice, is a flat city. But the height of ordinary buildings outside the historical center has grown several times, but the height of the dominants has not, now the average height of historical architectural dominants in the center is 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 dominants 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 metropolitan areas, as, indeed, all the phenomena of our life. The trend is positive if urban planning, as well as the design and construction of skyscrapers, are professionals, and a frightening phenomenon if amateurs do it, and this also happens.

- Do you think that increasing the building density is progressive?

– Increasing building density is progressive and inevitable. It is progressive, because as a whole on the planet, with an increase in density, habitation becomes more and more compact and, thus, significant territories remain or are freed from development, remaining on the balance of natural ecosystems. Inevitably, because with the growth of the world's population, the general trend to save resources, including energy and all types of infrastructure, is intensifying.

- Now they talk a lot about the need to build garden cities, but they continue to build anthill cities. What must happen to society in order for progressive urban tendencies to prevail?

- In a nutshell, do not answer. Russia is now a prisoner of several trends at the same time - an industrial society still prevails, but in megacities, where traditional production is replaced by an innovative and service economy, elements of a post-industrial social structure are already visible. For example, Skolkovo can be seen as a prototype, or rather a showroom, of such a garden city. Although it is created in some isolation from the real economy of the country and has signs of Potemkin villages, but such is the fate of many pilot projects.

In Russia, the mass housing construction of the era of industrialization, which began with the Khrushchev era, still prevails. Until now, 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 Khrushchevs and Brezhnevs: such a miserable competitive background does not promise us a special quality of economy-class houses under construction and improvement of 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, they build much less there, which means that the competition is much higher and the quality is better. This also applies to social housing, which is also being built, but according to government orders and not as massively as we do, which makes it possible to use individual projects for each specific site and even involve well-known 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 already built "anthills", then, unfortunately, we have to live with it, 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 growth 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 it could be completely different cities.

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

– General plans and planning plans 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 sleeping residential areas were located nearby, stadiums, parks for the rest 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 life of a post-industrial society, creating a mixed building in which housing, retail, offices, schools, universities, cultural and sports facilities will harmoniously coexist along well-maintained and landscaped streets and squares, then a further increase in the density of cities due to an increase in the number of storeys of the building can be carried out without destroying such harmony, but, 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 scold architects for “excessive prettiness”, and developers' architects for simplifying projects at the expense of quality. Can these parties come to an agreement? And How?

- This is an eternal dispute and a struggle for a share in the budget. The developer will strive to optimize, if not cut, then optimize the budget allocated for architectural expressiveness, quality of details and landscaping. And the architect, on the contrary, will (and is obliged by definition) to fight for an increase in the budget for aesthetics and quality. But it is possible to agree. If, for example, we accept the principle of minimalism in the high sense in which it was formulated by [German architect Ludwig] Mies van der Rohe: "Less is more." That's just to measure "more-less" here should not be a developer, not an official, but an architect.

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

- I absolutely agree, this, in principle, is the highest exam. Of course, it is great luck for any architect 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 merit and a higher mission worthy of applause.

Recently, we received such an order - a project of a typical residential building for rent. The result should be the concept of a rental house, which will be centrally owned and managed by a single homeowner. For this business to be successful in the marketplace, the new homeowner must offer not only affordable fees, but also housing that is exceptionally attractive 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 drew a picture of an ideal city of the future. What should it be?

- So that most of its residents feel comfortable living in it, without dreaming of moving to another city. So that people born in it want to live their lives in it. We are talking about an environmentally and socially safe urbanized urban space that is in harmony with the environment and provides - by virtue of its layout and functional equipment - convenient and easy access for citizens to the main elements of a 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 travel less around the city in a car and walk more and / or use bicycles and hoverboards . The pattern of daily migration 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 need to stay 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 massively aspire to a city, then it means that it is already successful in some ways, and thus has won its place in the present and future.

The Lakhta Center multifunctional complex, which is under construction in St. Petersburg, will be put into operation in autumn 2018. The exact date of the opening of the new headquarters of Gazprom has not yet been announced. However, it is known that the selection of the last tenants of the complex will be completed by spring. At the same time, the developer has already launched a competition to determine the contractor for the construction of the second stage of a large-scale project, which should seriously affect the local real estate market.

At the moment, the list of companies that will occupy the space in the Lakhta Center complex has already been determined, but this is not the final version of the list. Finishing of numerous premises in the project will start next summer, Kommersant reports.

The construction of a multifunctional headquarters for the largest Russian commodity company has been underway since 2012. In addition to offices, the new complex will house a children's scientific and educational, medical and sports centers, a planetarium, a congress center, banks, various cafes and restaurants.

At the moment, the central object of the IFC has already become the tallest tower in St. Petersburg and Europe. When the skyscraper is fully built, its height will be 462 m, and the offices will house various departments of the Gazprom group.

According to Vladislav Fadeev, head of research at JLL in St. Petersburg, the launch of the Lakhta Center will affect not only commercial real estate in the construction area, but the entire market of the city. "As far as is known, the tower will house the headquarters of Gazprom Neft and the offices of PJSC Gazprom itself. Taking into account the fact that several business centers that are currently occupied by these companies will be vacated when moving to the tower, we will talk about on the redistribution of space throughout the city's office market.This does not mean that these areas will completely enter the market, rather, they will be occupied by other structures of the corporation.However, these movements will affect the city's office real estate market as a whole.At the moment, precise plans for the redistribution of Gazprom's structures is unknown," Fadeev concluded.

At the same time, even at the stage of construction of the first stage, the company realized that even such a huge building would not have enough space. In the future, the second stage will appear in the Lakhta Center. The general contractor for its construction will be chosen by the end of 2017.

According to Ivan Pochinshchikov, managing partner of IPG.Estate, the 300th Anniversary Park is already a point of attraction for citizens. “Various public events are held there, the park has become a place for active recreation. Lakhta Center is not just the headquarters of Gazprom, it is an object of urban significance. In addition to the business component, the project provides for the development of tourism infrastructure: an observation deck on the tallest building Europe, a planetarium, a panoramic restaurant, an interactive science center for children, an exhibition hall, sports and medical centers, an amphitheater on the shore of the bay, cafes, shops... However, it is premature to say that the Primorsky district will become another business cluster. corporations of the company, but we should not say that the demand will be high. It should be understood that the IFC will not become the only location where the company's structures will be located," the specialist emphasized.

In addition, now some commercial real estate in this location is also being reformatted as business centers, focusing on the emerging market conditions. One such example is the Aura shopping center, which the Best company is currently remodeling into an office center.

Marina Puzanova, head of the commercial real estate department at Knight Frank Spb, notes that today the total leasable area of ​​functioning high-quality business centers in the local environment of the Lakhta Center is 200 thousand square meters. m, excluding facilities intended for the companies' own needs. "This location is among the five districts that are best provided with speculative supply, 90% of which is represented by class B business centers. In the middle of the year, the northwestern location was among the leaders in terms of vacant space - about 28 thousand square meters were free. However, the absorption rate in the first half of the year here increased by 7.6 percentage points compared to the results of the same period in 2016, which indicates an increase in the interest of potential tenants in the location. leases for high-quality office space are in the range of 1.1-1.4 thousand rubles per 1 sq. m per month,” Puzanova analyzes.

"Lakhta Center": "As future residents of Lakhta, we are the first to need a comfortable environment"

The Gazprom tower will be completed by the end of the year, while city dwellers are concerned about plans for the development of adjacent territories. Fontanka studied the urban plan, went to the area and received first-hand answers to questions.

The Lakhta Center tower will be completed in a year. When road junctions appear nearby, an amphitheater, an international yacht club and the tennis academy founded by Poltavchenko will open, where the park “disappeared” from the images of the project and why the trees are being cut down,” Alexander Bobkov, executive director of the project, said in an interview with Fontanka.

- When will Lakhta Center be commissioned? Are there any delays?

- How the construction is going on, you can already observe with the naked eye, at this stage there is nothing to hide - no delays, no breaks ahead. We plan to complete the main construction and installation works by the end of 2017, which will form the final architectural image of our complex. From now on, everyone will be able to see it as it was intended. And in 2018, we will finish the interior work and landscaping in order to hand over the complex in the fall of next year.

- Can new US sanctions affect the pace of construction?

- The main foreign equipment that we needed has already been purchased, and we do not fall under the criteria that are described in the sanctions conditions. So emotionally this is all unpleasant, but objectively we have no reason to worry.

- When will Gazprom's structures start moving into the complex?

- This is a question more for tenants who independently arrange interior spaces outside the common areas of the center. They are already seriously working on this issue, the design is underway, and I think that during 2019 the main relocation of the Gazprom structures to the complex will be completed.

- Will Alexey Miller, president of Gazprom, also move to the tower?

- The building has a block for the company's management, including a place where the chairman of the board can work.

Smolny promised to build road junctions near the Lakhta Center before its completion in 2018. How do you assess the fulfillment of these obligations?

- As such, the obligations of the city authorities to Gazprom have never been. There was a responsibility to the townspeople, in particular the residents of the Primorsky district. Plans for road infrastructure facilities were announced back in 2009, three years before we appeared on the site. Unfortunately, the speed of their implementation is lower than we would like. We hope that next year work will begin on the construction of a flyover between Primorskoye Highway and the territory of the southern part of the village of Lakhta-Olgino, as well as several auxiliary roads. According to the data that we have, similar facilities are usually built in two years.

- So, the denouement will appear after the opening of the Lakhta Center, and the area will still be stuck in traffic jams?

– We modeled the transport situation in the Lakhta Center area and found out that the project will not damage the current transport infrastructure. The traffic flows that our complex will generate are of a reverse nature. While in the morning residents of residential areas will go to work in the center of St. Petersburg, our workers will go along the almost empty Primorsky highway to work in the direction of Lakhta. And a similar situation will repeat itself in the evening, when our employees will go home to the center at 18-19, and the highway will be in a traffic jam from the city.

Now 11 thousand people work at the facility. All around you can see parked cars, which is not very pleasing to the locals. How do you solve this problem?

- Already at the initial stage of construction, we organized the delivery of workers by buses. This is what is happening now. But at the current stage, the number of highly qualified personnel involved in the installation and commissioning of engineering systems has significantly increased. They do not use centralized transportation and drive their own cars.

Neither we nor the residents like the huge amount of personal vehicles that stand on lawns and along roads. We are trying to resolve this issue in direct communication with the general contractor: we include clauses in the contract that he must ensure order not only on the site, but also around it; we insist that the number of buses be increased, we ourselves work with the police. We are trying to organize construction camps more “vertically” so that there is more space for organized parking of personal vehicles. That is, in every possible way we are trying to bring the situation back to normal.

- And after the commissioning of the center, where will the cars of 10,000 employees and visitors go?

- For the future, we have a spacious underground parking, more than 2,200 cars, under the very tower of the center, and after its opening, the cars of employees and guests will not go beyond the red lines of the facility.

- Places are five times less than workers ...

– It must be understood that a significant part of the complex’s employees are by no means white-collar workers and not “automobile” people. They will travel by public transport.

- What transport?

- A new railway station will be created right in the alignment of Lakhta Russian Railways. It will be possible to sit at the Finland Station and quickly get to the Lakhta Center area. Russian Railways is ready to start work within a year. And in the future, there are plans to restore a double-track branch in this direction, which was on this territory 100 years ago. We hope to see these changes by 2020. In the meantime, there will be no such transport infrastructure, a continuous transportation of people from the Begovaya station by shuttles will be organized.

- And how will tourists get there?

- We expect that tourists will arrive by water - vessels with a large draft of the "Moscow" type will stop at the Hercules port, and smaller water taxis will stop at the pier right next to the tower.

Local residents complain that Gazprom promised to build a park for them. He featured in the first images of the project. Now in its place are new buildings of the complex. How did it happen?

- We are located on the territory of the former industrial zone. Here before us there were sand dunes with dredges and in windy weather storms raged. This is all about the question of "the destroyed park and when we will return it." He never was.

According to the initial project of Lakhta Center, a recreational zone was provided for on a part of our land plot, which is now called the park by the residents, because in the pictures it looked green and well-maintained. But after the decision was made to relocate Gazprom in its entirety, a project of an office complex arose at this place, which will receive an additional amount of staff. This is the story of a lost principality that never existed.

- That is, there will be no compensation to residents instead of a mythical park?

- We are not building a residential complex, and the policy of “even a flood after us” is not applicable here. We are going to live here. Accordingly, we are the most interested people to make it comfortable here: for us, for our closest neighbors, and for the many guests of the complex.

What we can definitely talk about now is the Eastern and Southern embankments near the Lakhta Center, which in terms of area, landscaping and comfort level will be comparable to the park. Next to us, it is planned to completely reconstruct and create an international sailing center based on the yacht club "Hercules", with all the infrastructure - a hotel and a tower for watching regattas. Also, to the west of our site, it is planned to build a tennis academy, to the east - to place an eco-gallery and the museum-ship "Poltava". A large amphitheater is currently being built near the Lakhta Center, which will be able to accommodate several thousand people.

In fact, the industrial area will turn into an open, comfortable environment. The project will be absolutely open, and everyone will have access to it.

- Fontanka wrote about the start of the construction of the yacht club and tennis academy back in 2013. Why didn't they start?

– As far as I know (these projects are not being implemented by our structure), the delays are partly due to changes in land use legislation, partly due to a two-year delay in the adoption of the city's master plan. The overall budgetary situation did not contribute to the rapid construction either. But no one canceled the projects, and they will be implemented.

As far as it can be seen on the urban plan, is it in these areas that the cutting of overgrowth is now taking place, which worries the local residents so much?

Yes, but we are actually doing the work. We are currently leasing a part of the territory that is intended for the construction of a transport interchange and sports and leisure infrastructure from the city and will temporarily use it to organize the construction process. And then we will put it in order and hand it back to the city already prepared. So, hopefully, it will be possible to save some time.

- Do you manage to build a dialogue with the opponents of Lakhta Center?

- In most cases, yes. Moreover, receiving feedback, we see a clear acceptance of our project by the majority of citizens. But it happens that a constructive dialogue does not add up, because some people have their own sense of inner dreams.

- Do you mean an alternative project of one of the local activists?

- Exactly. He proposes at the current stage to create, for example, a beach named after Alexander Blok instead of the embankment. Or make a ready-made amphitheater a little differently and in another place.

- Is it possible to compare the defenders of Okhta with the activists of Lakhta?

– No, it was completely different. Okhta was a real city referendum. It really was a struggle of opinions. Compared to her today's conversations are like a Nanai boys' battle and a professional boxing match.

By the way, in April it was also said that Gazprom was negotiating with Smolny on the exchange of a site in Okhta for another. How did it end?

- Now we are not in the stage of negotiations on the exchange of sites with the city. We are looking for a project that would definitely decorate this place and would not like it to be given away for a typical residential development. For ourselves, we see a public and business center there, perhaps with a residential component. This place deserves a landmark project.

Considering that Gazprom is now engaged in a dialogue with any kind of Lakhta Center activists, does this mean that the company has learned from Okhta?

– Of course, from the point of view of shaping public opinion, St. Petersburg is a special city. There are truly authoritative, recognized opinion leaders here, and any major development projects need a comprehensive assessment. When building the Lakhta Center, we strive to approach our plans as carefully as possible, taking into account the needs of the townspeople and even looking into the future to a certain extent. But these 4 years of construction, I think, we were as open as possible, and everyone who wanted to participate was able to do it.

But it still failed to reconcile all Petersburgers with the new dominant, which is visible even from the Peter and Paul Fortress...

– The urban environment of St. Petersburg is rather conservative. In this sense, it is a matter of introducing something new, futuristic, into the habitat that is familiar to the inhabitants of St. Petersburg. It is a really difficult task to create a new architecture in the city of classics with one project.

But we hope that Lakhta Center will become a new landmark, a new height for St. Petersburg in the 21st century. That city landmark, which was the Peter and Paul Fortress in the 18th century or Isaac in the 19th century.

Interviewed by Ilya Kazakov,

"Fontanka.ru"

The construction of the complex is completed. At the moment, finishing, installation work and improvement measures are being carried out inside the building. The opening was scheduled for the end of 2019.

Where is it located and how to get to Lakhta Center

Metro ("Begovaya") - 20 minutes walk from the complex. The construction of a transport interchange on Primorskoye Highway is underway, the updated traffic scheme will be approved after the commissioning of the facility. Also, a parking lot for several hundred cars will be built on the territory of the business center.

architectural concept

The project of the complex was developed in 2011 by the European agency RMJM. The concept reflected the main architectural symbols of the city: the spiers of cathedrals and the boundless sky. The tower "twirls" around its axis. The effect is created due to the fact that each new floor base is rotated by almost one degree relative to the axis of the tower.

Lakhta Center. Photo: news.yandex.kz

A feature of the skyscraper is laminated thermally reflective glass with a special matte coating in a gray-blue tint, which changes color depending on the intensity of the light. During the day, with a cloudless sky and a clear sun, the tower acquires a blue tint, in cloudy weather - 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 building.

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 highest in Europe. The concept of the establishment is traditional Russian cuisine.
• Hall-transformer - a space that can be divided into two rooms. The configuration of the wall and the arrangement of chairs can change according to the format of the event.
• Planetarium. An ultra-modern center with unique optical and digital equipment, designed for a one-time 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 participate in a space show and walk on the surface of Mars.

planetarium project. Photo: lakhta.center

• Center for educational and scientific events. The exposition area is 7 thousand square meters. meters. The center will host master classes, scientific seminars and lectures for a wide audience.
• Sports complex. On a space of 4.6 thousand square meters. meters will accommodate 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 outlets are located on the first floor of the building. In the south wing of the building there is an exhibition space for expositions and art objects.
• Offices. The main area of ​​the skyscraper is reserved for the working space. From 70 to 120 employees will be able to attend on one floor. An intelligent system will maintain a comfortable temperature and microclimate.

Panoramic platform Lakhta Center

On the 360th floor of the Lakhta Center tower, there is an observation deck with telescopes for exploring the historical part of the Northern capital and the Gulf of Finland. It is expected that the site of the skyscraper will become one of the most visited and loved modern sights of the city. At the moment, a webcam is installed on the 360th floor, broadcasting a panorama of the surroundings in real-time mode. Yelagin Island is especially clearly visible, the park named after. the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg and the stadium "Zenith Arena".

View of Lakhta Center. Photo: @lakhtacenter

Lakhta Center became a symbol of St. Petersburg long before the opening. On the night of December 31 to January 1, 2019, a bright green light was lit on the facade of the building, thus turning the skyscraper into a giant New Year tree of the city.