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Super-tall Okhta Centre by RMJM clears major hurdle in Russia
Published: 25-Nov-2010
The 396m-high Okhta Centre in St. Petersburg, Russia, designed by UK-based architectural practice RMJM as a twisting glass needle tower, has received approval from the federal building agency.
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With the nod from the federal building agency Glavgosekspertiza, the super-tall tower by RMJM (Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall), which is expected to be Europe’s tallest, has successfully crossed one more hurdle in its path. Okhta Centre, which is designed to be a green tower inside-out, is the future headquarters of Russian gas giant Gazprom.
The inspiration for the design comes from the concept of energy in water. The site is located on the River Neva, with the form of the building deriving its shape from the changing nature of water, ever changing light, reflections and refraction. The five-sided tower twists as it rises to delicately touch the sky.
RMJM's proposal also features a unique environmental strategy, which acts as a low energy 'fur coat'. The double-layered skin of the tower will allow the maximization of daylight and the minimization of heat loss in the extreme St. Petersburg environment. The atrium between the inner and outer walls supplies natural ventilation and sunlight to the interiors, besides offering a thermal insulation to the structure.
The twisting glass needle skyscraper faced stiff opposition due to concerns over the heritage and conservation site it's being built at. Although architects claim that the tower is an architectural gem designed to redefine the city’s skyline, UN’s educational, scientific, and cultural organization opposed the proposal stating that the tower will defile the city’s historic skyline.
Unesco’s World Heritage Committee has also expressed grave concern about the building, as the tower will be located close to the historical Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge and Smolny Cathedral. The new tower will be three times taller than the highest existing structure in the historic area.
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