In St. Petersburg, the debate continues around the project of “Gazprom”, which intends to build in the city “architectural masterpiece” not less than 300 meters on the right bank of the Neva, opposite Smolny Convent. In the northern capital of the idea was in arms at once – at least because one of the symbols of the city is the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul with the angel on the spire soaring to a height of “only” 150 meters, says the magazine “Ogonek”.
Meanwhile, the project is moving with the support of the city authorities, as registration in St. Petersburg subsidiary company “Gazprom” is designed for future office, brought billions in taxes to the city treasury. “Gazprom” bought a large plot in the industrial zone Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge, at the mouth of the river Ohta. Then announced an international architectural competition.
However, the intensity of the resistance is so high that even when watching Valentina Matvienko project, said: “The decision to build accepted, but may be, the building will not be the highest.” Even before the St. Petersburg architects turned to the governor with an open letter, which argued the emergence of inadmissibility 300-meter building.
The main arguments of the supporters of construction – financial. Thus, the Vice Governor Mikhail Oseevsky convinced: “If we build the company comfort, we will get them to work, and do not create – will not.”
According to Vice-Governor Alexander Vakhmistrov, even an obstacle, as height regulations is not an obstacle for building: “In signing the law on the high zone of St. Petersburg at some points of altitude can be changed according to expediency.”
The arguments against the construction of Architects presented by Chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Union of Architects of Vladimir Popov, “The Tower, which will be seen on all the main points of the historic center, even with the Vasilievsky Island, hovering over Petersburg. It will be more than three times higher than the dome of St. Isaacs Cathedral and Smolny monastery, so inevitably destroy the harmony of St. Petersburg landmarks, but more importantly, will introduce an exaggerated scale. That he will cause irreparable damage to the fragile citys skyline. Before us is a sad example of London, where the Tower and the old temples were lost amid the skyscrapers, and the dome of St. Pauls is no longer the dominant city-wide “.
“St. Petersburg is an extremely smooth adjustment, and its aspect is dominated by horizontal lines. Petersburg Low celestial line makes it especially majestic vertical, almost always perceived in the sky. In this respect, it can not be compared one historical metropolis of Europe, perhaps for except Rome and only partly in Paris, where, incidentally, has already discussed the issue of the demolition of the Montparnasse Tower, the only high-rise buildings of the twentieth century in the historic district. By the way, the author of the 210-meter building – one of the participants, Jean Nouvel. I pay tribute to his professionalism but, I think, today, Nouvel himself dissatisfied with his Parisian work, “- said the expert.
To participate in the competition for the construction of the building, “Gazprom City” executives invited authors of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, the work of which the last 30 years, the world blows up the admiration, the anger. Six sketches can be seen in the Museum of the Academy of Arts, the magazine notes.