New Gazprom Headquarters- Ohkta Center

[Sennaya]

Gazprom, the world's largest natural gas producer, is planning to build a new corporate building/monument across from the Smolny Cathedral on the Neva river. Almost the entire downtown is named as significant historical structures by Unesco.
St. Petersburg has a beautiful, almost uninterrupted historic skyline. A colored-lighted TV tower at 30 meters was an aberration.
Now Gazprom will make a 300-meter tower right on the Neva. It would become the dominant feature on the skyline which up to this time consists of mostly 4-5 story old buildings. The Spires of cathedrals and churches were the visual landmarks up until this time.
 The Gazprom tower has created some controversary because of the historical nature of St. Petersburg and the waterfront. But in Russia it is still difficult to fight big money with aesthetic ideals.
The 300-meter RMJM "Corn on the Cob" tower won the contest and was announced by Governor Valentina Matviyenko and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller. The building wikll change colors 10 tems a day in the sunlight and be the centerpiece of "Gazprom City."
The project has many critics and should be a test of developer vs. heritage in St. Petersburg.
It seems St. Petersbug is destined to become an ecclectic mix of old and new structures.
http://www.sptimesrussia.com/story/19671
In the historic center where Ohkta River meets the Neva River, across from Smolny Cathedral
Photo: Winning RMJM London Gazprom proposal

[Sennaya]

Other proposals for the Gazprom City tower project that did not win.
The French proposal- got some good comments
The striking Daniel Libeskind proposal
Fuksas Gazprom proposal

[Sennaya]

Here is an aerial view of the planned Gazprom City along the Malaya Ohkta and Neva River in St. Petersburg.

[Sennaya]

Minister Of Culture Slams Plans For Tower
 
By Sergey Chernov

Russia’s Ministry of Culture on Thursday objected to Gazprom’s plans to build a 400-meter skyscraper near to the historic center of St. Petersburg.

“Our opinion is negative,” Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev was quoted by Interfax as saying. “As a minister of culture, the ministry’s staff and I are against the construction of such a tower.” He added that if built, the skyscraper would spoil the city’s historic appearance.

The latest twist in the saga of the controversial skyscraper came just two days after St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko finally signed off on the Sept. 22 decision allowing Gazprom to build its Okhta Center tower — contrary to the laws protecting St. Petersburg’s historical skyline.

Also Tuesday, City Hall granted permission for the rally for the protection of St. Petersburg to be held on Saturday, despite initial objections.

Permission was however given for a stationary meeting rather than for a rally — an alteration its organizers, the Citizens’ Coalition to Protect St. Petersburg, were against. On Friday, the organizers submitted an application listing 16 possible routes for the march, instead of the six that City Hall had already rejected.

“We realized that they would issue 16 rejections; it was made clear to us that they would not authorize the march,” Maxim Reznik, the leader of the local branch of the oppositional Yabloko Democratic Party, which is a member of the Coalition, said by phone Thursday.

“That’s why we agreed — so that people could come and express their protest without fear. That’s more important for us than fighting with the OMON [special-task police].”

Last week, City Hall’s law and order committee forbade the protesters to meet outside Yubileiny Sports Palace, referring to an event due to be held inside, but on Tuesday it granted permission for the stationary meeting to be held at the same spot at noon on Saturday.

Reznik said that one flag from every member organization of the coalition would be displayed at the rally, while the rest will be the flags of St. Petersburg. Blue ribbons may be worn by protesters as a symbol of St. Petersburg’s skyline.

On Wednesday, a number of Russian public figures, including author Andrei Bitov, musician Boris Grebenshchikov, ballerina Alla Osipenko, film director Yury Mamin and architect Svyatoslav Gaikovich called on St. Petersburg residents to come to the meeting.

“The decision about the construction has been taken,” they said in their address.

“Now there is only one way to prevent it — massive public protest. Nobody except you now can stop Gazprom destroying our great and beautiful city.”

http://www.sptimes.ru/story/29986

[laurentius]

In my opinion the building itself looks pretty damn good but its in the wrong place. Just like the La Defence and Moscow City it would have to be more away from the historic city centre. A completely new development further down the Ohta river maybe but not where the historic nyeschantz/nevanlinna town once stood. Thats like building a skyscraper in Forum Romanum in Rome.

[Mariria]

Yes!
Would be so good to preserve the historic sites for future generations.
Please, let's build it far far away from the history. Let's go there where the development is really needed.
Why don't they build their own history instead of breaking ours?