SMART CITY DISPATCH · VISUAL ATLAS
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Lakhta Center — Saint Petersburg
Aerial view of Lakhta Center and its setting on the Gulf of Finland in Saint Petersburg. · A.Morgunovskaya / Wikimedia Commons · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9B%D0%B0%D1%85%D1%82%D0%B0-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%80_%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4_%D1%81_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%85%D0%B0.jpg?utm_source=chatgpt.com · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original source ↗
About this photograph · Лахта-центр вид с воздуха.jpg
- Gallery role
- Primary project photograph
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Lakhta Center is a 462-metre mixed-use skyscraper complex on the Gulf of Finland in Saint Petersburg. Its twisting, 87-storey tower is a new landmark of the city's western waterfront, accompanied by adjoining multifunctional buildings and public facilities. The complex's distinctive curved glass envelope required advanced façade engineering and a construction process adapted to challenging wind, soil, and coastal-climate conditions.
SMART TECHNOLOGIES
The tower uses a double-skin glass façade with two-storey buffer spaces that help insulate the building in winter and permit natural ventilation when exposed to strong solar heating. Its 16,505 cold-bent glazing modules accommodate the tower's twisting geometry. Building Information Modeling (BIM) was used in design and is documented for maintenance and building-systems management. The adjoining multifunctional building uses a multi-layer ETFE skylight with drainage and heating. Engineered building systems also include specialized automatic water-mist fire protection.
WHY IT MATTERS
Lakhta Center demonstrates how high-rise urban development can combine digital construction models, advanced façade design, and climate-responsive engineering. Its techniques are relevant to energy performance, maintainability, and the challenge of delivering large, complex buildings in northern coastal cities.
SOURCES
Research Sources
PHOTOGRAPHS