Gazprom’s 403-metre Okhta tower in St. Petersburg proposal and film
在國美管看到 2010年俄國拍的影片
© RIA Novosti. RIA NovostiFor Gazprom’s tower, does size matter?
The
construction of Gazprom’s 403-metre Okhta tower in St. Petersburg has
been dividing the city since 2006, and now even Russia’s ruling
partnership is lining up in opposing corners.
President Dmitry Medvedev has weighed in on the side of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), calling for a halt to construction since it could harm the city centre’s place on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
But in the modernist’s corner the architect argued that the glass skyscraper was a symbol of St. Petersburg’s future as the economic capital to rival Moscow’s stalled business district, Moskva-City.
“The Okhta Centre will become St. Petersburg’s modern business area and a new symbol of the city”, the tower’s chief architect, Philip Nikandrov, told The Moscow News. “Now there are 28 industrial structures in the city that are up to 310 metres and they do not have any historical value – so the city needs a dominant feature higher than them.”
In a rare sign of differing viewpoints from Russia’s ruling tandem, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has consistently supported the tower, saying it will help revive the city’s economy during the crisis.
“Since the main office of Gazprom-Neft is moving in, it will bring annually around 20 billion roubles ($631 million) in taxes to the city budget and some 60 billion roubles ($1.9 billion) will be invested by the company in the construction directly,” said Nikandrov.
Cultural projects
The project – dubbed by some “Gazprom City” – has received the backing of St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko and will include offices, hotels, shops, a concert hall, an art museum, libraries, a skating rink and a park.
Critics say the tower contrasts with the surrounding Tsarist-era buildings and both the St. Petersburg Union of Architects and the International Union of Architects have gone against their peer.
“The maximum permitted height of buildings in the area is 48 metres, so the tower will completely ruin the panoramic view of the city and will dwarf Rastrelli’s Smolny Monastery, which is right on the opposite embankment,” said Oleg Romanov, vice president of the local organisation.
“St. Petersburg has its own character and has gained an historical value because there were high standards of architecture in Tsarist times. We are not going to resemble London or New York.”
Opposition protests
Medvedev has now come in line with opposition parties, such as the Communists, Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party, Just Russia and Yabloko, who had already taken a firm stand against the tower.
The liberal Yabloko have already launched a lawsuit against City Hall for overlooking the law on city standards and their refusal to hold a referendum on the issue.
“[The government] tends to ignore citizens’ and professionals’ opinions and, moreover, ignores the law prohibiting any building in the area to be higher than 40 metres,” said Maxim Reznik, the head of the city’s Yabloko branch. “It goes without saying that the tower will spoil the ancient architecture of the city and the panoramic view. By promoting the project people just want to earn money on construction.”
Opponents decried
Okhta’s defenders reject their opponents’ allegations, claiming the project is legitimate – having undergone public hearings in September 2009. The tower is to be built in an industrial area 5 kilometres from the city centre.
“The project will be constructed to fully balance with the city’s skyline and isn’t at odds with any historical place,” said Nikandrov. “For a person standing in the city centre on Vasilievsky Island, the tower will seem lower than the Peter and Paul Fortress.”
He added that opponents of the project use it as an opportunity to promote themselves and often use unprofessional or false plans and doctored photographs to create a misconception of the project.
Plus for tourism?
The city’s tourism industry has also plumped in favour of the skyscraper, pointing out that London has suffered little backlash after modern architecture changed its historical cityscape.
“I have not heard of representatives of the tourist industry being concerned about the construction of the Okhta Centre,” Sergei Korneyev, vice president of the Russian Tourist Industry Union, commented on the Okhta Centre’s web site. “In London – which last year became the world’s leading tourist destination – they are absolutely happy about the fact that there are several modern skyscrapers, including famous buildings by Norman Foster, around the old city.”
The Okhta tower will give tourists a new vantage point to view the city, with the highest viewing platform currently only 42 metres high in St. Isaac’s Cathedral.
The plans are currently undergoing state verification and construction is slated to start next year. If the project goes ahead it will take four years to build and create employment opportunities but its opponents are confident the high-profile support of President Medvedev will deliver a knock-out blow to the tower.
“I do not think the giant will be finally built,” said Reznik, of Yabloko. Recently more and more top officials and ministers, and outstanding art people have criticised the project.”
Gazprom, the opera
Russian activist group Chto Delat (‘What is to be done?’) have sung out against Gazprom’s Okhta tower, producing a Soviet-style musical film called ‘The Tower: A Songspiel’. The performance is set in Gazprom’s boardroom.
On one side there is the PR manager who promotes the project, a local politician, the company’s security chief, a priest, a gallery owner who is set to become the director of the corporation’s contemporary art museum and a fashionable artist.
Pitted against them is a microcosm of Russia’s voiceless minority. The intelligentsia, workers, pensioners and the homeless among others strain their vocal chords to shout down the tower.
President Dmitry Medvedev has weighed in on the side of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), calling for a halt to construction since it could harm the city centre’s place on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
But in the modernist’s corner the architect argued that the glass skyscraper was a symbol of St. Petersburg’s future as the economic capital to rival Moscow’s stalled business district, Moskva-City.
“The Okhta Centre will become St. Petersburg’s modern business area and a new symbol of the city”, the tower’s chief architect, Philip Nikandrov, told The Moscow News. “Now there are 28 industrial structures in the city that are up to 310 metres and they do not have any historical value – so the city needs a dominant feature higher than them.”
In a rare sign of differing viewpoints from Russia’s ruling tandem, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has consistently supported the tower, saying it will help revive the city’s economy during the crisis.
“Since the main office of Gazprom-Neft is moving in, it will bring annually around 20 billion roubles ($631 million) in taxes to the city budget and some 60 billion roubles ($1.9 billion) will be invested by the company in the construction directly,” said Nikandrov.
Cultural projects
The project – dubbed by some “Gazprom City” – has received the backing of St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko and will include offices, hotels, shops, a concert hall, an art museum, libraries, a skating rink and a park.
Critics say the tower contrasts with the surrounding Tsarist-era buildings and both the St. Petersburg Union of Architects and the International Union of Architects have gone against their peer.
“The maximum permitted height of buildings in the area is 48 metres, so the tower will completely ruin the panoramic view of the city and will dwarf Rastrelli’s Smolny Monastery, which is right on the opposite embankment,” said Oleg Romanov, vice president of the local organisation.
“St. Petersburg has its own character and has gained an historical value because there were high standards of architecture in Tsarist times. We are not going to resemble London or New York.”
Opposition protests
Medvedev has now come in line with opposition parties, such as the Communists, Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party, Just Russia and Yabloko, who had already taken a firm stand against the tower.
The liberal Yabloko have already launched a lawsuit against City Hall for overlooking the law on city standards and their refusal to hold a referendum on the issue.
“[The government] tends to ignore citizens’ and professionals’ opinions and, moreover, ignores the law prohibiting any building in the area to be higher than 40 metres,” said Maxim Reznik, the head of the city’s Yabloko branch. “It goes without saying that the tower will spoil the ancient architecture of the city and the panoramic view. By promoting the project people just want to earn money on construction.”
Opponents decried
Okhta’s defenders reject their opponents’ allegations, claiming the project is legitimate – having undergone public hearings in September 2009. The tower is to be built in an industrial area 5 kilometres from the city centre.
“The project will be constructed to fully balance with the city’s skyline and isn’t at odds with any historical place,” said Nikandrov. “For a person standing in the city centre on Vasilievsky Island, the tower will seem lower than the Peter and Paul Fortress.”
He added that opponents of the project use it as an opportunity to promote themselves and often use unprofessional or false plans and doctored photographs to create a misconception of the project.
Plus for tourism?
The city’s tourism industry has also plumped in favour of the skyscraper, pointing out that London has suffered little backlash after modern architecture changed its historical cityscape.
“I have not heard of representatives of the tourist industry being concerned about the construction of the Okhta Centre,” Sergei Korneyev, vice president of the Russian Tourist Industry Union, commented on the Okhta Centre’s web site. “In London – which last year became the world’s leading tourist destination – they are absolutely happy about the fact that there are several modern skyscrapers, including famous buildings by Norman Foster, around the old city.”
The Okhta tower will give tourists a new vantage point to view the city, with the highest viewing platform currently only 42 metres high in St. Isaac’s Cathedral.
The plans are currently undergoing state verification and construction is slated to start next year. If the project goes ahead it will take four years to build and create employment opportunities but its opponents are confident the high-profile support of President Medvedev will deliver a knock-out blow to the tower.
“I do not think the giant will be finally built,” said Reznik, of Yabloko. Recently more and more top officials and ministers, and outstanding art people have criticised the project.”
Gazprom, the opera
Russian activist group Chto Delat (‘What is to be done?’) have sung out against Gazprom’s Okhta tower, producing a Soviet-style musical film called ‘The Tower: A Songspiel’. The performance is set in Gazprom’s boardroom.
On one side there is the PR manager who promotes the project, a local politician, the company’s security chief, a priest, a gallery owner who is set to become the director of the corporation’s contemporary art museum and a fashionable artist.
Pitted against them is a microcosm of Russia’s voiceless minority. The intelligentsia, workers, pensioners and the homeless among others strain their vocal chords to shout down the tower.
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