Why Russia Built a Skyscraper in the Middle of Nowhere

Do you know where the tallest building in Europe is?

Well, it’s not the Shard in London, or the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt, or Warsaw’s brand new supertall, Varso Tower.

It’s actually way over in the outskirts of St Petersburg, 12 kilometres outside of the city centre.

This is the Lakhta Center and at 462-metres it is by far the tallest building in Europe – it stands higher than the Empire State Building and even the roof of One World Trade Center.

(Above and Below: The Lakhta Center is the northernmost skyscraper in the world and was one of the most technically difficult in the world to build.)

It’s also the northernmost (and probably coldest) skyscraper in the world and more than three times higher than the next tallest building in St Petersburg.

So why have the Russians built such a colossal building… and why have they built it here?

The tallest building in Europe

This building is huge. The Lakhta Center contains the largest volume of glass ever in a high-rise structure: there are more than 16,500 curved panes.

Just to build its foundations took the largest continuous concrete pour ever – even more than was needed under the Burj Khalifa.

An astonishing 20,000 cubic metres of concrete was placed over a 49 hour period, setting a new world record.

Step inside and you’ll find a sports centre, shops, restaurants, offices: even a planetarium.

That striking, twisting design made it one of the most technically difficult skyscrapers ever constructed.

The building is actually at its thickest about a third of the way up, at level 17. Here the diameter bulges by more than two metres beyond what it is at its base.

The tower’s unique form takes its inspiration from the footprint of the Nyenschantz fortress – a castle built by the Swedes in 1611 and sitting in what is now present day Saint Petersburg.

(Above: The tower's shape is based off the Nyenschantz fortress. Image courtesy of Nyenschantz (CC BY-SA 2.5). )

Many supertalls aren’t simply rectangular blocks. The wind would bat them about like a tall post in a storm. Having clever forms that are rounded or taper is actually good for stabilising the structure.

Ref: Why Russia Built a Skyscraper in the Middle of Nowhere (theb1m) Photo Credit- CC BY-SA 2.5