The Lakhta Centre is the most northern skyscraper in the world. (Image: Getty)
The tallest skyscraper in Europe is also probably the coldest. The Lakhta Centre, 12km from the centre of St Petersburg, stands at 462m tall – 19 metres taller than the Empire State Building in New York.
The northern skyscraper in the world, and the 16th tallest in the world, is estimated to cost $1.77 billion to build.
Unlike its counterparts in modern cities such as London, New York, and Dubai, the skyscraper doesn’t stand in the centre of a bustling financial district or metropolitan area – but rather 12km from the centre of St Petersburg, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland.
Construction began in 2012 and was completed six years later. The building work involved pouring 20,000 cubic meters of concrete into the foundations over 49 hours, setting a world record for the longest continuous concrete pour in history.
It also contains the largest glass volume in any high-rise building, with 16,500 curved panes across its surface.
:
In February 2021 temperatures in St Petersburg dropped to -17 degrees. (Image: Getty)
A fortress built by Sweden in 1611 inspired the footprint of the building in what is now St Petersburg, and this shape can be seen throughout the curved structure.
The building’s curve is intended to protect it against high winds. In winter, temperatures in St Petersburg can fall as low as -20 degrees, so architects also had to consider the possible impact of ice on the building.
The very top features a mesh allowing wind to pass through, but it also presents a risk of ice forming on it and falling on people below. Catching frames were built on the building to stop any falling ice – and some are used to fuel the air conditioning.
DON’T MISS [TRAVEL]
The Lakhta Centre lit up to commemorate the end of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022. (Image: Getty)
The building is home to a sports centre, shops, restaurants, offices, and a planetarium, and is the headquarters of ’s largest company, energy corporation Gazprom.
While its size is impressive, in common with many of the world’s tallest buildings, the top 117 metres are unoccupied and consist just of the spire – what is referred to as ‘vanity height’.
Although plans are in place for the Lakhta Centre to be joined by two new skyscrapers, standing 500m and 700m, respectively, the future of these plans is uncertain following ’s invasion of .
Russian business values have plummeted since the invasion began in February 2022, and several countries and businesses have boycotted the country.