10 tallest buildings in St. Petersburg

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

The northern capital of Russia does not at all seek to take an active part in the fashionable race of high-rise buildings. While more and more skyscrapers are growing in megalopolises all over the world, St. Petersburg still retains its unique historical appearance. The city on the Neva is still dominated by the architecture of the 17th-19th centuries: Baroque, Classicism and Russian Art Nouveau. The historical past is most reflected in the majestic palaces, embankments and ancient bridges. The central part remains closed to modern architectural research that could spoil the thoughtful urban landscape. But in other areas, modern priorities and population growth are taking their toll, forcing resort to high-rise construction methods. We invite you to find out which of the buildings in St. Petersburg are the tallest.

Overview of the tallest buildings in St. Petersburg

Nomination	a place	Building	Height
Tallest buildings in St. Petersburg: top 10	10	Tower TSNII RTK	104.6 M.
	9	Building on Komendantsky Avenue	105 M.
	8	LCD 'London Park'	106 M.
	7	Building on Bogatyrsky prospect	108 M.
	6	Stadium 'Gazprom Arena'	110 M.
	5	BC 'Atlantic City'	110 M.
	4	Peter and Paul Cathedral	122.5 M.
	3	Residential complex 'Prince Alexander Nevsky'	126 M.
	2	Leader Tower	145.5 M.
	1	Lakhta Center	462 m.

10th place – BashnyaTSNII RTK

Rating: 4.1

The Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics has been operating since 1985; its construction has been going on for twelve years. This complex is intended for the creation of innovative developments, primarily related to space, as well as testing various equipment and devices for spacecraft. Shortly after the start of work, the largest Russian scientific center became famous for its inventions. It was here that control systems for soft landing engines, manipulators for new underwater vehicles, gamma altimeters and much more were created. Architecturally, the tower of the testing laboratory stands out most of all, resembling either a futuristic rocket or a ship of some extraterrestrial race. The height of the scientific tower, including the antenna, is 104.6 meters. This building is made in the style of Soviet postmodernism, very popular among architects of the “space age” of the USSR.

9th place – Building on Komendantsky Avenue

Rating: 4.2

The residential complex, located in the Primorsky district, has a height of 105 meters. The structure was built in 2009, it consists of two houses numbered 13 and 17, standing on Komendantsky Prospect, not far from the metro station of the same name. The complex has 25 floors, inside it – comfortable apartments with a modern layout. The large building in its architecture as a whole could be called quite typical, if not for the high arch uniting the two houses in the upper part, as well as the decorative spire on the roof. These two elements give the façade a memorable look.

8th place – LCD 'London Park'

Rating: 4.3

The residential complex is located in the Vyborgsky district of St. Petersburg, on Prosvescheniya prospect. It consists of two twin tall buildings, each of which is almost 106 meters high. The 31-storey complex has already become the architectural dominant of the northern part of the city, especially considering the fact that the area is built up for the most part with the same type of Soviet structures. At first, the developer planned to make the house 45-storey, but due to financial problems and protests from the townspeople, they subsequently decided to lower the height. “London Park” was created within the framework of the concept of a club quarter, for which it is planned to arrange its own infrastructure: a shopping and entertainment center, a fitness center with a swimming pool, as well as a school, a kindergarten and a playground. In addition, there is a multi-level secure parking for more than two thousand places. Residential premises in the houses are sold with free planning, including an optional prospect of combining into multi-level apartments.

7th place – Building on Bogatyrsky Prospekt

Rating: 4.4

The residential complex is located in the Primorsky district, at number 2 on Bogatyrsky prospect. The 24-storey building has a height of 108 meters, at the time of commissioning it was the tallest residential building in St. Petersburg and remained so for another nine years. The house was built using monolithic brick technology, using reinforced concrete and pile foundations. The outer walls are finished with facing bricks. An unusual architectural solution is a corner tower with a dome and a high spire on the roof. The building organically fits into the general style of the surrounding buildings of the sleeping area. Its upper floors offer views of both the Petrograd side and the central city part. The lower floors overlooking the avenue are mostly occupied by shops and restaurants.

6th place – Gazprom Arena Stadium

Rating: 4.5

The new St. Petersburg stadium, erected on the site where the famous Kirov stadium used to be, is the only sports facility in the whole country with a sliding roof and a roll-out field. It has nine floors, connected by four staircase and elevator blocks. The height of the stadium, including the pylons, is 110 meters, and its total area is 287 thousand square meters. The author of the project was an architect from Japan Kisho Kurokawa. The construction of the building lasted nine years: from 2007 to 2016. According to the developer's estimates, about 480 thousand cubic meters of concrete and 32 thousand tons of steel were spent. Construction costs have repeatedly become the reason for scandals, since they have many times exceeded the amount originally indicated in the project. According to various sources, the total cost of the stadium was from 40 to 540 billion rubles. Thus, “Gazprom Arena” can be considered one of the three most expensive football arenas in the world. In 2018, the stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup, the European Championship will take place here in 2020, and the UEFA League final is scheduled for 2021.

5th place – BC 'Atlantic City'

Rating: 4.6

The business center “Atlantic City” was built in 2009, it is located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, near the park named after the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. The complex includes a 27-storey skyscraper with a height of 110 meters and a three-storey gallery with a large number of shops, boutiques from world brands, restaurants; there is also a cinema, a beauty salon and a fitness center inside. The tower is occupied by office premises, and on the upper floors there are class A offices with a panoramic view of St. Petersburg. The skyscraper has a modern, all-glass façade with a streamlined shape, which is extremely important given the frequent storm winds from the bay.

4th place – Peter and Paul Cathedral

Rating: 4.7

The cathedral, named after the apostles Peter and Paul, is the central part of the architectural ensemble of the Peter and Paul Fortress and one of the main symbols of St. Petersburg. The height of the structure reaches 122.5 meters. The cathedral was erected by decree of Emperor Peter the Great, construction lasted for twenty years – from 1712 to 1732. In addition to its religious purpose, it was also called to become the embodiment of the greatness of the then young capital, surpassing the Menshikov Tower and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in height. The project by the Italian architect Domenico Trezzini was very different from the classic Russian churches. Until 1952, the cathedral remained the tallest building in the entire country. It was also the tallest building in St. Petersburg for three hundred years. Currently, this monument of the Russian Baroque era plays the role of an Orthodox church and the grand ducal tomb of the royal house of the Romanovs, and the fortress houses the state historical museum. A unique feature of the cathedral is the angel-shaped weather vane at the top of a long spire with wings over three meters high and weighing about 250 kilograms.

3rd place – LCD 'Prince Alexander Nevsky'

Rating: 4.8

The highest residential building in the northern capital is located on Obukhovskoy Oborony Avenue in the historic district. The building has 37 floors and its height reaches 126 meters. Construction lasted for four years and ended in 2012. To implement the project, specialists in the field of geology were involved, which made it possible to create a stable structure, even taking into account the soil problems typical of St. Petersburg. The house was named in honor of the prince of Ancient Rus, who is traditionally considered the patron saint of the city. The brick-monolithic building consists of three sections, the top of the central one is decorated with a lattice dome with a spire. The living quarters are represented by modern apartments of various sizes and configurations: from compact studios to duplex apartments with an area of ​​over 150 square meters. The apartments have large panoramic windows. The building is equipped with 17 noiseless elevators, under which there is a car parking for about 200 spaces. Infrastructure includes a fitness center, shops and a playground. Vasilievsky Island and the Peter and Paul Fortress are visible from the upper floors of the residential skyscraper.

2nd place – Leader Tower

Rating: 4.9

The 145.5 meter high skyscraper of the Leader Tower business center is located in the Moscow region, on Constitution Square, its unofficial name is the Constitution Tower. The building has 42 floors, and the area of ​​internal premises is almost 53 thousand square meters. Construction began in 2009, but was interrupted due to the order of the city architectural committee, motivated by the fact that the skyscraper would negatively affect the appearance of the city and reduce its tourist attractiveness. The developer challenged the decision through arbitration, and as a result, Leader Tower was completed in 2013. The tower stands between two identical eight-story buildings of the complex. The outdoor media façade allows the entire glazing surface to be used as a huge screen for broadcasting advertising images or videos. In addition to offices, the building houses an art gallery, spa, fitness room and a panoramic restaurant on the 40th floor. There is also an observation deck from which you can admire the city center or Pulkovo Heights.

1st place – Lakhta Center

Rating: 5.0

The Lakhta Center skyscraper is the tallest building in St. Petersburg, Russia, and even all of Europe. The giant 87-storey structure rises an impressive 462 meters above the ground. The business center owned by Gazprom, in addition to the tower, includes a multifunctional building, both of which are located in the Primorsky district of the city. The total area of ​​the internal premises is approximately 400 thousand square meters. The author of the concept project is the British architectural company Robert Matthew Johnson Marshal, the final project was created by the Russian company Gorproekt. The most challenging task for the builders was to create a stable foundation that could provide reliable support. For this purpose, more than 250 piles were used, buried in the ground to a depth of 82 meters. The construction of the Lakhta Center cost 120 billion rubles. The design of the skyscraper symbolizes the fluidity, energy of water, and the buildings next to it are shaped like floating ships. Thanks to the use of cold-formed glazing, the facade of the tower is completely smooth, like the surface of a wave. The upper part is a 117-meter spire weighing more than two thousand tons. The internal premises are reserved for offices, in addition, there are exhibition spaces, a sports complex, a medical center, a planetarium and a high-rise revolving restaurant. Just like the facade, the interior of the building is made in a futuristic style. There are 40 high-speed elevators for moving. At an altitude of 360 meters, there is an observation deck equipped with telescopes with an interactive map.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.