A Russian supertall building has won the Emporis Skyscraper Award for the first time in the 20-year history of the prestigious awards program. Standing 462 metres tall, the Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg, Russia was selected by an international jury from over 700 skyscrapers completed in 2019 with a minimum height of 100 metres.

Designed by GORPROJECT and RMJM, the Lakhta Center is not only the tallest building in Russia and all of Europe but also the 14th tallest in the world.

Lakhta Center

An annual highlight of the international architecture scene, the Emporis Skyscraper Award recognises excellence in high rise architecture, with aesthetic and functional design of the building being important considerations. 

The international jury was particularly impressed by the Lakhta Center’s unusual form. The exterior of the building consists of five wings that rotate almost 90 degrees, creating a dynamic impression that gives the building the shape of a blazing flame, resembling the logo of natural gas producer Gazprom. The Lakhta Center is the new headquarters of Gazprom.

From a functional perspective, the building uses environment-friendly and energy-efficient technologies to reduce the impact of its exposure to extreme temperatures. For instance, a double skin façade prevents unnecessary heat loss while the innovative use of infrared radiators allows excess heat to be fed back into the system.

Images: GORPROJECT