Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg wins the Emporis Skyscraper Award

The Emporis Skyscraper Award, one of the world’s most renowned prizes for high-rise architecture, goes to a project in Russia for the very first time in its 20-year history.

The 462-meter-high Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg, designed by GORPROJECT and RMJM, is not only the tallest building in Russia, but is the tallest building in Europe and the fourteenth tallest building in the world.

The winner was chosen by an international jury of experts from over 700 skyscrapers completed in 2019 with a minimum height of 100 meters. Marking its 20th anniversary this year, the prestigious Skyscraper Award by Emporis (www.emporis.com), a global provider of building data, has become an indispensable part of the international architecture scene since its introduction in 2000.

When choosing the Lakhta Center as its favorite, the jury was impressed by the skyscraper’s unusual form. The exterior structure of the building consists of five wings that rotate almost 90 degrees. The twist creates a dynamic impression, giving the building the shape of a blazing flame, which resembles the logo of Gazprom, the natural gas producer that has taken up its new headquarters inside the building. The skyscraper was also able to score points with the jury due to its use of environmentally friendly and energy-efficient technologies. As the northernmost supertall skyscraper in the world, the building is exposed to extreme temperatures. A double skin façade prevents unnecessary heat loss and makes it extraordinarily energy efficient. In addition, thanks to the innovative use of infrared radiators, excess heat is not lost but fed back into the system.