ICE Malaysia: Design and construction challenges of Lakhta Center, St. Petersburg

Overview

Standing at 462 meters above the ground, the Lakhta Center is the tallest building in Europe and Northern Hemisphere. It is developed as a business center and a pilot of integrated sustainable development with the public and city’s interest at heart.

It serves as a catalyst to the development of a 21st-century new landmark and iconic business center that is well suited to complement and expand the existing historic and world heritage Central Business District.

The Lakhta Center is a Multifunction Complex Development (MFCD) consisting of an 86-story office tower to provide high-end offices for Gazprom Neft and Gazprom Group affiliates, a Multi-Function Building, a Stylobate, The Arch that forms the main Tower entrance and houses restaurants and cafes, underground parking and a wide range of large public plazas.

The iconic shape of the tower is composed of five individual leaves or petals that twist and taper as they rise and rotate 90 degrees from base to pinnacle. The unique form presented complex challenges for design and construction, leading to opportunities to improve the original design and develop a structural system with significant cost and time benefits.

As the Project Executive of Lakhta Center for Samsung C&T, Dr Ahmad’s lecture is to present the design and construction challenges of the tallest building in Europe/ Northern Hemisphere, including the development and integration of building systems, structural and foundation systems of the twisted shape of the tower.