Russia is in Europe now? Damn global warming!
How long before the new rulers of Eurostan put a minaret on top of it?
The building’s facade is made from 16,500 individual panes of glass that have been fitted with automatic shutters and valves in a bid to reduce heat loss.
...
Sounds expensive and a maintenance nightmare. How long before they stop fixing them when they break?
I hate modern architecture.
-—I can envision it now in the next “Mission Impossible” movie-—
Nothing will ever top this lot for beauty, functionality, and the personification of America.
St. Petersburg is traditionally a low-rise city, because tall buildings are really going against the grain in swampland. Unless they found a patch of bedrock, the foundation design must be interesting. The super-structure looks inherently strong, but time will tell what differential settlement does to 16,500 custom-sized panes of glass.
It is also one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. Broad boulevards, open spaces, built by Peter the Great as his new capital and door to Europe. The Hermitage Museum (the former Winter Palace) is the most richly furnished building I've ever seen. Whole rooms encased in deeply colored marbles from all over the Russian Empire, wood inlay floors that resemble Roman mosaics. It impresses one with the wealth that was implied by the title "Czar of All the Russias".
Russia has the highest skyscraper in Europe and the highest Abortion Rate in the world.
They are Putin Proud.
I read years ago that Stalin was so jealous of the Empire State Building he decided to build the tallest building in the world in Moscow. In digging for the foundation they could not find solid rock for a foundation base, so the project was scrapped. I think they built an indoor swimming pool instead.
Anyone else heard of it?
The “tallest building” pusuits are 100%, all of them, pursuits of architectual penis envy - “nah, nah, nah, mine is bigger than yours”.
