Business Center

• year: 2014

• location: Russia, St.Petersburg, Obuhovo

• authors: Architectural bureau "B2"

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The building is located in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, which is known for its cold climate, limited daylight, and low gray skies. 

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The main concept was to engage the outdoor space and bring light into the interior. "B2" designed a five-story high atrium, that faces the green plaza in front of the building and allows the daylight to travel through the glass façade to the core of the building.

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Natural light in the North is a valuable commodity, so to take the daylighting concept one step further we connected levels 1 - 4 waiting halls to the atrium with the glass wall. We collaborated with engineers from Nayada company to design a special curved curtain wall. As part of the VE effort, we were able to simplify the geometry of the curtain wall profiles and replace expansive curved glass with straight panels without compromising the look or ability of glass to bend and reflect the light the way we want it. The waiting areas above level 4 do not face the atrium, and they are decorated with false windows to compensate for the absence of natural light.

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Following the client's wish to create an elegant wayfinding solution we came up with the metro theme: every building level is dedicated to one of the world’s capitals. Each floor has a painted glass panel based on Michael Lenn's city artwork collection and a recognizable landmark silhouette cut out of the polished metal sheet and backlit.

 

For the lobby entrance zone, we created a glass mosaic design in collaboration with Michael Lenn. For the reception bar, I used a custom-designed single-piece reception desk molded from acryl. Other materials used include travertine and 3D ceramic granite tiles on the walls. 

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