Is it worth selling commercial property located on Sredneokhtinsky street now or is it better to wait for the completion of the construction of Okhta Center to sell it at a higher price?
Sergey, 16.08.2010
According to General Director of Petersburg Office of International Consultancy Company Knight Frank Oleg Barkov,
Commercial property shall be divided into “format” (for example, business center included in the qualification) and street retail.
As for street retail, the price of items located on Sredneokhtinsky street will not increase drastically. Firstly, the reason for it is that such facilities mainly host trade. Trade property can experience the increase of flow and demand only after the completion of construction of Okhta Center. So speaking about a decision to sell or not to sell commercial property located on Sredneokhtinsky street, it is an individual issue and each person is to take a decision on his own. In order to sell some property it is not necessary to wait for the completion of the construction, and maybe it is reasonable to wait for the middle of the construction, when the growth will be significant. It seems that at the moment some people try to buy commercial property planning to resell it in 3-5 years. Nevertheless, the owners of the shops located on Sredneokhtinsky street should think very carefully and take a decision regarding the sale of their property. A long term forecast, in my opinion, is unambiguous: the price of the property located in this area will increase as Okhta Center is constructed and transport problems are resolved which are going to be resolved in the course of the construction of Okhta Center.
It is known that the tower will be double skin. How will be the space between two façade skins be used? Will it be populated? Will there be any recreation zones with comfortable conditions, a required microclimate and any vegetation? Will it be maintained all the year round?
Alexander, 27.07.2010
One of the unique design solutions of Okhta Center is a smart façade of the tower: a double skin structure with buffer zones between two façade skins, something similar to a garden loggia ventilated in summer in case of overheating and closed in winter to maintain heat in the building. Buffer zones are not designated for population. The objective of buffer zones is to reduce heat losses through external façade structures as well as to reduce the penetration of heat from solar radiation outside. According to designers, the use of buffer zones will reduce by half the load on the chiller system.
According to the architectural concept, both inner and outer façade skins of the tower are fully glazed. In order to reduce the consequences of wind impact and gravitational pressure falls a particular type of glazing is used. It is planned to use double-glazing window panes with enhanced heat and thermal parameters filled with inertia argon gas. Therefore, all the year round in the rooms designated for population there will be a comfortable temperature with minimum power consumption.
Is it planned to construct a metro station due to the increase of the number of vehicles. If yes, at what location and when is it planned?
Yelena, 24.07.2010
At present SBC Okhta CJSC jointly with the Transport Committee of the Administration of Saint Petersburg is developing a strategy of transport accessibility of a public and business area Okhta Center.
The options of the actions aimed at developing public passenger transport shall be elaborated in two stages: stage 1 implies the development and arrangement of routes of non-rail passenger transport; stage 2 implies developing actions aimed at the design of a metro station.
In accordance with the Master Plan of Saint Petersburg the development of the metro in the area of Okhta Center is planned after 2015. It is proposed to construct a section of the line connecting Vyborskaya and Ladozhskaya metro stations. A new line will reduce the load on Kirovsko-Viborzhskaya line. The proposed metro line will connect Okhta Center with all the city’s districts.
A conditional name of the station which will be located next to a public and business area is Okhtinskaya.
Does General Contractor remain the same?
Svetlana, 13.07.2010
Arabtec Construction selected in the contest for the design and construction of Okhta Center zone 1 in 2007 remains the General Contractor. It has a wide experience in the construction of high-rises. The last project implemented by the company is the construction of the highest building in the world, Khalifa Tower in Dubai. Most specialists having been involved in the implementation of this project will take part in the implementation of Okhta Center.
Could you specify the number and size of piles used in the foundations of the buildings?
Sergey, 12.07.2010
Pile foundations for different buildings of Okhta Center Complex is different.
The foundations under the high-rise building is made of deep barrettes. Barrettes have the same depth, about 80m from the ground level, 1,5m wide. The length of barrettes is different from 3m up to 78m. Totally 121 barrettes with the total length of 714m.
The foundation of the rest buildings is made of bored piles, 1200mm diameter and 50m length in the number of 677 No.
927 piles 4m long will be under the underground car park.
Up to date the barrettes and piles have been tested by applying artificial loads. The tests were a success.
What is the purpose of the façade structure tests and what are they like?
Maria, 06.07.2010
In the design much attention is paid not only to an exterior of the façade but as well the resistance to local atmospheric and other outer impact, safety in emergency cases.
In order to solve these issues practically rather than theoretically, a large-scale special test program was elaborated. It includes full size firefighting tests of a façade model, including tests in specialized chambers. It should be noted that the costs of a façade in modern construction account for a substantial part of the total cost.
Quality and exterior of the facades is no less important issue than for example foundations. In the Okhta Center design the total area of the facades and glazing is over 130k sq.m.
The Tower is much spoken about but the complex consists of various buildings. What are they like?
Eugeniy, 05.07.2010
The designed compex is a group consisting of four base buildings united with a concourse and glazed atriums. The central part is an 80-floor tower.
The base buildings are located semi-circle between the Tower and the river Okhta. Apart from offices the buildings will host trade centers, cafes, restaurants, library and other public facilities. A public square will adjoin to the tower from the side of the river Neva.
Is a new heating and power station planned to be built?
Ulya, 28.06.2010
Due to the Okhta Center implementation a new heating and power station will be built in Krasnogvardeysky district. Its capacity will safeguard not only Okhta Center with heating but also to solve the problems of the whole Kransnogvardeysky district by replacing scattered small boiler houses. The heating capacity of a new heating and power station will be 230 Gcal / hour.
What about public opinion on the project? What is the ratio?
Pavel, 19.06.2010
In May 2010 an independent research company Romir conducted an opinion poll for Petersburg dwellers in order to define their attitude towards the construction of a business area Okhta Center.
The results of the opinion poll showed that at least 50% of city dwellers support the construction of a business area Okhta Center.
The majority of the respondents assume that Saint Petersburg is to develop not only as a museum and tourist center but as a modern city as well, 66% is confident that classics and architectural innovations can be combined in the city. 37% positively regard the emergence of high-rise buildings in the city. Many respondents could not answer about their attitude towards skyscrapers – 23% of the respondents. It is undoubtedly demonstrates that citizens’ opinion is shaped under the influence of the pool of parameters of a project. People of different sex, age as well as the district of residency participated in the opinion poll.
It should be noted that upon the results of the research conducted in February this year by the Agency for Social Information, 43,3% supported the project, 35,4% objected to it. Therefore one may state a trend that the number of supporters is going up.
Do you have any concerns regarding the construction of a high-rise building on marshy soil? What the foundations will be like?
Lena, 08.06.2010
The foundation design solutions take into account not only the vicinity of the Neva river and Bolshaya Okhta river from the future building, but the particularities of the soil as well.
The results of the investigations demonstrate that the high rise construction with a developed substructure is feasible at the site.
The foundations will rest on Vendian clays at the depth of over 60m. The tests showed that in separate cases our design solutions two fold exceed the necessary requirements related to the end bearing capacity of foundations.
The structure of the foundations will comprise three parts: a diaphragm wall, which will restrict the site, deep piles as the main mass of the end bearing capacity and barettes which the tower will rest on. According to the design the foundations of the building will consist of 161 deep piles and 121 barrettes (the total length over 700m).
What is the area of the plot of land occupied by archeologists and when will the excavations be over?
Roman, 07.06.2010
Archeological investigations are held on 90% of the territory of the construction site, there are no similar examples either in Russia or abroad. Over 25k sq.m. have been studied already, now 15k sq.m. are being studied. The completion of works is planned for this year.
How many lifts are planned in the building and what is the velocity of the lifts?
Yekaterina, 31.05.2010
In the tower of the public and business area Okhta Center 36 lifts are designed, including 5 express passenger lifts with the velocity of 7 m/sec, 1 express passenger lift for visitors to an observation deck with the velocity of 8 m/sec and 30 normal cargo and passenger lifts with the velocity between 1,0 m/sec to 6 m/sec. in the base buildings 77 lifts with the velocity between 0,2 m/sec to 2,0 m/sec are designed.
How is it planned to resolve the issues related to the supply of heating and power to such a big building keeping in mind that at present the district is short of power?
Timur, 18.05.2010
Within the framework of Okhta center project implementation at present it is planned to build a new central heating and power plant.
The Government of Saint Petersburg approved the commencement of investigations for the construction of a central heating and power plant on Energetikov street to the north-east from the confluence with Yakornaya street.
The capacity of a new central heating and power plant will supply heating to Okhta Center and apart from that it will resolve the problems of the whole Krasnogvardeysky district by replacing some smaller boiler houses.
The design of external utilities will be elaborated by GUP Lengiproinzhproekt as requested by the Committee for Energy, the costs are to be covered by Okhta. Heating capacity of a new central heating and power plant will be 230 Gkal/hour.
In addition, it is planned to build a power substation with 137 MW capacity.
Such a Large Complex will Likely to Require High Power Capacity. How will this Problem be Resolved?
Yana, 08.05.2010
Okhta Center power efficiency is one of the priority objectives set to designers who proposed some unique solutions. Firstly, an intellectual double-skin façade of the tower with green areas betweens the skins. They will be aired in summer in case of overheat and shut in winter. Hence up to 40% of the power will be saved.
This façade system executed using the efforts of a German company Gartner has already been tested at test chambers in Germany and Moscow, it has received Russian certificated.
One more idea is to use cold water from the river Neva fro chiller plant including installation of immersed heat exchangers at Sverdlovskaya Embankment which will provide a further tangible saving of power resources.
Which window sections will be used in Okhta Center glazing? What is the selection based on?
Stanislav Baranov, 02.03.2010
Due to heavy wind loads the sections of external façade skin of the tower will be aluminum on a steel framework. Sections were tested in Germany and the Russian Federation and certified in the Russian Federation to be applied to this building.
Can you please tell me when work will start for "Okhta ñenter".
Tareq Al-azzeh, 21.08.2009
Construction of social and business district “Okhta center” will begin only after passing through all established by Russian legislation agreements. In particular, at present time the resolution of St. Petersburg’s government about engineering and construction of the object is expected. At present time the first zone of social and business district is designed. There will be situated high-rise dominant with public observation site and also sports complex, modern conference rooms, library and information centre, cafes and restaurants. Contract of engineering of the first zone of “Okhta center” between «Social and business center «Okhta» LLC and architecture company RMJM London Ltd (the winner of competition for elaboration of architectural and town-planning concept for social and business center) was signed on September, 29 in 2007. The deadline must be specified. The winner of competition for designing in the stage “Engineering documentation”and construction of the first zone of “Okhta center” has become "Arabtec Construction" company on April, 23 in 2008. The company will start working after awarding a contract; now the period and total cost of work are formulated, same as exact deadlines for every stage.
Will the Okhta Centre become the new headquarters for Gazprom? Or will the headquarters stay in Moscow?
Asia Lindsay, 03.07.2009
Yet Gazprom does not make any plans to move its headquarters to St-Petersburg. However it is but natural that some of the company governing bodies will move to St-Petersburg. According to the fulfillment of Social and Business Centre "Okhta" project 16% of all the Centre facilities are to be occupied by the offices of Gazprom group of companies.
Hello, I work for CNN.com International, based in London. I am writing a piece about the future of skyscrapers for which I’d like to include a photo gallery of forward-thinking projects, and I was wondering if it you would be able to provide me with jpegs of the Okhta Center. Also, please could you let me know when the building is likely to be completed. Many thanks, Mark Tutton Reporter CNN International For the latest in world news: http://cnn.com/international
Mark Tutton, 06.10.2008
We are glad that you have become interested in project of social and business district "Okhta center". It's planned to construct the tower of "Okhta center" till 2012, and all buildings of the social and business district will hand over in 2016. At present time the first zone of social and business district is designed. There will be situated high-rise dominant with public observation site and also sports complex, modern conference rooms, library and information centre, cafes and restaurants. Construction of social and business district "Okhta center" will begin only after passing through all established by Russian legislation agreements. In particular, at present time the resolution of St. Petersburg's government about engineering and construction of the object is expected. P. S. According to your request, we sent images.
Has construction of the Okhta Center tower begun? If so, what has been done so far? Excavation work? When is the foundation expected to be completed? When is the building expected to be completed? Scott Lewis Editorial Research Director Engineering News-Record New York
Scott Lewis, 10.09.2008
Construction of social and business district "Okhta center" will begin only after passing through all established by Russian legislation agreements. In particular, at present time the resolution of St. Petersburg's government about engineering and construction of the object is expected. At present time the first zone of social and business district is designed. There will be situated high-rise dominant with public observation site and also sports complex, modern conference rooms, library and information centre, cafes and restaurants. The winner of competition for designing in the stage "Engineering documentation"and construction of the first zone of "Okhta center" has become "Arabtec Construction" company on April, 23 in 2008. The company will start working after awarding a contract; now the period and total cost of work are formulated, same as exact deadlines for every stage. It's planned to construct the tower of "Okhta center" till 2012, and all buildings of the social and business district will hand over in 2016. At present archeological excavation is held in the grounds of building site. Four hundred years before St.Petersburg was erected, human settlements with two fortresses, called Landskrona and Nienshats, were situated in the territory where now "Okhta Center" is constructed. Currently a lot of precious artifacts were found in the place of diggings. The excavation is held under the guidance of Peter Sorokin, the headmaster of North-Western institute "Nasledye".
