I just worry this is a copycat, skyscraper race concept. Why didn't Gazprom do something completely different, like an eco friendly low lying energy self sufficient busienss environment with public parks, cycle paths, a monorail ....... Up maybe good in small countries, where land is a premium, but why don't we do something else. I am not saying this is wrong, or shouldn't happen, just saying lets think for ourselves! Maybe next time!

I agree, Count Cash, next time... I recently visited Russia --- for the first time --- and Sankt Pete was the first place I visited. I heard of the controversy. And I thought how odd, why not do something really creative. I always think that Russia must start leveraging money much better. So, when a state giant goes out to spend a lots of money, many things come to mind. Why do the copycat thing? What I would like to see in Russia is a new Russian town, an architecture adapted to the Russian weather, a mixed use complex, of which Gazprom office space is just one component. Russia is stuggling with the preponderance of population in few cities, while vast, beautiful spaces are not leveraged at all. Russia does have good railroad and air travel, so it will make sense to build a modern mini-city, that will sustain a comfortable life style for coporate, government, research, university, health or other uses, along with all the municipal services, from schools to trash. But by being a closed-in environment, a great deal of innovation can happen in the use of energy, quality of air and water supplies, temperature management, etc. Parks, cycle paths, monorail, escalators, elevators, moving sidewalks, and the coffe shops with palm trees! Why not? Gazprom can create a core module, that would allow other enterprises, govenment, universilties and others to add on. That way, much will be learned about how to build the self-contained cities, their optimal size, creating multiple vs. one large, etc. etd. For the truth is, with all due respect to Sankt Pete, it is fighting a valiant, but loosing battle with its ever-crumbling facades! You cannot import an European invention and expet it to do well under the harsh climate. A new skyline in the city --- I think it is good. It will energize the skyline. After all, I do not think that the endless row of old factories along Neva river exactly add to the beauty of the city skyline.