Condominium Inside the Block,
St. petersburg, Russia october 21, 2009

Alexej Moldavskij designed and built numerous residential buildings in St. Petersburg, Russia. One of those projects is a condominium on Vasilievskij Island in the historical district of St. Petersburg.

The project is located inside the block and surrounded by historical residential buildings. Due to space constraints, the new building was built on the exact footprint of the demolished building. In contrast, other residential developments that have been built from reinforced, precast concrete and allow very few remodeling opportunities for future owners; Alexej Moldavskij designed his building differently. In his design, he allowed future modification in interiors throughout the lifespan of the building. That accomplished a structural base of the building with a grid of columns. Underneath of the building is a garage and one level for residences. The groundwater level in St. Petersburg greatly increased the cost of underground structures that are more than one level in depth. Most of the developers these days are building only one level of underground parking. A roof garden was proposed as an extension of green space for the residences, as there is a very limited space for landscaping around the building.

This building, like most buildings, represents private rather than public interest. Many components of the original design weren’t built or revised after city approval. Overall, this is a successful project that brought bright colors to the color palette of the blocks’ surrounding buildings.


Exterior. Photograph by Alexej Moldavskij.	Exterior. Photograph by Alexej Moldavskij.