A symposium on the evolution of offices was held in the Singer building.
An unusual symposium combining academic and business formats was held in the atrium of the House of the Book on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg, where the Singer company used to be headquartered and where the VK office and the main bookstore of St. Petersburg are now neighbors. With this event, the Worldwide St. Petersburg Club and the Organizing Committee of the Golden Trezzini Awards together with VK Holding celebrated a double anniversary: 120 years since the completion of the building and 180 years since the birth of its creator, the great architect Pavel Suzor.
During the event, experts discussed development of office spaces in Russia over the past two centuries and the path to the modern office image. Guests of the event were welcomed by Anna Bogdanova, Administrative Director of VK, Pavel Chernyakov, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Golden Trezzini Awards, and Ekaterina Voznyak, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU).
Within the academic part of the symposium, Olga Zakarzhevskaya, a local historian and tour guide, spoke about the amazing history of the Singer Company House and the life of Isaac Singer, founder of the company, no less fascinating. Valery Mostovich, Associate Professor of the Department of History and Theory of Architecture of SPbGASU, introduced the audience to the biography and work of the author of the Singer House Pavel Suzor — architect, preservationist and teacher. Maria Granstrem, Head of the Department of Architectural Environment Design of SPbGASU, conducted a virtual tour around the interiors of offices and places of presence of the epoch of Russian Empire.
In the business part of the symposium, Alexander Korotkov, Head of Sales Department of aledo company, focused on the issue of office lighting, which is especially relevant in the St. Petersburg climate. Alyona Berdigan, Director of the Commercial Real Estate Department of Maris, spoke about how modern office spaces have changed the face of St. Petersburg. Sergey Pchelintsev, General Director of Terra company, presented a chronicle of interior design from the beginning of the XX century to the present. Oleg Dmitriev, Director of CORE.XP St. Petersburg and Development Director of the Organizing Committee of the Golden Trezzini Awards, who also moderated the event, read a report on the topic: «Modern office spaces. Focus on people».
By the end of April, the Worldwide St. Petersburg Club and the Organizing Committee of the Golden Trezzini Awards will hold two more joint events: a discussion on the restoration and rethinking of palaces at the Yusupova Palace on Liteiny Prospect and a conference on redevelopment at the St. Petersburg State Academy of Arts and Industry named after A.L. Stieglitz.
Photo: Vladislav Kuznetsov
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