The stunning design completed by architecture firm RMJM is about as green as it is tall. The city is also finding international resistance. St. Petersburg is currently listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, but stands to be stripped of the title if the tower is built.

The design’s conceptual strength comes from the spatial and programmatic striations which create overlaps between the exterior and the interior and between the various programmatic requirements creating a vibrant and creative work environment. The major programmatic categories are divided into the presentation, the processor, the nature zone, the work zone, social zone, recreation zone, transaction zone, chance event zone, instructional zone, etc. This technique provides maximum interface in between each striation, leading to higher permeability and interface in between the programs.

The Berman House was designed by Harry Seidler and Associates in 1996 and completed in 1999. Built in virgin contryside, the house is placed against a rock cliff with a suspended living area and projecting balcony overlooking the natural setting. A dam wall between two rock cliffs creates a deep natural swimming pool.

The parti for this apartment was anchored by the opening of what became the dining/sitting space into a balcony overviewing the living room, six feet below. This transformation created a volumetrically complex, open public room where, previously, there had been a sequence of small-scale, cellular spaces.

The site of this building is 90M long in length from west to east and undulating with the largest height differences of 13M. Because of these characteristics of the lot, a large area must be used for a path coming through the lot if it is to be developed as a residential area in the [...]