House of the Singer company in St. Petersburg
The architectural landmark is one of the largest book centers in the city (with a large assortment of souvenirs, books, educational games, crafts, creativity). Meeting places with interesting authors during presentations, lectures are located in the original building, called the House of the Singer Company in St. Petersburg.
Construction history
On the site of the modern book building in 1777, there was a three-story building (an additional floor grew on it in the 19th century) with a Goltz music store, a Deibner bookstore, a Daguerreotype and Photographic Institution, Levitsky. Since 1902, the land was owned by the Singer company, known worldwide for its sewing machines. The new building, with the permission of Nicholas II, was erected according to the project of the famous master Suzor (about 100 buildings were created in the city according to his architectural ideas).
Initially, the building housed sewing workshops (military uniforms for Russian soldiers and officers were sewn in the workshops), premises that were rented (to banks, the American embassy during the war). The Petrogosizdat publishing house, a bookstore, Lendetgiz under the leadership of Marshak began work in the building in 1919. Schwartz, Chukovsky, A. Tolstoy, O. Forsh worked in the building. The Singer trading house gradually turned into a literary center. Since 1938, the โHouse of the Bookโ began to function in it, which survived the war, the blockade, and has become a landmark of the city at the present time.
Architecture
Elements of Baroque styles (Valkyries with Mercury rod, sewing machine, cartouches, shells). Art Nouveau (vegetative ornaments, glazed tiled mosaics, dragon heads) are visible on the building. In solving architectural problems, for the first time in Russia, technologies were used to create metal frames filled with a brick wall on a special mortar. The frame-based model was able to realize the idea of โโa large-scale rhythmic composition with large window openings on the first and second floors.
Thanks to the innovation, atriums (patios covered with glass roofs) appeared. In the elements of the building, innovations have been introduced, such as automatic cleaning of the roof from snow (by supplying hot steam), and the use of elevators. For the first time, the system of drainpipes is skillfully hidden in the elements of the facade behind the lines of the ornament, amazing sculptures. The streams of rain escaped through hidden pipes made of copper, without overloading the facades with unnecessary details.
According to the latest advances in technology at the beginning of the 20th century, a reliable system for building ventilation has been created. The equipment was placed in the basement, the necessary air was supplied to the interior of the building in a warm, moist, clean state. Among the number of special city buildings, the structure was an example of the Art Nouveau style.
Facade
It seems that the facade of the building is overloaded with old decorative elements. This is due to the general traditions of buildings from the time of P. Syuzor's work at the turn of the epochs. The building was built in the style of the outgoing eclecticism, early modern, which appeared under the influence of American architectural techniques. The decoration of the building is saturated with elements of floral ornament, complex sculptural forms created by famous sculptors (Adamson, Ober). The facades of the six floors of the building are lined with high-quality granite of different shades (the lower floors are red, the upper ones are gray).
Large showcase windows, numerous stylized sculptures, ornate grilles, the silhouette of a corner tower with bronze Valkyries create an original architectural ensemble. On its facade, you can see the attributes of the god of trade Mercury (caduceus wand โmessenger's staffโ) with two snakes. Petaz in the shape of a hat, with eye-catching wings, many stylized elements (spindle, sewing machine, harpoon, emphasizing the development of shipbuilding, heavy industry). Sculptures of Valkyries (daughters of brave warriors who choose the dead) reflect the ancient legends and myths of the Scandinavian peoples in an original way.
Tower
The original element of the modern House of Books attracts the attention of people walking along Nevsky Prospekt. Its appearance on the building made it possible to circumvent the height requirements (restrictions) of the norms in force in the city. The initial dream of the Singer company was the desire to build a skyscraper here, similar to American ones. The permissible height to the level of the cornice of the building was considered to be 23.5 m (there should not have been buildings higher than the Winter Palace). The tower adorns the building above the level of the cornice, adding to the overall height to the level of 11 floors (at that time in Russia it was an unusual high-rise building). The top of the tower is decorated with a globe (its diameter is 2.8 m), created from a metal frame and glass using the most modern technologies of that time.
The globe served as the firm's original advertisement. Inside it was illuminated by electricity, on the outside was the inscription โSinger and Co.โ. The ball was supported by sculptures depicting navigation. On the dome there is a figure of a single-headed eagle spreading its wings. In one of the historical periods of the existence of the building, the eagle disappeared. During the restoration work, it was restored according to the surviving photographs and drawings. The tower directed to the sky gives rise to a general impression of the height of the House, without overshadowing the grandeur of the domes of the Kazan Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Blood, standing on the main avenue of the city. Now the six-story building with a glass tower on top (considered a symbol of the globe) is among the controversial buildings in St. Petersburg.
What to see inside
The last restoration works in 2006 were carried out according to the requirements of maximum preservation of the original appearance of the building, its internal content. Now visitors are greeted by a beautiful central staircase made of Carrara marble. By the way, earlier financial possibilities made it possible to make only the steps of the first floors from it, the rest were made of ordinary limestone. The steps of the modern staircase are custom-made in Italy. To ensure fire safety, ease of movement, two additional entrances and elevators were built.
The interior walls of the house are decorated with new Venetian plaster, beautiful decorative elements using gold leaf. The mosaic floor, forged elements, oak doors, frames, facing granite sparkled again. The copper roofing was completely restored, the tiles on the walls of the patio. The greatest impression when examining the interior is the view of the lobby. The asymmetric staircase, the central hall in the form of an atrium are harmoniously combined with curvilinear patterns on forged bronze, a reflection of polished granite slabs.
Book House
The main book trade has been in the building since 1919. Starting with the release of books by Petrogosizdat and now, here you can see the full range of published products. The building was named the House of the Book in 1938. The last reconstruction (2006) was carried out with the participation of many construction firms and other companies. After it, the House of Books occupies most of the building, and on the remaining leased area there are offices of CJSC PAN (Petersburg Real Estate Agency, which carried out the leading role in the restoration of the building). The premises of the VKontakte company are located on the upper floors.
The House of the Book is one of the major book trade centers in Europe. The area occupied by the proposed product is 2800 square meters. m. More than 100 thousand titles of publications are placed on convenient shelves. Among them are fiction, children's, highly specialized literature. Here you can find a book on gardening, tourism, adventure, a love story, the latest version of detective stories. In the book world, according to old traditions, interesting meetings with authors, lectures, presentations of new works are held, a โNew Products Calendarโ is maintained with a weekly analysis of fresh arrivals. As before, the department โBook โ by mailโ and other ways to attract customers are working.
Cafe Singer
Numerous traditions of Russian beauty, convenience, elegance were combined in the creation of the famous Singer Cafe. The atmosphere of an original building of the 20th century, its spirit is enveloped by tables, armchairs, from which you can admire the majestic Kazan Cathedral, the environs of an unforgettable city. The refined hospitality of St. Petersburg has become a traditional way of serving guests in a cafe located on the second floor of the famous Singer House. A leisurely rest is surrounded by green wall decoration, southern palm trees, massive furniture made in ancient rounded shapes.
The smell of fresh pastries, apricot puffs, polite staff, endless bookcases create a cozy, homely atmosphere. Complementing its menu of offers of European, Russian cuisines, reminiscent of the taste of dishes of a bygone childhood. It seems that this grandmother cooked delicious borsch, fragrant dumplings, pancakes with caviar, mushrooms, salmon, tender meatballs. And for dessert, you can drink hot chocolate with an amazing donut. The average cost of a visit is about 1200 rubles. The โold-fashionedโ cafe is loved by the local population and tourists. It has long become one of the symbols of the city.
Business center โDom Singerโ
Next to the entrance door of the House of the Book there is an access, guarded by a special service, and leading to the elite real estate business center. On a vast territory there are (as in the original form) premises for rent. Numerous offices, halls for large-scale conferences, serious negotiations, are equipped with the latest technology. Comfortable, beautiful, they are rented out, and the location in the city center provides them with great popularity, despite the high rental price per square meter. m.
All modern technical facilities of the center are managed by a single dispatch service, working around the clock. It consists of a cunning video surveillance system for each section of the center, combination locks, alarms, control of passage through the floors. A comfortable climate is created in the premises, you can come to them by a modern elevator (there are only 5 of them). The center has its own telephone exchange, satellite communications, and the Internet.
Working hours
Visitors can view the famous house from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday.
Where is it located and how to get there
The historical landmark of the city is located on Nevsky Prospekt, 28, on the banks of the Griboyedov Canal. Nearby are the entrances to three metro stations (Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor, Admiralteyskaya). You can go to it while walking along the embankments of the Moika and Fontanka rivers, along Bolshaya Konyushennaya and Sadovaya streets.