The architectural landmark is one of the largest book centers selling books in the city (with a large assortment of souvenirs, books, educational games, handicrafts, and creativity). Places of meetings with interesting authors during presentations and 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 on it grew in the 19th century) with a Goltz music shop, a shop selling Deibner's books, Daguerreotype and Photographic Institutions, Levitsky. Since 1902, the land has been owned by the Singer company, world famous for its sewing machines. With the permission of Nicholas II, the new building 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 (in the workshops they sewed military uniforms for Russian soldiers and officers), premises that were leased (to banks, the American embassy during the war). The building began work in 1919, the publishing house "Petrogosizdat", a bookstore, "Lendetgiz" under the leadership of Marshak. Schwartz, Chukovsky, A. Tolstoy, O. Forsh worked in the building. The Singer trading house gradually turned into a literary center. Since 1938, the "House of Books" began to function in it, having survived the war, the blockade, and has become a landmark of the city at the present time.
Architecture
Elements of Baroque styles (Valkyries with a rod of Mercury, a sewing machine, cartouches, shells). Art Nouveau (floral ornaments, glazed tile mosaics, dragon heads) are visible on the building. In solving architectural problems, for the first time in Russia, they used the technologies of creating metal frames filled with a brick wall on a special solution. The model based on wireframes was able to realize the idea of a 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), 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. Streams of rain went through hidden copper pipes, without overloading the facades with unnecessary details.
According to the latest technological advances 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, humidified, 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 antique decorative elements. This is due to the general traditions of buildings during the work of P. Suzor at the turn of the epochs. The building was built in the style of the outgoing eclecticism, early Art Nouveau, which appeared under the influence of the architectural techniques of America. The decoration of the building is saturated with elements of floral ornamentation, complex sculptural forms created by famous sculptors (Adamson, Ober). The facades of the six floors of the building are faced with high-quality granite of various shades (the lower floors are red, the upper ones are gray).
Large display windows, numerous stylized sculptures, ornate lattices, the silhouette of a corner tower with bronze valkyries create an original architectural ensemble. On its facade are visible attributes of the god of trade Mercury (caducius rod "messenger's staff") with two snakes. Petaz in the form 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 slain) in an original way reflect the ancient legends and myths of the Scandinavian peoples.
Tower
The original element of the modern House of Books attracts the attention of people walking along Nevsky Prospect. Its appearance on the building made it possible to bypass the requirements (restrictions) on the height 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 the American ones. The admissible height to the level of the eaves of the building was considered to be 23.5 m (there should have been no buildings higher than the Winter Palace). The tower adorns the building above the cornice level, adding to the overall height up to the 11th floor level (at that time in Russia it was an unusually high-rise building). The top of the tower is decorated with a globe (its diameter is 2.8 m), made of a metal frame, glass using the most modern technologies of that time.
The globe served as the firm's original advertisement. Inside it was lit with electricity, on the outside there was an inscription "Singer and Co." The balloon was supported by sculptures depicting sailing. The figure of a one-headed eagle, spreading its wings, is fixed on the dome. In one of the historical periods of the building's existence, the eagle disappeared. During the restoration work, it was restored according to the surviving photographs and drawings. The tower, directed towards the sky, gives rise to the general impression of the height of the House, not overshadowing the majesty of the domes of the Kazan, Savior on Spilled Blood cathedrals, standing on the main avenue of the city. Now the six-storey building with a glass tower at the top (considered a symbol of the globe) is one of the controversial buildings in St. Petersburg.
What to see inside
The last restoration work in 2006 was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the 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 the financial possibilities made it possible to make only the steps of the first floors from not only, the rest are made of ordinary limestone. The steps of the modern staircase are custom made in Italy. To ensure fire safety and ease of movement, two additional entrances and elevators have been 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. Copper roofing, tiles on the walls of the courtyard have been completely restored. The greatest impression when examining the interior is the view of the lobby. An asymmetric staircase, a 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 publication of books by Petrogosizdat and now here you can see the full range of published products. The building was named the House of Books in 1938. The last reconstruction (2006) was carried out with the participation of many construction firms and other companies. After her, the House of Books occupies most of the building, and the remaining leased area houses the offices of PAN CJSC (Petersburg Real Estate Agency, which carried out the leading role in the restoration of the building). On the upper floors are the premises of the VKontakte company.
House of Books is one of the major centers of trade in books in Europe. The area occupied by the offered product is 2800 sq. m. Convenient shelves accommodate over 100 thousand titles of publications. Among them are fiction, children's, highly specialized literature.Here you can find for yourself a book on gardening, tourism, adventure, 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 "Calendar of New Products" is being conducted with a weekly analysis of fresh arrivals. As before, the department "Book - by mail" and other methods of attracting customers are working.
Cafe "Singer"
Numerous traditions of Russian beauty, convenience, elegance were combined in the creation of the famous cafe "Singer". The atmosphere of the original building of the XX century, its spirit is enveloped by tables, armchairs, from which you can admire the majestic Kazan Cathedral, the surroundings of the unforgettable city. The sophisticated hospitality of St. Petersburg has become a traditional way of serving guests in the cafe located on the second floor of the famous Singer House. A leisurely rest is spent surrounded by green wall decoration, southern palms, massive furniture made in old rounded shapes.
The smell of fresh baked goods, apricot puffs, polite staff, endless book shelves create a cozy, homely atmosphere. Its menu is supplemented by proposals of European, Russian cuisines, reminiscent of the taste of dishes from a bygone childhood. It seems that it was my grandmother who cooked delicious borscht, fragrant dumplings, pancakes with caviar, mushrooms, salmon, tender cutlets. And for dessert you can drink hot chocolate with an amazing donut. The average cost of a visit is about 1200 rubles. The "old-fashioned" cafe is loved by the local population and tourists. It has long become one of the symbols of the city.
Business center "Dom Singer"
Next to the front door of the House of Books there is an access, guarded by a special service, and leading to the luxury real estate business center. On a huge territory there are (as in its 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, and their location in the city center makes them very popular, despite the high rental price per sq. m.
All modern technical facilities of the center are controlled by a single dispatching service, working around the clock. It includes a clever video surveillance system for each section of the center, combination locks, an alarm system, and floor control. 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 home 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 at 28 Nevsky Prospekt, on the banks of the Griboyedov Canal. Nearby are the entrances to three metro stations (Nevsky Prospect, Gostiny Dvor, Admiralteyskaya). You can get to it while walking along the embankments of the Moika and Fontanka rivers, along the streets of Bolshaya Konyushennaya, Sadovaya.
