Now we are looking at Singer House on the corner of Nevsky and the Griboyedov canal. Without doubt this building is one of the most prominent on the prospect.
Originally the plan was to build the Singer manufacturing company headquarters as an 11 storey skyscraper. But at that time in Saint Petersburg there was a height limit of 22 metres. And even the most trendy and infuential architect Pavel Syuzor could do nothing about the law. At least, almost nothing.
It tuned out that everyone was happy with Syuzor’s building, The academic built a house no higher than 22 metres, and the letter of the law was met. But what about the tower with the globe on? It turned out that the 22 metre law did not apply to spires and towers. So the Americans’ skyscraper ambitions were satisfied.
Now something about the glass tower itself. What is interesting about it? Do you see the globe? It is not simply a glass sphere. It is in fact a real globe. Made with the correct curve of the Earth’s axis. And most incredible is that it is situated right on the Pulkovo meridian line.
The bird on the base of the tower of Singer House is not an eagle but a white headed sea eagle with the American coat of arms. By the way in the 1910s the American consulate was based here.
The winged bronze maidens on Singer House are fashioned like the figurehead of a ship but in fact they are Valkyries.
The left grey one with the spear is an allegory for heavy war industry. The right one with the spindle represents peaceful light industry. Look: in her right-hand she is not leaning on a steering wheel but on a Singer sewing machine.
Today the Singer House is home to the biggest, and without doubt best, book shop in the city.
File:Дом компании Зингер.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Дом_компании_Зингер.jpg
Author: Ruffery https://goo.gl/P5KMOc
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Originally the plan was to build the Singer manufacturing company headquarters as an 11 storey skyscraper. But at that time in Saint Petersburg there was a height limit of 22 metres. And even the most trendy and infuential architect Pavel Syuzor could do nothing about the law. At least, almost nothing.
It tuned out that everyone was happy with Syuzor’s building, The academic built a house no higher than 22 metres, and the letter of the law was met. But what about the tower with the globe on? It turned out that the 22 metre law did not apply to spires and towers. So the Americans’ skyscraper ambitions were satisfied.
Now something about the glass tower itself. What is interesting about it? Do you see the globe? It is not simply a glass sphere. It is in fact a real globe. Made with the correct curve of the Earth’s axis. And most incredible is that it is situated right on the Pulkovo meridian line.
The bird on the base of the tower of Singer House is not an eagle but a white headed sea eagle with the American coat of arms. By the way in the 1910s the American consulate was based here.
The winged bronze maidens on Singer House are fashioned like the figurehead of a ship but in fact they are Valkyries.
The left grey one with the spear is an allegory for heavy war industry. The right one with the spindle represents peaceful light industry. Look: in her right-hand she is not leaning on a steering wheel but on a Singer sewing machine.
Today the Singer House is home to the biggest, and without doubt best, book shop in the city.
File:Дом компании Зингер.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Дом_компании_Зингер.jpg
Author: Ruffery https://goo.gl/P5KMOc
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
