Singer House

Singer House (Russian: Дом компании «Зингер»), also widely known as the House of the Book (Russian: Дом книги), is a building in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is located at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and the Griboyedov Canal, directly opposite the Kazan Cathedral. It is recognized as a historical landmark, has official status as an object of Russian cultural heritage and serves as the headquarters of the VKontakte.

For the New York building, see Singer Building. For the Pennsylvania dwelling, see John F. Singer House.
Singer House
Дом компании «Зингер» (in Russian)
Singer House
Alternative namesHouse of the Book
General information
Architectural styleArt Nouveau
Location28 Nevsky Prospekt, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Coordinates59°56′9″N 30°19′32″E
Completed1904
Design and construction
ArchitectPavel Suzor

History

The building was designed by architect Pavel Suzor for the Russian branch of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The management of the Singer Company initially intended to construct a skyscraper, similar to the Singer Building, the company headquarters under construction at that time in New York City, but the Saint Petersburg building code did not allow structures taller than the Winter Palace (the Emperor's residence). Suzor found an elegant solution to the 23.5 meter height limit: the six-story Art Nouveau building is crowned with a glass tower, which in turn is topped by a glass globe sculpture created by Estonian artist Amandus Adamson.[1] This tower creates the impression of a substantial elevation, but is subtle enough not to overshadow either the Kazan Cathedral or the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

During the First World War the US Embassy was briefly located in the building.[2] In 1919, not long after the October Revolution, the building was given to the Petrograd State Publishing House. It quickly became the city's largest bookstore, and was subsequently named "The House of Books" in 1938. The bookstore remained functioning during the Siege of Leningrad until November 1942, reopening again in 1948. The building closed for reconstruction from 2004 to 2006, reopening as the home of several businesses, including the House of Books[3] and Café Singer.[4]

  • Singer House
  • Frontal view
  • Side view
  • The tower with the globe on the top
  • Entrance
  • Sculptures on the facade

Sources
Christmas façade illumination
  • Рубашкин А. И. (2003). В Доме Зингера и вокруг него (in Russian). Logos. p. 568. ISBN 5-87288-255-6.
  • Вознесенский А. (2008). Дом компании "Зингер" - Дом Книги (in Russian). Коло. p. 44.

References
  1. Дом Книги (Дом Зингера) (in Russian).
  2. "Singer Company Building in St. Petersburg, Russia". www.saint-petersburg.com. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  3. "The House of Books, the Book Shop". Saint Petersburg Encyclopedia.
  4. "Cafe Singer home page".

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