Fragment from the 1925 map
Copyright: Image © courtesy of retromap.ru
In the 2010s, the area began to transform: along the riverbank, several phases of the Magnifika complex gradually took shape. Alter became their continuation and a connecting element, as well as a focal point – its position on the very bend of the river, between old and new development, virtually demands this role.
Alter Residential Complex. General view of the façade along the Okhta River embankment, from the south side
Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
Today, both banks of the Okhta have been landscaped. On the right bank, at the foot of the residential buildings, a public embankment has been created – we will return to it later. On the left, near the confluence with the Okkervil River, there is a park area that recalls the time when, around the surviving Utkina Dacha estate, apple orchards grew instead of factory chimneys. The only disruption to this idyllic picture is Shaumyan Avenue, which cuts the river off from the west. To the east, Alter borders on three towers of the third phase of Magnifika, and to the north, the very same 1911 brick factory building.
The bend of the river, the proximity of the industrial building, and the client’s wish for something akin to an “Amsterdam house” guided Stepan Liphart’s creative search toward brick expressionism. In the early versions, the building faces the river with a ceremonial courtyard block and “bastions”; the cornice is crowned with pinnacles resembling factory chimneys, while the volumetric brickwork forms “fluting” between the windows and creates a cascading effect. We described this design in more detail here.
Design variant for the building on Magnitogorskaya Street
Copyright: Project for a building on Magnitogorskaya Street. Perimeter block variant in a classical style
Another condition emerged in the course of the project: the city’s chief architect at the time, Vladimir Grigoriev, recommended that the author respond to the towers of the neighboring complex. The third – and ultimately approved – iteration appears more restrained than the previous two, although the architect remained firmly committed to preserving the richness of detail.
Alter housing complex
Copyright: © Liphart Architects, Mosgraf Agency (visualization)
In the final version, the master plan also became more complex: the perimeter block was replaced by three cascading buildings connected by a stylobate, while the section between the “bastions” was pushed deeper into the site. Importantly, the fundamental quality of the composition was preserved: the bend of the river remains a key element, though achieved by different means. The three sections are inscribed within an isosceles triangle, whose hypotenuse roughly aligns with the line of the stylobate facing the embankment. And where, according to the logic of symmetry, a fourth tower might have stood, we instead see the river. Even without consciously grasping the idea, the viewer senses this built-in balance and links the river with the building; from the opposite bank, it can even seem as though the water flows into the courtyard. Moreover, because the tower sections are angled toward the river, a greater number of apartments enjoy favorable views.
The site plan. Alter housing complex
Copyright: © A-Architects
Another key characteristic of Alter, shaped by the presence of the river, is its cascading form, reflecting the many manifestations of moving water – slanting streams of rain, churning rapids, stepped waterfalls. Studying this quality, one begins to understand what architects mean when they say a building is “drawn”: behind every recess, edge, and step, one can sense the hand holding the pencil.
Alter Residential Complex. View of the façade along the Okhta River embankment, from the east side
Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Lipgart & Gerth
The motif of steps and setbacks is executed in numerous variations. At the stage of shaping the massing, the architect must have proceeded (at least, in part) from the complex volumetric composition of the Lepse factory. The façade facing the neighboring Magnifika tower is particularly responsive: here, the rhythm of the new building’s pilasters picks up the line of the cornice and the cadence of the factory structure.
Alter Residential Complex. Fragment of the eastern façade, with the Lepse factory building in the background
Copyright: Photograph © Stepan Liphart
Former shipbuilding factory Lepse, now the business center “Shaumyana 10”
Copyright: © Stepan LiphartCopyright: Photograph © Stepan Liphart
Alter Residential Complex. View from the east side
Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
Alter Residential Complex. General view of the façade along the Okhta River embankment, from the southeast side
Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
As already noted, contemporary residential architecture in Saint Petersburg is often associated with a certain austerity – of emotion, of formal devices, of materials. Here, however, the impression is the opposite: not a single square meter of the façade is neglected. The author treats it with remarkable generosity, seemingly never repeating himself – elements such as terraces, “fluting,” or folds vary in length, height, and mass. All this produces a kind of pictorial quality inherent to nature, one that architecture rarely manages to replicate. The buildings resemble mountains gradually settling, with streams flowing down from their peaks to the base.
Alter Residential Complex
Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
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![zooming]( "Alter Residential Complex Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth")
Alter Residential ComplexCopyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
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![zooming]( "Stone symphony in Garni Copyright: Photograph © Alena Kuznetsova")
Stone symphony in GarniCopyright: Photograph © Alena Kuznetsova
The compositional features and the rich variation of simple elements – folds and recesses – generate, without exaggeration, an endless array of viewpoints. Lighting also plays a crucial role in perception: in sunny weather, the volumes appear sharper and more articulated, while under overcast skies they may merge into new, unexpected forms.
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![zooming]( "Alter Residential Complex. View of the façade along the Okhta River embankment, from the west side Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth")
Alter Residential Complex. View of the façade along the Okhta River embankment, from the west sideCopyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
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![zooming]( "Alter Residential Complex. View of the façade along Shaumyan Avenue, from the northwest side Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth")
Alter Residential Complex. View of the façade along Shaumyan Avenue, from the northwest sideCopyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
The building’s sculptural expressiveness is rooted in the properties of brick. The material was ordered from the Estonian Wienerberger factory before the onset of pandemic restrictions. Its color is darker than that of historical architecture, with a subtle violet undertone. In the masonry, matte bricks are combined with glazed ones, which, under certain lighting conditions, give the surface a variegated appearance.
Alter Residential Complex
Copyright: Photograph © Alisa Gil / courtesy of Liphart & Gerth
Finally, Alter creates not only varied perspectives but also spaces of different character. The embankment, for instance, is not merely two lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, but a “reservoir” of urban life: it is organized as a functionally rich public square that attracts a wide range of people. Along the stylobate, there are shops and cafés with outdoor seating; in the center, sports and play areas; and by the river, a promenade with quieter places for rest.
The other two, less ceremonial sides – facing the Magnifika towers and the brick business center – are also thoughtfully designed: the promenade anticipates future development of the area, and even the parking entrance is carefully integrated. The courtyard atop the stylobate functions as a “city balcony” – a calm, semi-private space overlooking the river.
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![zooming]( "Alter Residential Complex. View of the façade along the Okhta River embankment, from the south side Copyright: Photograph © Stepan Liphart")
Alter Residential Complex. View of the façade along the Okhta River embankment, from the south sideCopyright: Photograph © Stepan Liphart
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![zooming]( "Alter Residential Complex. Fragment of the façade along the Okhta River embankment Copyright: Photograph © Stepan Liphart")
Alter Residential Complex. Fragment of the façade along the Okhta River embankmentCopyright: Photograph © Stepan Liphart
Alter may seem unusual for Saint Petersburg – both old and new – but all of its design decisions speak to a considered connection with the place, endowing the project with a sense of authenticity. Here, the viewer encounters not an economic calculation, but an artistic one.
