Arkhangelsk Challenges Anchorage with Northern High-Rise

Construction has begun on the world«s northernmost high-rise residential building in the capital of Pomorye. Moreover, the new residential complex in Arkhangelsk will become the tallest building in the Russian Arctic zone and in the world north of the 61st parallel.

Buildings are considered high-rise if their «height» exceeds 75 meters. In Russia, the tallest residential buildings in the northern regions are the 27-story Vozrozhdeniye residential complex in Surgut (95.4 m) and the Kareliya residential complex in Petrozavodsk (82.3 m). However, both cities are three degrees south of Arkhangelsk, where the 26-story Imperia residential complex, 93 meters high, has already been built.

Among public and commercial buildings, the tallest are the design organizations building in Arkhangelsk (82 m to the roof) and the Arktika Hotel in Murmansk (72 m). The tallest industrial buildings in the north are the Arctic LNG workshop in Belokamenka on the Kola Peninsula (93 meters) and workshop No. 55 of the Sevmash enterprise in Severodvinsk (73.2 meters).

As for northern countries, in Anchorage, Alaska, the tallest, 22-story building — the Conoco-Phillips company office — is 90 meters high. Meanwhile, Anchorage is located three degrees south of Arkhangelsk, on the 61st parallel. In Canada, all high-rise buildings are even further south, beyond the 50th parallel. In Iceland, the tallest buildings are built at the same latitude as the capital of Pomorye: the Smaratorg Tower office building in a suburb of Reykjavik is 77.6 m high, and the Lutheran Hallgrímskirkja church in the country«s capital is 74 m. In Norwegian Trondheim, which is located one degree south of Arkhangelsk, the tallest building is the 98-meter Nidaros Cathedral. In Sweden, in the city of Skellefteå, which is at the same latitude as Arkhangelsk, there is a 74-meter public and commercial center Sara Kulturhus Centre. In Finnish Oulu, the Origo residential building is 66 meters high.

The new residential complex in Arkhangelsk is being built in the area of Obvodny Canal Avenue and Loginova Street. The height of one of the buildings will be 99.96 m. Thus, the Aquilon Group will surpass its own achievement — the 93-meter Imperia residential complex, built in 2018 and currently the tallest residential building in Pomorye.

In accordance with the law, the administration of Arkhangelsk has issued a construction permit. The necessary technical conditions for connecting the facility to the engineering networks have been prepared by the resource supply organizations.

The project was carried out in cooperation with the Moscow-based company WILDTEAM, which has implemented about 200 projects, including high-rise residential complexes, and with the involvement of specialists from the Higher Engineering School of the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov.

The construction of the foundation, which meets all regulatory requirements for strength and seismic stability, has already begun. Earthworks for the pit, including peat removal, have been completed. In total, 1032 piles of increased cross-section and load-bearing capacity will be installed in the first phase.

High-quality concrete is used for the monolithic frame of the building. Hinged ventilated facades are made of modern materials, according to a specially designed project, taking into account wind loads at a height of 100 meters. An exhaust forced ventilation system with the installation of special mechanical units on the roof is provided. The in-house heating and water supply networks have a horizontal riserless manifold distribution to the apartments. A three-stage system for supplying heat transfer fluid and water is being installed, ensuring their reliable delivery to all floors. Overall, the building has been assigned the highest energy efficiency category — A+.

The project includes the implementation of special fire safety measures for the building. A modern automatic fire alarm system and an automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing system with an increased water supply volume and additional door irrigation are being installed. Of the four elevators with a speed of 2.5 m/s, three are equipped with special devices for use by firefighters and rescuers, including during a power outage. Two evacuation staircases from the first floor to the roof exit have a fire-resistant contour with air pressurization and smoke removal.

Under the program for the comprehensive development of the territory (CDT) on a plot of 5.0049 hectares, within the boundaries of Loginova Street, Suftina Street, Popova Street, and Obvodny Canal Avenue, in accordance with the municipal contract, the Aquilon Group is relocating 16 dilapidated and emergency wooden houses at its own expense. Their total area is 7.8 thousand m² — 157 apartments, including on the territory intended for a kindergarten for 280 children. In addition, the developer will arrange a publicly accessible square at its own expense. 8 houses have already been resettled, and two houses on the plot intended for the square will be resettled ahead of schedule for the commissioning of the first phase of the new residential complex.

Its first phase includes 32-story and 20-story sections — a total of 30 thousand m² of new housing. An underground parking lot is provided. It is planned that the new houses will occupy no more than 20% of the total area of the plot. On the remaining territory, the developer will carry out comprehensive improvement, including the installation of playgrounds for children of different ages and sports grounds, the creation of a recreation area with landscaping and parking spaces for cars in accordance with current urban planning standards. Also, an extension of Popova Street will be formed. It should be noted that within a radius of 500 m from the plot there are 6 kindergartens, 4 schools, a children«s clinic and a children»s dental clinic.

In 2025, the Aquilon Group built more than 155 thousand m² of new housing in Pomorye. In Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk, 10 residential real estate facilities were put into operation. These are 2420 apartments, about 95% of which were purchased by citizens. Last year, the Aquilon Group began construction of 9 facilities in Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk: three new residential complexes and six new phases in complexes under construction. In total, more than 1600 apartments will be commissioned in these houses in 2026–28.

The Arkhangelsk region remains a key site for the implementation of the Aquilon Group«s projects. The total volume of new housing construction carried out by the Aquilon Group in Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk is about 450 thousand m². The company»s plans in Pomorye for the coming years are about 500 thousand m² with a total investment of about 50 billion rubles (approx. $536 million at current rates).

The developer is SZ Primorsky LLC.