OREANDA-NEWS. The restoration and adaptation for modern use of the historical Round Market, the listed building on the embankment of the Moyka River in St. Petersburg, has been praised by the international architecture community. The new profile and interior design of the building, which was originally designed by the legendary Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi, received an excellent review in the leading architecture and design magazine Interni60.

The Russian shipping company's headquarters feature in the article alongside Paris's Eiffel Tower, the Villa Kogelhof in the Netherlands, and other iconic pieces of architecture in all corners of the world.

The market building, designed by Quarenghi at the end of the 18th century, has been lovingly converted into 21st century offices. Interni60 notes: "The triangular plan with rounded corners marks off the space of the streets, resolving the relationship with the river and offering a symphony of unified parts, facades without hierarchy, a sequence of regular arches and a protected plaza, organized inside the architectural perimeter. This approach of architecture of and for the city is picked up in the project by William Sawaya, which reconnects past and present, approaching an abandoned work marked by time and subsequent interventions. Sawaya has carefully restored the facades, taking them back to their original beauty, inventively combining them with new interior figures, and transforming the central space into a courtyard sheltered by a glass roof".

The St. Petersburg architecture firm Banet was entrusted with restoring the market's facades, while the Italian Studio Architettura Sawaya & Moroni designed the interiors. Restoration work was completed in December 2012, in time for the unveiling of Sovcomflot's unique training centre, which along with the Group's engineering and analytics centres was moved to the newly finished building at the address 3a, Moyka Embankment.

At the opening ceremony for Sovcomflot's headquarters in St. Petersburg, the city's governor Georgy Poltavchenko said: "I would like to thank Sovcomflot for their tireless work in restoring Giacomo Quarenghi's 18th century building. It is a significant contribution to the city's development".

While bringing this large-scale project to life, Sovcomflot Group understood the importance of preserving and furthering St. Petersburg's cultural and architectural heritage. Thorough archaeological, archive, geological and other research was undertaken before design work commenced. The project was submitted to the government for expert review, and received the necessary permissions for restoring the Round Market and adapting it for modern use.

The cutting-edge concepts of both the Russian architects and the great Quarenghi's fellow Italian designers were implemented by local builders. They achieved the almost impossible - preserving the market's historical exterior while carrying out a complete restoration, and equipping the building for all contemporary technical needs.

In light of the Round Market's architectural and historical significance, and the complexity of the work undertaken by the designers and constructors, the restoration and adaptation of the building at 3a, Moyka Embankment can be said to be unique.

The Round Market is a listed 18th century building in St. Petersburg. Completed in 1790, it was designed by the famous Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi. The building is one of the city's oldest markets. The market was originally called the Finnish Market, after the Finnish church that stood near to it, then the Kharchevy Market. At the end of the 18th century it became the Round Market. Most of the goods sold there were delivered along the Moyka River (which at the time was called the Mya River). Kharchevy Market burned down in 1732, but its granite offloading ramp - from where goods were taken to the market - remains. The market's main visitors were people from nearby districts, particularly the German and Greek settlements. We know that the family of Alexander Pushkin used the market, and rented an apartment in the neighbourhood.

Sovcomflot's training & engineering centre was opened in December 2012 for the special training of the company's captains and senior officers in navigation of the Arctic's challenging climatic conditions. The centre will work closely with SCF Group headquarters, located in the historical centre of St. Petersburg on the embankment of the Moyka River. Personnel training at the new SCF centre will be conducted in close collaboration with Russia's leading maritime institute, the Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy (St. Petersburg). Modern systems in place at the centre will allow SCF to conduct essential training, simulate navigational situations in differing climatic conditions, and develop the best possible engineering solutions for specific projects using the centre's own equipment.