Asteros carried out a slabotochka in Hermitage

In September, 2013 the Asteros Group completed the next stage of the most difficult project on creation of engineering infrastructure within reconstruction of General staff of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Within three years of laborious works one of majestic buildings of Palace Square was equipped with a complex of the modern technological systems which will inhale new life in the museum and, at the same time, will not mention architectural and art furniture of a historical object.

The General Staff Building in St. Petersburg is a masterpiece of the great architect Karl Rossi. Majestic construction was built during the period from 1820 to 1830. During an era of Imperial Russia in east wing of the headquarters the Ministry of Internal Affairs and finance was located, and in 1993 the ensemble was included into a museum complex of the State Hermitage. 15 years later in 2008 exposures of General staff were closed in connection with the restoration of the building dated for 250-year anniversary of the Hermitage.

The Asteros group having rich experience of work on the restored cultural objects, such as State Theatre of the Nations and the Moscow Art Theatre of Chekhov in Moscow became the contractor on implementation of a complex of the low-current engineering systems.

Project Progress

"The project is unique in every sense, as in terms of the historical importance of an object of cultural heritage, and on the scale of construction, restoration and repair work. Our task it became most delicate, with an accuracy of sappers, to implement a complex of the engineering low-current systems, leaving finishing and architectural and art furniture of East wing of the General Staff in inviolability. We simply had no right to an error" —Mikhail Gavrilov, the director of Northwest branch of the Asteros group noted.

Having started works at the beginning of 2011, specialists of Asteros in close cooperation with the general contractor of the project and under fixed control of supervisory authorities gradually created an appearance of future engineering infrastructure of the General Staff. Today the complex of technological solutions integrates a television system and a security alarm, the radio channel system of protection of exhibits, about 240 video cameras, the system of integrated management of scheduling, the structured cable network, automation systems of heating, ventilation and conditioning, the system of fire safety, etc.

In general specialists of Asteros designed and implemented a complex from 11 engineering systems which formed a basis of modern technology infrastructure of General staff of the State Hermitage which museum zone is equal to 27,004. the sq.m., and total area is 60,473 sq.m.

Project Features

"More than 30 contractors at the same time worked at an object. At some stages of the project about 1000 people were involved, each of which performed the part of works. Existence of "red zones" — an ancient floor with a parquet, artificial marble, the furnace of the 18th century, unique arches and overlappings — on the one hand complicated implementation of engineering works, with another – created unique feeling of participation in reconstruction of a great monument of the Russian architecture. Work on such projects requires jewelry accuracy, here the solution of any seemingly standard task turns into the whole engineering research. Even such simple thing as an eyeliner of security sensors becomes an uncommon task if it is about the windows created in the 19th century and to you it is necessary to set protection so that not to damage marble of slopes and window sills" —Andrey Gusev, the development director of Northwest branch of group of Asteros remembers.

Project Development

At the moment, the restoration works in East wing of the General Staff of the Hermitage are almost completed. It is until the end of the year going to finalize balancing and commissioning, and to provide the prepared exposition halls to customers - to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Fund of investment construction projects of St. Petersburg, and then to transfer to services of the museum. All exposures in east wing of the General Staff Building will be open for visit of citizens and guests of the Northern Capital in 2014, in a year of the 250 anniversary of the Hermitage.