Review article

The article is devoted to the prospects of constructing multi-storey residential buildings in Saint-Petersburg. The evolution of buildings of excess height over the past 40--50 years is analyzed. The information obtained by the Department of architectural design of LISI in cooperation with the LenNIIProekt research department in the 1970-s, is compared with the current data of apartment houses operation results both in Russia and abroad. Such aspects as aesthetics of city-formation, sanitary characteristics of the dwelling, the specificity of domestic life, fire safety provision, economic issues, etc., are taken into consideration. Attention is paid to the promising alternative forms of dwellings in the large city.