Unesco, the cultural arm of the United Nations, has denied claims that the impact of the Gazprom Tower on St Petersburg is no longer a problem.

Tony Kettle, design director at RMJM, said last week that a presentation given by RMJM to Francesco Banderin, director the of the world heritage centre, had “taken away some of the myths surrounding the project” and its impact on the city.

However, Unesco disputes Kettle’s version of events. A spokesperson said: “Mr Bandarin never said anything to this effect and this does not represent his view or that of the World Heritage Centre on the subject.”

Kettle said: “The words I used were accurate. The picture in Building speaks for itself. Unesco has issues that it requires the city to consider and we must debate further.”

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