Top firm is tightlipped over world's tallest tower

THE future of RMJM's involvement with the creation of Europe's tallest skyscraper is in jeopardy after the firm behind the £300 million project admitted it is now holding talks with rival architecture firms.

The embattled Edinburgh company, which until recently counted former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin among its staff, won the contract for the original 400 metre Gazprom tower in St Petersburg, Russia, five years ago, beating off competition from many of Europe's top firms including Studio Libeskind, OMA and Jean Nouvel.

But the St Petersburg city government ordered last year that the project should be moved to a different site amid claims that the structure, known as the Okhta Centre, would ruin the skyline of the historic city centre.

The company behind the centre yesterday told The Scotsman that details of the development on the new site - outside of St Petersburg - had not yet been finalised.

"We are talking to a number of different architects, the contract has not yet been finalised," said Lyubov Belozerov, spokeswoman for the Okhta Centre project.

RMJM refused to comment.