From Moscow to Saudi Arabia: how developer Anton Voronkin rethinks cities

In an industry where success is often measured by the height of buildings and the number of zeros in the estimate, Developer Anton Voronkin approaches architecture from a different perspective. His projects are not just large-scale construction sites, but places where you want to stay. He designs spaces that can speak the same language with people, regardless of scale and geography.

More than a developer

"People are the main value of any project." This phrase, said by Anton, could remain a corporate slogan, but he has 15 years of practice behind it, including in projects at an international level. He is convinced that architecture is not only about form and function, but above all about feeling. He doesn't build square meters; he creates an environment. It can be luxury apartments with meditation rooms or a giant coastal megaproject like NEOM in Saudi Arabia. The point is the same - not scale for scale's sake, but scale for meaning.

Family and upbringing

International Developer Anton Voronkin was born in Ekaterinburg in 1983. His childhood was spent fishing in the fresh air and reading books late into the night. His youth hobbies - photography and volleyball - instilled in him important qualities: teamwork and attention to detail. All of which later became important in his profession.

The Voronkin family is a true entrepreneurial dynasty. His father works in countryside real estate, his mother manages a retail chain in St. Petersburg, and his sister runs an online store of creative goods. Although there have never been builders and architects in the family, the spirit of independence, responsibility, and ambition was instilled in Anton from childhood.

From international relations to international construction

Anton received his education at St. Petersburg State University, studying international relations and economics. It is this combination - global thinking and understanding of business processes - that has become his advantage in development. He is not just an architect - he is a strategist who thinks in categories. This is what allows him to feel equally confident in restoring historic buildings and planning the cities of the future.

A team, not just projects

In Moscow, Anton has assembled one of the strongest commercial departments in the construction industry, realizing landmark premium-class projects such as PHANTOM and LOGOS. These are spaces where architecture merges with lifestyle: panoramic terraces, private libraries, internal cinemas, and everything is thought out to the last detail. He negotiates with major investors and operators, and concludes multi-million dollar deals. Still, he never forgets about people for a minute because they are the ones who make projects come true.

"You need to manage not just tasks, but people," he says. That's why his teams know how not just to build, but also how to cope with crises, meet deadlines, and make the impossible possible.

NEOM: a dream translated into the language of concrete and light

Today, Anton Voronkin Developer is in charge of one of the most ambitious projects on the planet - NEOM in Saudi Arabia. It is a whole city of the future, including luxury hotels and resorts, private residences, an international school, golf courses, its own airstrip, and all this - on 120 kilometers of coastline. Voronkin is responsible for all stages of the project: from strategic planning to financial models, from reporting to investors to contracting. He is creating an infrastructure that must be not just luxurious, but also sustainable, comfortable, and vibrant.

"It's not only important to calculate budgets accurately. It's important to understand how people will live in these spaces," he emphasizes.

The way to NEOM: Betskoy and Lakhta Center

Before NEOM, some projects had already become symbols. In Moscow, the restoration of an 18th-century architectural ensemble as part of the BETSKOY project, which cost over a billion dollars. Anton did not just restore the antiquity, he integrated it into the new urban infrastructure: residential buildings, international schools, offices, five-star hotels - all this coexists with the historical heritage on an equal footing.

And in St. Petersburg, the Lakhta Center is Europe's tallest skyscraper. It features curated façade systems, intricate steel structures, and smart infrastructure equipped with hundreds of thousands of sensors. It is an architecture that combines style with technology, and where form is subordinated not only to beauty but also to intelligence.

Recognition that didn't become a goal

Voronkin's work has been recognized internationally by Samsung C&T, China Vanke, and Gazprom Neft. But for him, this is not a goal, just a marker that he is moving in the right direction. Far more important to him is to leave a mark on the industry, to pass on knowledge, and raise the professional bar.

To teach, to lead, to inspire.

Since 2015, Anton Voronkin, a developer in the premium segment, has been a regular participant in international architecture and construction forums such as BIG 5 Construct Saudi Arabia and MosBuild. He teaches at the Moscow School of Development, gives corporate courses, and works with young professionals. He is convinced that development is not just a business. It is about creating new communities, opportunities, and points of growth.