Dmytro Aranchii, Founder of Dmytro Aranchii Architects.
From an architectural point of view, Kyiv is experiencing not its best times now. Residents feel this and actively discuss the issue. Architects can explain these subjective experiences using quite objective reasons. There are style issues, problems with buildings’ height, awkward roadblocks, and even more problems. So, the city feels sad and uncomfortable.
Still, everything starts with a strong legal framework. This means that laws are in line with contemporary realities and are adhered to. For example, violations of permissible altitude should be stated in law, and there should be no activities outside the rule of law.
There are positive developments in this direction. Competent and dedicated teams that want to improve the city are updating building codes. For example, in 2019, updated SBS (State Building Standards) on accessibility of buildings for low-mobility groups of population was issued. They set out strict rules for organizing the space to make it comfortable for everyone: parents with a trolley, a person on a trolley and an elderly or tired person. However, there is armful of work to be done in the legislative field. Lots of work should be done to make people comply with the laws.
Additionally, Kyiv lacks a modern distinctive architecture. There is not enough point of attraction that would fascinate tourists from all over the world.
Many buildings here are a historical property of Ukraine and humanity. We can be proud of them and need to take care of them.
It is also important to follow the Charter of Vienna and to express our will by saying “No” to pseudo-historical buildings.
After all, Kyiv should not only be a city with ancient monuments. We are sure that modern Ukrainian architects have something to say to the world. Many cities have successfully combined their ancient values with modern points of attraction. Paris is equally proud of Notre Dame and the Pompidou Museum. In London, a modern translucent cover structure is integrated even in the historic building of the British Museum. The cityscape is special thanks to the ancient Tower, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the newest Renzo Piano’s Shard or Sir Richard Rogers’ Cheesegrater. A sophisticated modern building can attract both a new portion of the world’s attention and new investments in the city.
Our team, for its part, is trying to build in the city a quality modern architecture. We think of both indoor and outdoor comfort and attractiveness with expressiveness.
In my opinion, a rather successful project for our studio is redesign of the M17 CAC. It consisted first of all in changing the envelope, the skin of the building, and giving a new visual representation to the already recognizable brand that would link it to the tradition of the Ukrainian avant-garde. The newly created envelope of M17 is based on a combination of ‘museum background’ with modern methods of computational design.
Consequently, the basis of the pattern generation is laid in 45-degree-rotated square, which is a reference to the existing and recognizable windows of the building and to the Ukrainian suprematist artist Kazimir Malevich, who was born in the closest proximity to the CAC location, studied painting at the art school Murashko at the Pymonenko studio and taught at the Kyiv Art Institute. Only the square scale varies on the facade pattern, allowing pixelated representation of the identity and other graphic geometry. The perforated facade panels of galvanized steel are highlighted at night and are illuminated from the inside giving the image of underscored perfection.
Another interesting object is realized on the Dehtyarivska Street. It is the sales office of the Poetica residential quarter. The project creates a splash of public space, despite its commercial function. The building is a large green-roofed ramp that reaches the height of 4.5 meters. The architecture organizes a public space around the building and a small semi-patio. It makes a little more than half a circle. The structure is based on a metal frame that can be disassembled and re-assembled. The northern (inner) side of the arc is fully glazed. The building is turned to passers-by and paths with its transparent part. Energy efficiency and environmental friendliness are ensured not only by the green roof, but also by energy-saving engineering, which sharply reduces the carbon footprint.
The realization of our Signature Garden in Signature residential quarter on the Mechnykov Street is also approaching. We developed the project side by side with the German team Schmidhuber, which was responsible for the facades. We were responsible for 6000 m2 of a green roof, which will not only change the microclimate of the yard on 20оC in the summer and bring interactive fun and fountains, but also significantly reduce the risk of flooding (a green roof reduces the load on rainwater by 70%).
We are sure that there are many talented architects in Kyiv and Ukraine, whose heads are full of ideas on how to improve our cities. We have to give them chances, tasks, and challenges. They will move mountains! At the same time, one should not forget about the legislative regulation of the construction process and a transparent and strict judicial system. Being combined, these factors will change the city for the better, turn it into a tourist gem of Europe.
So, let us learn from others and not shun ours. That is why I returned after studying at the London School of the Architectural Association and assembled a team of like-minded architects!
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