type: complex with apartments, hotel, and shopping center
location: Chernivtsi, Ukraine
area: 35 410 m2
status: competition project (2023)
team: Oleg Volosovskiy, Alisiia Chudinova, Denis Chudinov, Julia Klymenko, Vira Zinchenko.

When developing this project, we were inspired by the picturesque slopes of Bukovyna, the steep rocky banks of the rivers flowing in this area, and the most famous pearl of Chernivtsi – the university complex. The concept of creating a plastic-dynamic building reminiscent of a forest-covered hill was adopted.

The plot allocated for planning has a slight terrain slope towards the intersection, where public zone landscaping is provided.

The building of the hotel and shopping complex unfolds with a dominant angle at the intersection of Komarova and Nebesna Sotnia streets.

The volumes of the hotel premises grow like picturesque Bukovyna meadows around the atrium lawn – the central core of the shopping center, forming a cozy green yard.

The city grows upwards and expands in different directions like forests, so the designed building sets new heights in the existing environment. The stylobate, which houses the hotel’s service premises and shopping areas, is closed from the outside by a solid wall, like the precipitous slopes of the Prut River.

The entrance group of the complex is accentuated by a composition of volumes-slopes of different heights, connected by an inset – the terracotta portal of the main entrance. The entrance contrasts with the changing forms of the building. In contrast to the naturally plastic slopes, the entrance group is anthropomorphic and is made of the materials and motifs of the tourist pearl of Chernivtsi – the university ensemble. Terracotta bricks repeat the pattern of tiles, playing not with color but with a three-dimensional pattern.

Commercial areas are spread around the atrium on the first three floors, and food courts and a restaurant are located on the fourth floor, supplemented by recreation for relaxation on the roof.

All premises are adapted for free access of people with reduced mobility.

We also opened the building to the surrounding environment – the restaurant’s panoramic two-light window overlooks the residential building’s territory. On the other side, it is open to the atrium. Further, the space flows through the courtyard lawn, into the gap between the hotel’s volumes, and out into the street, creating the effect of protection but not clamping in from all sides.

The atrium is a composite core, an air-solar spatial connection that harmonizes the building of the shopping center with the surrounding environment.

The stylobate part has a fitness room, a laundry room, and a utility area.

The hotel premises welcome visitors with a waiting area and cafe on the first floor. The vertical connections of the hotel penetrate all bases, but the vertical communications of the shopping center reach only the 4th floor.

Living quarters start from the 5th floor. The rooms are spread out according to the sun’s movement, as much as possible in the direction of insolation.

The image of Bukovyna is legendary forests. The sun protection of the facade is solid beech timber — a decorative vertical park with plants in tubs, plastic with energy saving function. In the summer, the planes of the balconies shade the living quarters. In the winter, they do not prevent the penetration of the sun’s rays into the interior. The vertical lines of the sunscreen are the metaphorical trunks of beech trees. The roof of the building is a dynamic slope, with green recreation terraces, from which a view of the Cheremosh Hotel and the park opens up.

Entrances to the parking lot are located on opposite sides of the building. The service of the complex takes place through the economic zones allocated in the parking lot further along the vertical communications and technological corridors.

The two-level underground parking, minus the first and the second floors, are divided into two zones, each with a fire gate.

Text Author: Vira Zinchenko.