A chaotic mix of styles. Sidewalks cluttered with cars. A shortage of residential buildings.
Kyiv has these flaws and more, but steps are being taken to overcome them and the city is moving forward, architect and designer Simon Scott, head of international business for Leslie Jones Architecture, told the Kyiv Post.
Scott, whose London-based company provides design services for retail, office and residential buildings, is a regular visitor to the Ukrainian capital. He will also be one of the speakers at the International Architecture Forum, this year entitled “World Architecture: Globalization, Interaction, Influence,” which will take place in Kyiv in June.
During a walk on Kyiv’s main street, Khreshchatyk, Scott shared with the Kyiv Post his views on the city’s problems and what Kyiv’s authorities should do.
Control cars
Scott describes Kyiv as a beautiful and diverse city, but one that to respect its public space more, control its parking more and to build more new residential buildings.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve been to Kyiv. I come here probably once every two months, and I’ve been working in Kyiv for about six years. So I’ve seen historic changes, the ups and downs of the economy,” Scott said, as he waited for the green light on a crosswalk at Besarabska Square in the city center.
There are too many cars on the streets in Kyiv and lax parking regulations, Scott said. The cars aren’t going to go away. Heavy traffic is normal for any big city. But transport needs to be seen as the circulating lifeblood that keeps everything else in the city going.
Cars should stick to the roads. On Kyiv sidewalks, pedestrians often find themselves weaving around parked cars. “We’re standing on the pavement, which is a nice space, but as with many other areas of the city, it’s dominated by cars,” Scott said.
A man makes his path on the sidewalk in Kyiv, filled with parked cars. ( by Volodymyr Petrov)
While Kyiv authorities say they are focused on improving public transport, the gap between the number of cars being driven on Kyiv’s streets and a number of parking spaces keeps growing.
Kyiv provides 39,000 parking spots in 890 locations. According to the Auto Consulting automobile portal, Kyiv – with a metropolitan area population of at least 3 million people – has 353 cars for every 1,000 residents. Doing the math, that adds up to a lot of cars with nowhere to park.
Scott said many other cities in Europe face difficult parking situation nowadays, naming Madrid and Barcelona as examples. “Whatever the city can do to mitigate issues of parking would definitely help the public environment,” he said.
Revenues mix
In March, the Kyiv City Council approved a regulation to limit street advertising in Kyiv, ordering the dismantling of several dozen large advertising billboards across the city. The move met with broad public approval: for many years Kyivans have been plagued by a glut of annoying and tasteless street advertising.
But there’s a downside too: Scott said street advertising has to have a place because the city needs the income. A prosperous city needs a mix of revenues, he said.
“But it has to be under control. Personally, I think that the place we are at the moment has too much street advertising,” Scott said, gesturing to the other side of Khreshchatyk Street, where buildings were lined with dozens of colorful advertising signs in a mish-mash of different styles
“Maybe the city should start to encourage individuals to do it better,” he said.
City of past
Walking past the Kyiv City Council building, with its bottom three floors of rough-faced red granite blocks, and top floors of beige tiled façade, Scott recalled how fascinated and intrigued he was when he first discovered that a huge number of historic buildings remained in Kyiv, and how they were ignored.
“There are a lot of buildings, such as the one we’re coming up to, which are painted brick – they’re everywhere in the city,” said Scott, looking at the building of the National Journalists Association, freshly painted pink.
“The style is almost ignored,” he said. “Obviously, this hasn’t been painted very well. But you know there is a way to move forward. Just use the historic materials in a different and contemporary way.”
The architect pointed to the newly renovated Kyiv Central Department Store TsUM, saying this was a perfect example of the contemporary use of materials in combination with the historic façade. Only the outer shell of the old TsUM department store now remains. The interior has been completely remodeled.
“I think the city should always move forward. Kyiv has some amazing architecture of different styles, or I would say different periods,” Scott said. “All of these buildings are a reflection of your heritage. New styles of architecture need to be brought it, (but) they can also be respectfully integrated into the historical ensemble.”
Living space lacking
One problem that Kyiv shares with other cities, including London, is a shortage of residential buildings.
Housing in Kyiv is simply unaffordable – particularly for the younger generations. The central government and local authorities need to draw up fresh policies to encourage developers to invest in more residential projects, Scott said.
He said some movement from the government is detected: In May, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a bill to support the construction business in Ukraine. The bill simplifies the bureaucratic procedures for obtaining various permits needed for construction. For example, it abolishes the need for builders to get a permit from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
Soviet legacy
Scott is excited to be involved in projects that require an architect to understand the country and come up with solutions that match its urban environment.
“The projects we’re doing are retail and residential. That’s quite encouraging. You’re creating not just a shopping space, but a place where people can live in the city,” said Scott. “That’s why it is good to cooperate with those who know the mentality. I can look around for a long time, but you guys, the people who live here, know the nuances of the city and its people.”
Kyiv, as a capital city, has its own nuances. It is diverse but lacks consistency in its architectural style, unlike Paris.
Kyiv is slowly overcoming the legacy of its Soviet past – both architecturally and culturally. Massive modern skyscrapers are going up, plaques honoring famous old communists are coming down, and pre-Soviet names are being returned to the city’s streets.
“Of course, this causes its own problems, because the great and extensive diversity means sometimes things are done that people don’t necessary like,” Scott said.
“But the city has to move forward.”
Kyiv’s residential housing stock has risen fast in recent years but is likely to slow because of the difficulty that developers are having in selling new units given lower purchasing power among Ukrainians, who live in smaller apartments than most in Europe.
International Architecture Forum
When: June 8-9
Where: Premier Palace Hotel, Kyiv (5-7/29 Shevchenkо Blvd)
What: International construction and architecture professionals from different countries will gather in Kyiv to share the advanced architecture ideas with the Ukrainian colleagues. For two days the experts will discuss the modern architecture tendencies and the situation in real estate and construction markets and present their most ambitious projects.
Headliners: Ewa Kuryłowicz, general designer, vice president, Kuryłowicz & Associates (Poland); Fernando Mosca, architect, designer, founder of Fernando Mosca Architect studio (Italy), Ilya Evstigneev, architect, founder of CloseUp architects (Italy); Simon Scott, Head of International Business, Leslie Jones Architecture (The U.K.)
Forum websites: architecturedesign.com.ua, commercialproperty.ua
