{"id":2924,"date":"2025-08-07T05:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T05:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/?p=2924"},"modified":"2025-08-08T15:12:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T15:12:01","slug":"forma-revives-soviet-era-exhibition-hall-in-kyiv-without-erasing-its-character","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/forma-revives-soviet-era-exhibition-hall-in-kyiv-without-erasing-its-character\/","title":{"rendered":"Forma revives Soviet-era exhibition hall in Kyiv “without erasing its character”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Pavilion<\/div>\n

Ukrainian architecture studio Forma has renovated<\/a> Pavilion 13, a Soviet-era exhibition hall in Kyiv<\/a>, carefully updating its modernist<\/a> structure for contemporary use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Situated within the National Complex Expocentre of Ukraine, the building’s renovation was commissioned by non-profit Ribbon International<\/a> to reinstate the hall as a public events space.<\/p>\n

Pavilion 13 was originally built in 1967 as an exposition hall to showcase developments in the coal mining industry. By the early 2000s, however, it had lost its original function and stood unused for decades.<\/p>\n

\"Exterior
Forma has renovated a Soviet-era exhibition hall in Kyiv<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following the establishment of the Pavilion of Culture \u2013 a public arts programme \u2013 on the site in 2020, Forma<\/a> (\u0424\u041e\u0420\u041c\u0410) set out with a goal to revive Pavilion 13 as a usable space for exhibitions and cultural events.<\/p>\n

The renovation serves as a precedent for the careful preservation of Soviet-era infrastructure, the studio says.<\/p>\n

“We see our experience as a case study in how to engage with modernist architectural heritage without erasing its character or forcing it into a new mold,” studio partners Iryna Miroshnykova and Oleksii Petrov told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

\"Entrance
Pavilion 13 had been unused for decades\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“It doesn’t necessarily require massive investment,” they continued. “It does, however, require a thoughtful, ethical approach to heritage, long-term care, and collaborative involvement.”<\/p>\n

“Many similar structures today remain empty or fall into disrepair \u2013 often because their cultural value goes unrecognised.”<\/p>\n

\"Interior
The studio sought to preserve its original structure<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The building’s original structure, which was largely preserved by the studio, is defined by a stripped-back, rectilinear form framed by large columns and a glazed facade.<\/p>\n

Externally, a plinth base forms a stepped access to the hall’s front, where its facades have been repaired and the doors redesigned to resemble the originals.<\/p>\n

Beyond its steel-framed glazing, the centre opens up to a spacious main hall, which is currently showcasing a “site-responsive” exhibition by Berlin-based artist Sam Lewitt<\/a> exploring “the contemporary relevance of Pavilion 13 as a former showcase for coal mining in Ukraine”.<\/p>\n

\"Pavilion
Updates were made to the building’s lighting and utility systems<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Inside, the hall’s rear wall, which had been covered by past interventions, has been uncovered to reveal a textured cladding made from shards of broken glass.<\/p>\n

Complementing this is the installation of new concrete flooring and a steel-gridded ceiling fitted with strip lighting.<\/p>\n

Forma’s intervention also included the updating of Pavilion 13’s water and sewage systems, electrical wiring and lighting system.<\/p>\n