Rejuvenating Kyiv and making it more people-friendly is one of the main principles of A Development's activity.
We not only construct numerous real estate objects in the capital that offer profitable investment opportunities but also care about the improvement and create quality public spaces in our city.
Currently, we are focusing on Holosiivska Square as an integral part of the space surrounding our project, the White Lines mixed-use complex, where residents and guests of the capital can not only purchase apartments and commercial properties but also rent spaces for their businesses in the new trade and entertainment complex.
As part of our efforts to revitalize the vicinities of the White Lines residential complex, we have already reconstructed the lobby of the Dovzhenko Center. Next in line is the creation of the new public space around the "Holosiivska" metro station exit at its namesake square.
A Development has commissioned the conceptual design for the improvement of the unattractive pedestrian thoroughfare that Holosiivska Square currently is from the Bureau of Initiative Architecture "GA" by Vlodko Zotov. We reported about it at the end of last year. Today, we invite you to appreciate the full version of the project. By the way, according to preliminary estimates, the reconstruction of Holosiivska Square may cost up to 5 million euros.
The concept introduces a new pedestrian crossing over Vasylkivska Street and suggests relocation of the crossing over Holosiivsky Avenue to the side so that people exiting the metro shouldn’t have to make additional turns. The plan is also to introduce bicycle lanes and decorate the square with a contemporary fountain.
"Next to Holosiivsky Park, a fantastic recreational place with lots of greenery and lakes, this frying pan of a square looks like a mean joke," commented Zotov. "With our concept, we aimed to create the impression in people coming to Holosiivo that they are here to relax rather than to get sunstruck, which is why the idea of introducing water to the square and creating a multi-level microclimate group emerged."
Currently, the absence of trees in the square is attributed to the large number of underground utility networks and restrictions on planting greenery. Zotov acknowledges, "We will have to jump through some hoops, but the situation definitely needs to be rectified. There are options for placing these trees – we have proposed our way in the concept. Many networks are no longer in use, so there are possibilities for sure."
At present, the potential of the public space next to one of Ukraine's most dynamic cultural institutions, the Dovzhenko Center, remains untapped, and it is nearly impossible to guess that the national film archive is housed within.
Therefore, based on the results of the urban analysis of the square in its current state, we propose a quality solution to three crucial problems of Holosiivska Square:
increasing the amount of greenery
implementing modern bicycle lanes and a fountain instead of the asphalt cover that is scorching in the summer heat
creating a new pedestrian crossing over Vasylkivska Street and slightly relocating the crossing over Holosiivsky Avenue to eliminate the need for additional turns when exiting the metro.
We also plan to enhance the representation of the Dovzhenko Center for better accessibility and recognition, and, in the future, to organize open-air exhibitions and other cultural events in the square adjacent to this iconic building, while converting part of the terrace steps into an amphitheater – as a place for young people to socialize and everyone to enjoy.
The developed concept has already received approval from the municipal authorities, and A Development, along with the partners, is ready to carry out the reconstruction of Holosiivska Square at its own expense. However, we are presently waiting for the situation in the country to stabilize sufficiently to commence the necessary work.
As a reminder, A Development company has already invested millions of hryvnias in the renovation of the facade of the Dovzhenko Center, the improvement of the square in the inner courtyard, the major repair of the entrance group, and the reconstruction of the bomb shelter as part of its support and preservation of the capital’s cultural heritage.
We want to highlight our positive prior experience in this field, as A Development, together with its partners, has already carried out the reconstruction of a public space – the Arsenal Square, which has become one of the most recognizable locations in Kyiv – a new landmark, known as A-Station.
