The proposal to rebuild an abandoned brewery wins the 2021 CANactions Youth Competition

+ 25

The CANactions youth competition was launched in 2009 by the Dessau Institute of Architecture (DIA / Germany) and the CANactions school. The competition has become a professional “way to Europe” for Ukrainian students and young professionals. Since its launch, more than 1,200 projects have been received, among which 129 finalist projects have been selected by the members of the international jury. This year’s winner was Dmytro Yahodin with a proposal for the reconstruction of the Rikhert brewery in Kiev.

Reconstruction of the Rikhert Brewery by Dmytro Yahodin

The Rikhert Brewery is located in the capital of Ukraine in Kiev, in a historic district called Podil. There are many establishments and institutions with different functions. Podil is functionally divided into two parts. The former is full of features and balanced. The second is less developed with a predominantly industrial zone.

The building has a great history. The Podil brewery was founded in 1860. The settler of the province of Volyn, the German Wilhelm Richert, received permission to build a brewery on its site. The new Art Nouveau building was designed by architect Nikolai Kazansky in 1908. The building is tiled with very spectacular and beautiful lace bricks. Unfortunately, today the building is abandoned, most of it destroyed.

The project proposes the restoration of the valuable historical and architectural part, adapting it to a new function and also the construction of a new building. This approach helps to safeguard the historical heritage and architectural identity. The task of revitalizing the Rikhert brewery is to create an art hub. This building typology combines the two main functions of business and culture.

The idea of ​​an art center involves the creation of a multifunctional space for public use. The first zone assumes activities such as meetings, communication, breaks, but also the possibility of exhibiting exhibitions. This is done in the square in front of the historic building and the restaurant terrace. The second zone includes functions such as the organization of festivals, fairs, concerts. For this, a place between two buildings was designed. Lectures and presentations take place in a small amphitheater with a platform in the third area.

The old building is planned to be transformed into offices. In total, there may be six offices for rent. In the high interior space of the first floor, it is planned to place a hall with a mezzanine. An extension is carried out behind the old building. There is a restaurant for lunch.

The new building is located at the rear of the site. the method of disguise and submission is used in the design. The new building is hidden behind the old one. The composition of the building is simple and the volumes are proportional to the historical part. The facades are in harmony with the old building. Similar surface segmentation is used to achieve this. Rusty textured steel panels are used as the cladding material.

The functional diagram of the new building is simple. It has a main atrium core that is pierced vertically through the four floors. It is spatially connected to the exhibition rooms located on each floor. They can be used for various exhibitions. There are also workshops and art studios. In addition to cultural activities, there is a large coworking space on the ground floor. The main hall of the building is a large hall that can accommodate 130 people. This room is multifunctional. It can accommodate conferences, presentations, lectures, but also theatrical art, film screenings and performances. This room is seven meters high and the volume is sheathed with polycarbonate panels.