Project by: Urban Ideas / RUTHENIA
Project Homepage: https://www.facebook.com/urbaanideas
Project location: Lviv, Ukraine
Design year: 2020
Year Built: competition
Client: Lviv City Council
The project rethinks sacred space as universal - a place for gathering, unity and farewell. Universal space is embodied in a universal form - a circle as a universe in its broadest sense. And around him our everyday world of today, our stability and permanence - a square.
The whole universe is hidden in a square, as in every person - the soul of the universe.
Ascetic forms do not distract or disperse attention. There we can concentrate and most importantly, think, be alone and in union with others.
The closed cube of the building gives a feeling of peace and security from the disagreements of the outside world. The inner spherical volume allows us to abstract from everything external and to drift our thoughts far away, where we all share goals with everyone, even with those who are not around.
There are very few elements in the building - the main entrance on the facade and the window. Tiny gaps between the bricks allow you to not lose touch with reality and with the rays of light that break through the thickness of the material inside.
Raw brick gives a sense of the truth of the material, naked and undisguised, at a time when there is nothing to pretend. But the same brick surface creates a strong and durable wall that protects our world.
The surrounding landscape is also as simple and ascetic as possible - a direct path as an allegory to the last. The strict geometry of the bosquet planting of trees around the building gives a sense of the presence of eternity. The circle in the pavement unobtrusively delineates the presence of the living on the territory of the dead.
The main functions, as a farewell hall for 50 people, public rooms for waiting, rest, preparation - in the ceremonial building. All additional features like workshops, storage rooms, utility rooms as well as staff rooms are concentrated in the existing building nearby.
