M17 Contemporary | Aranchii Architects

WORK NAME: ANT3
LOCATION: 102-104 Antonovycha str., Kyiv, 03150, Ukraine
AREA: Facade appx. 700 m2, footprint appx. 2000 m2
DATE: 2019
PROGRAMME: Rethinking of Contemporary Art Centre
PHOTO: Alik Usik, Serhii Nikiforov
AWARDS: 2019 Ukrainian Urban Awards, 3rd prize in renovation nomination, Kyiv, Ukraine
[Head of jury – Christos Passas (Zaha Hadid Architects)];
2019 National Union of Architects of Ukraine, winner of implemented renovation projects, Kyiv, Ukraine
STATUS: Implemented

ARCHITECTURE: Dmytro Aranchii Architects

PROJECT TEAM: Dmytro Aranchii, Aliona Bondar, Mariia Aranchii, Bohdan Hadzhylov

The redesign of the M17 CAC consisted first of all of changing the envelope, and the skin of the building, and giving a new visual representation to the already recognizable brand that would link it to the tradition of the Ukrainian avant-garde.

The newly created envelope of M17 is based on a combination of ’museum background’ with modern computational design methods.

Consequently, the basis of the pattern generation is laid in the 45-degree-rotated square, which is a reference to the existing and recognizable windows of the building and to the Ukrainian suprematist artist Kazimir Malevich, who was born in the closest proximity to the CAC location, studied painting at the art school Murashko at the Pymonenko studio and taught at the Kyiv Art Institute. Only the square scale varies on the facade pattern, allowing pixelated representation of the identity and other graphic geometry.

The perforated facade panels of galvanized steel are highlighted at night and are illuminated from the inside giving the image of underscored perfection. The identity is intended to enhance the visual recognition of the M17 based simultaneously on a simplified graphical presentation and its combination with the characteristic features of the Ukrainian avant-garde.