Architecture: Diploma work (master's degree) 

Project type: urban space 

Timeline: 2023 

Status: conceptual project 

Location: Ukraine, Berezhany

The master's thesis was developed to study the topic of modern planning approaches to the revitalisation of small town areas. Small towns play an important role in the Ukrainian economy, culture, entertainment, education, agriculture, and other areas. However, low quality of life due to infrastructure problems and insufficient economic and social development are the main problems of modern small towns, exacerbating the problem of out-migration despite the possibility of remote work.The settlement systems of most countries reflect the same characteristics of small town development, and only in the presence of unique natural conditions or human transformation can radical changes occur in small towns. The problem of the average city is its unique nature.

The analysis of the market areas of historic small towns always starts with the study of cartographic and historical sources to understand the principles of its formation and development and the macro level.

The formation of the urban fabric makes it possible to understand the direction and logic that predecessors followed in the process of creating the city. Analysing the city centre at the meso-level, the cadastral division of plots, the building footprint, communication routes, building typology and morphology are better visible. Please pay attention to the map of the city centre's destruction after World War II - it almost completely coincides with the 1944 map of the Ghetto.

The project envisages renovation of the paving surface, restoration of the historic slope of the square and accessibility arrangements, tracing the contour of the lost historic buildings, and improving the lighting system.​​​​​​​

Dendroplane                                        Paving scheme                                Lighting scheme

A square on the eastern side of the square was chosen for detailed development of the territory. From the words of historians and archaeologists, it is known about basements on the site of lost buildings. My proposal is to use part of the basements as an art center and as a shelter for tourists and residents of the city. The capacity of the shelter is 500 people. The entrance to the shelter is through a mobile tourist pavilion from the outside, which repeats the typology of the building that stood there before. The area above has been renewed with new paving made of crushed granite stone and tracing of Austrian bricks. There is a children's area on the south side, and benches and places for chess for adult visitors on the north side. The center of the composition is a water puddle, which stands on the site of the old eternal fire monument (extinguishes the fire of the square's Soviet past). Also, the fountain closes the need for overheating while staying on the square, that is, all recreational areas of the square are provided with water resources.