The art of living
This wonderful villa, which is both an art gallery and a place of sanctuary for the owner, is located in Ukraine. In Kyiv. It means a lot to our dear partners in this country, which has been torn apart by war in recent times, that we are presenting their project. Especially now. Because, despite the horror, despite the destruction that is raging around them, they are trying to live a normal everyday life and to find reassurance in every single ray of hope – as with this impressive property designed by Palamarchuk Architects.
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," as Aristotle told us. This is a concept that really strikes a chord with collectors and art lovers. For it is only when the individual parts are brought together that a unique overall picture can be formed. An art collector from Kyiv has been working away at just such an unusual idea – busying himself here and there, creating rooms for the sculptures that he has collected, redesigning the landscape, setting up a guest house ... Yet it wasn't until he entrusted his ideas and his project to Igor Palamarchuk and Pavlo Mokshansky from the architectural practice Palamarchuk that all these different components came together to make his living space into a genuine work of art.
Up & down On
a piece of land on the banks of one of the canals of the River Dnieper, in a picturesque suburb to the south of the Ukrainian capital city, this passionate art collector created a small park – and started to erect a two-storey building in it. Yet when he was literally halfway through, he put the project on hold – it became clear to him that the building did not fully meet his needs. So he handed the whole thing over to Palamarchuk Architects who completely changed and dismantled the lower floor, which housed the gallery and had already been constructed, buried in an artificial hill. Because the building, which was cladded with a stone facade, did not comply with current regulations in regard to energy efficiency. The team developed a complex concept to bring the building up to the latest standards in this regard. It has now been fitted with insulation, heat pumps and solar panels to ensure an efficient living environment that complies with current standards.
Stone & shingles
On top of the building, the architects placed a monolithic, rectangular box – which, viewed from the park, appears to float on the lawn that leads gently down to the canal. The deeply inset windows provide spectacular views of the sculptures that have been placed around the (rock) garden. The owner of the house, his family and their guests can really enjoy these views – because the elongated section of the building contains a living room and bedrooms, a fitness room, a sauna and even a little pool. To make sure that this simple and understated construction would fit in with the stone-clad lower floor, the architects enclosed it in textured pine shingles from the Carpathian Mountains and finished them with a coat of ADLER Pullex Silverwood in the colour Graualuminium – and likewise the vertical lamellae that ensure privacy for the entrance area, while nevertheless allowing the sunlight to get through. This pre-greying glaze was sourced from Tyrol via ADLER's long-standing and dedicated partner in Ukraine, a company called Living Wood in Gostomel.
Ukraine & Austria
The links between Austria and Ukraine go further than this, however. Because the owner is now busy trying to complete the interior of the building – by restoring historical Viennese furniture together with a team of designers. When he needs stains, paints or varnishes from the country of origin of the various items, he knows who he can turn to and can trust.
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