Temp Project: The interior of an office in a historic building erected more than a century ago is a kind of portal between eras. By designing a modern space within the old walls, the designer sought to bring out the authentic charm of the building. The result is a bright and eclectic office with local color accents and thoughtful, functional zoning for 20 people.
The office is located on the third floor of a four-story building in the historic part of Kyiv. The building, erected in 1896 by architect Andreas Ferdinand Krauss, belongs to the Neo-Renaissance style and has historical monument status.
Work on the project began with research of the historical era of the late 19th century and a search for details that have survived from the original interior. Initially, the house belonged to a merchant and wine merchant, and the apartments in it were rented out. The modern office was also created for rent purposes, so exploring what attracted commercial real estate clients then and now was fascinating.
– We explored the space, looking for antique artifacts that would be worth restoring and preserving. The first discovery was an old wooden parquet, fragments of which we left in the work area. The second discovery was a plaster molding hidden by a plasterboard ceiling, made somewhere during the renovation in the 90s of the last century. One of the decorative stucco rosettes on the ceiling was damaged. To restore it, we asked the neighbors to let us take a mold of the preserved socket on the ceiling of their apartment, – says an architect Anastasiia Tempynska.
Another tribute to the time is the old fireplaces decorated with ceramic tiles. They were also restored and updated. One was left in its original brown color, and the other was repainted white to make the lounge space as whole and clean as possible.
The space is divided into two work areas, a meeting room, a rest area, a director's office, and a reception. White walls, light wood shades, and glass partitions create the effect of a clean slate, a comfortable background for intellectual work. The accents were paintings on the walls, created specifically for the project, and emotional decor pieces by contemporary Ukrainian designers.
– It was important for me to illustrate the city's cultural heritage with delicate touches. Old Kyiv, manifested in decorative stucco moldings, noble parquet patterns, or massive fireplaces, echoes modern Kyiv, embodied in the works of contemporary Ukrainian authors: blown glass and artistic carpet by Gunya, ceramics by Asha World and Parasolya Studio. This continuity of traditions has become especially important now, during the war, when the enemy wants not only to seize the land but also to appropriate our culture, proclaiming it part of its own imperial heritage. That is why it is important to study our own traditions, broadcast them, and at least dot them in current projects, – shares Anastasiia Tempynska.
