Architects worldwide reimagine Ukrainian buildings demolished by Russia

Article by: Olena Mukhina

Architects worldwide are delivering hope amid the ruins: they are reimagining how Ukrainian buildings demolished by Russia’s war can be rebuilt after Ukraine’s victory. The deadline of the contest is May 6.

Russian aggression caused drastic damage to Ukrainian cities. Some, like Mariupol, were leveled to the ground, with President Zelenskyy claiming that 95% of the city is destroyed. Others, like Kharkiv, are also severely devastated: Russian missile strikes have destroyed the city center, Gorky Park, and most of the Karazin University, among countless residential buildings.

Helping to bring back the hope amid ruins is the international competition Re:Create.

Supported by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future and Art Directors Club Ukraine, it calls upon architects from the entire world to participate in designing new, modern, and comfortable houses, offices, and institutions that will replace buildings that were crushed amid bombings.

“Support Ukrainian people with your creativity. Help us imagine what the new, rebuilt Ukraine would be like after the war,” call the contest organizers, who say Ukraine must “be prepared” for its victory in order to immediately start rebuilding the country.

To take part in the competition, one needs to choose one of the damaged buildings from the Gallery Of Future Renovations on the website and submit a visualization of the reconstructed object. The deadline is set for 6 May 2022.

Let’s see what projects are showcased on the website:

Ukraine demolished buildings — Yevhenii Oliynyk, CGI School. Mariupol drama theater0

Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister of Ukraine, said that the country needs $500 billion to recover from the war in his article for Economist. “The amount can exceed up to $1 trillion,” he added.

The Presidential Office, the government, and the Kyiv School of Economics created the project “Russia will pay.” According to its analysis from March 24, from the beginning of the war that started on February 24, Russia destroyed:

411 educational institutions
1600 residential buildings
36 health care facilities
15 airports
26 factories

The prime minister stated that the process of recovery should start immediately. The Ukrainian government has already directed UAH 1 million to military administrations for rebuilding the de-occupied territories. The main goal of the transfer is to reconstruct residential buildings and energy infrastructure.

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