Revealing structures: facts without romanticization
Speaking in the dry language of engineering and construction documentation, the building is currently at the beginning of the first phase of repair work, which, as reported by the Ars Longa architectural workshop, includes strengthening the floors, replacing the roof, and stabilizing the soil. Work on Frolivska began after receiving a repair permit and has been ongoing for 6 months, not stopping even during a severe and abnormally warm winter with blackouts. The interfloor ceilings have been completely dismantled, work is underway inside the facility. The roof has also been dismantled. Preparations are currently underway for the installation of new floors and replacing the roof. In parallel, the strengthening of the foundations is planned: the contractor who will strengthen the foundation should begin work in the coming weeks. The cold season complicates the work of builders, but there are no risks to the structure associated with temperature fluctuations; this is mainly internal work.
The building, which had a deceptively prosperous appearance when the renovation began, has already presented many surprises. But these are not treasures or historically valuable discoveries, although the examination of the temporal layers that became apparent only after the structures were fully exposed allows us to form a reliable idea of the building's age and add to its history.
The condition of the building's interior spaces when it passed to the new owner was, to put it mildly, uninspiring. There were no interiors of artistic or architectural value, no authentic early 20th-century decoration.
Preparation for strengthening load-bearing walls - a stage of major renovation without changing the volumetric and spatial solution. Photo provided by the architectural studio Ars Longa
Architect Grigory Lysenko says: "It had the appearance of boring industrial spaces from the Soviet period, when a prosthetic factory operated in the building. Inside there was no stucco, decorative or historical elements that could be identified as a protected object. These were utilitarian interiors of an industrial type: oil-painted walls, partitions, Soviet ceilings. In the form recorded in the post-war restorations of the 1950s, the building has survived to this day.
The version that this building was built in 1740 was heard in the public space. We specially invited representatives of the cultural heritage protection authorities to the construction site - five specialists, including historians. Together we examined the object, as well as the basement. There is no brick in the basement dating back to before the 1890s. That is, we are not talking about the 18th century. The oldest structures are from the end of the 19th century, in fact the buildings are about 130 years old. Moreover, this applies primarily to the wing along Prytysko-Mykilska Street. The building along Frolivska Street was completed approximately in the 1910s, when two floors appeared. As for the third floor, there is currently no documentary data. But given what we see inside, there is reason to believe that the building was significantly damaged during World War II. Restoration took place in the 1950s - 60s, at that time, probably another floor was added.
Time trade-offs: engineering "from what was"
It is the engineering and construction solutions of the post-war years that raise the most questions. The main thing that struck me was how the building could have been preserved in such a condition for decades? The builders discovered that there was no reinforcement in the floor slabs!
Cleaning the interiors from later layers and preparing the structures for restoration. Photo courtesy of the Ars Longa architectural studio
“How did it all hold up? Frankly speaking — on my word of honor — barely holding back emotions, says Hryhoriy Lysenko. — We have only dismantled one unreinforced concrete floor so far. If you are interested, you can go in and see: these structures are still preserved on the first, third, and fourth floors. Neither I nor my designers can explain how they even worked. The thickness of the concrete is from 40 to 60 centimeters. It was simply poured onto metal I-beams with a pitch of about one and a half meters. No reinforcement, a mixture of broken bricks and cement mortar — that’s all.
The post-war interventions of the 1950s and 60s often failed to meet modern standards of structural durability. Construction decisions were often made on a case-by-case basis, using whatever was available.
The roof structures, rafters and Mauerlat are all rotten; the metal coating is corroded throughout. The third floor, which was completed in the 50s from cinder block, is laid on a sand mortar instead of a cement-sand mortar. Carrying out a large number of local repairs without a project has led to the fact that all the walls have many openings for engineering communications without reinforcement, which is why such walls have undergone deformations.
Were there any clear standards, quality control, or design discipline during the post-war reconstruction? I don’t presume to judge. But we need to understand the context: the reconstruction took place during an extremely difficult period. Kyiv changed hands twice, a significant part of the city was destroyed. There was a lack of funds or specialists. After the war, there was simply a physical lack of people capable of performing complex engineering work. Therefore, they restored as best they could: from the materials that were available and with the forces that remained. It was a forced compromise of time, not a model of engineering quality.”
This forms a rigid ceiling that will ensure the spatial stability of the building. Photo courtesy of the Ars Longa architectural studio
The post-war interventions of the 1950s and 60s were in many cases utilitarian in nature and did not always correspond to modern ideas about the durability of structures. Indeed, construction decisions were often made situationally, and they were built from what was at hand. It was not about delicate restoration, but about the rapid restoration of functionality: to cover, to strengthen, to put into operation. This explains the variety of structures and the technical eclecticism that the team saw after dismantling.
General view of the building at 4 Frolivska Street from the street side: facades to be preserved. Photo provided by the Ars Longa architectural studio
Now, builders have to work not only with the building, but also with the consequences of several historical stages of its existence, each of which left its own, not always predictable, mark on the structure.
A puddle underfoot: the specifics of Podil
The floors, which could collapse at any moment, are perhaps the most striking impression of the building on Frolovskaya. However, the most serious task facing the team is strengthening the foundation. It is the strength of the foundation that guarantees the long-term results of any renovation.
Dismantling of emergency ceilings in the production premises of the building at 4 Frolivskaya. Photo provided by the Ars Longa architectural studio
Construction, and even more so major repairs and restoration in Podil, is always a special specificity, due to the complex engineering and geological conditions of the area. Located in the lower terrace of the Dnieper, Podil is characterized by unstable loess loams, water-saturated layers and the risk of landslides from the slopes of the adjacent hills, Zamkova Gora and Frolivska itself. Archaeological research records periodic flooding and landslides, after which the coastal space, along with buildings and streets, was covered with continuous deposits of clay and sand. The foundations of historical buildings often rested on wooden piles, old drainage systems or brick structures weakened over time, which gradually lost their bearing capacity due to flooding by groundwater.
Earlier, in the article “House on Frolivska, 4: between technical condition and urban context,” Olga Tikhonova, a restoration technologist at the Ars Longa architectural workshop, explained in detail why and how old houses accumulate “fatigue.” In addition, the natural and geological conditions of Podil turn each project into a zone of increased engineering uncertainty. During geological surveys, unexpected factors are regularly discovered: rapids that reduce the bearing capacity of the foundation, artificial flooding of soils due to emergency networks, or loss of waterproofing. Similar challenges, for example, accompanied the restoration of the Andrew's Church, where stabilization of the slope required anchoring, enhanced drainage, and soil reinforcement. A set of similar measures was deemed necessary during the survey of estates on Pochainynska, Ihorivska, and in the Kontraktova Square neighborhoods.
The natural and geological conditions of Podil turn every project into a zone of increased engineering uncertainty. Geological surveys regularly reveal unexpected factors, such as rapids and artificial waterlogging of soils.
Hryhoriy Lysenko: “Historically, this territory is the delta zones of several rivers: Pochaina, Hlybochytsia, Kyyanka, and Yurkowytsia, which for millennia deposited silt and fine sediments. In fact, modern Podil stands on compacted river sediments. The layer of quicksand here can reach from 8 to 22 meters. The situation is complicated by the state of urban networks. Due to worn-out water mains, sewage, and heating mains, water constantly enters the soil. Because of this, at a depth of one and a half to two meters, active moistening is often recorded — not only from natural groundwater, but also from man-made leaks.
The building on Frolivska Street was not properly maintained for years: there was constant water in the basement. Since the start of work on the site, three ground pumps and a generator have been working continuously. That is, we have been pumping out water non-stop, for several months in a row, 24/7. In seven or eight months, the basement became dry for the first time in a long time.
Dismantling of the roof and emergency rafter system, which requires complete replacement. Photo courtesy of Ars Longa architectural studio
Constructivism as a rescue strategy
After fixing the critical risks, the team moves on to solving the problems and forming a new stiffness frame. Historically, the beams of interfloor ceilings connected only individual walls, but were not united with each other into a single spatial system. Because of this, each wall worked almost autonomously: in the event of subsidence of the foundation, it was not restrained by any rigid horizontal element.
The new floors are planned to be constructed as a monolithic reinforced concrete system with a spatial frame. As Grigoriy Lysenko explained, the reinforcement is connected to metal beams, after which concreting is carried out. In this way, a rigid floor is formed, which will ensure the spatial stability of the building without interfering with the facade wall, which is defined as the main value.
In parallel with the dismantling of emergency floors, the walls are reinforced. Metal clips are used: a system of corners and steel strips that "clamp" brick walls and columns, especially where there are cracks or local deformations. After installing the metal frame, the space between it and the existing masonry is injected with a special mixture. In fact, a supporting "corset" is formed, which stabilizes areas that have lost rigidity.
According to the architect, standard safety measures are in place at the site, but they are mandatory for this type of work. Workers are working in safety harnesses, and scaffolding is installed around the perimeter at a level of approximately one meter from the existing ceilings.
The walls of the building show traces of repeated repairs and technological holes that were drilled during the laying of communications. Photo provided by the Ars Longa architectural studio
Regarding the issue of strengthening the foundations on Frolivska, 4, this is actually working with the Podil environment itself, its complex and at the same time vulnerable geology. The architect emphasizes: technically the most qualitative scenario is injection compaction of soils. The method ensures stabilization of the base and almost complete waterproofing from below: it stops the capillary suction of moisture from the soil into the body of the walls. The technology resembles the principle of a medical syringe: a special injection tube is inserted into the soil, through which a solution is supplied under high pressure. It fills the cavities, compacts the massif and stabilizes the base. The volumes of injection material will be determined after the completion of technical calculations and approval of the estimate with the customer.
After the start of the work, it became clear: this is not a cosmetic intervention, but a full-fledged overhaul with a deep engineering restructuring.
Grigoriy Lysenko: "To stabilize the soil, it will be necessary to inject a significant volume of injection mortar. Specific figures are currently being specified - the customer is negotiating the cost of the work. If the decision is made, we will implement this option. This is the highest quality and long-term solution. Injection compaction provides an almost complete guarantee of stopping the ingress of moisture from the soil. For Podil, this is standard practice: complex, moisture-saturated soils require exactly this approach when it comes to historical buildings. A technically possible alternative is concreting the slab without injection compaction. This is cheaper, but less effective in terms of waterproofing. However, the final decision depends on the budget."
To summarize, the strategic steps to save the building are as follows:
- Repair of ceilings will ensure the stabilization of all walls of the building;
- soil stabilization through injection will consolidate and dehydrate the soil under the building;
- replacing the roof with a new one will eliminate the structures from getting wet and freezing;
- replacing windows will make the walls drier and the building as a whole more energy efficient;
- Plastering and painting the facade will restore the protection of the walls from precipitation.
Cracks in the brickwork of the walls on all floors are the result of years of use and lack of proper maintenance. Photo courtesy of the Ars Longa architectural studio
The cost of intervention: technology, risks, transparency
The budget issue, according to the architect, became one of the most sensitive after the start of the work, when it became clear: this is not a cosmetic intervention, but a full-fledged overhaul with a deep engineering restructuring. The actual costs have already increased by about twice compared to the initial expectations. And even after about 80% of the object has been revealed, the team does not undertake to guarantee the absence of new surprises. Working with historical buildings almost always means working with the unknown: each dismantled layer reveals the consequences of previous interventions.
The process is moving slowly due to technical complexity and the need for maximum care. According to the architect, even if within a year it is possible to restore the ceilings and stabilize the building box without deforming the facade, it will already be a good result.
The project is conducted in an open observation mode, with regular explanations of technical solutions, demonstrations of the state of structures, and reasoning of complex engineering steps.
In a city where every dismantling becomes an information event and silence is more expensive than communication, the chosen publicity strategy is very indicative. The project is carried out in an open observation mode, with regular explanations of technical solutions, demonstrations of the state of the structures and arguments for complex engineering steps. For the team, this is a way to minimize speculation around an object that has historical and urban sensitivity.
At the same time, according to Hryhoriy Lysenko, openness itself does not affect the quality of decisions: “Publicity does not change our approach. We always try to work qualitatively, regardless of whether people are watching the process or not. Our workshop is called Ars Longa, and in full this famous Latin phrase sounds like “ars longa, vita brevis est” — “art is eternal, life is short”. This is not a slogan, but a principle: if you are going to intervene in a historical building, then do it in such a way that it has a chance to live into the next century.”
