The participants of the meeting recognized the cultural, historical and even city-forming value of the building as an object in the historical area of Kyiv. Even bolder statements were made - the architect Janos Vig called the object "the "Libeskind" in the Soviet Union."
KONSAU board meeting on 13.07.21. In the foreground is the chairman of KONSAU Alexander Moskovchuk. Screenshot from the video. Source — YouTube channel of Elena Nenasheva (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFZ2_a9_5psta5ijCeEXDw)
The author of the project, People's Architect of Ukraine Mykola Levchuk, was present at the meeting, clarifying his relationship with the current owner of the building: "When the representatives of the developer contacted me about the reconstruction, I asked in what volume they plan to implement it, and what exactly will be there. I was told that it would be an office with underground parking. I understood that it is not about the reconstruction of the building, but about its destruction. Therefore, he refused to work."
People's Architect of Ukraine Mykola Levchuk and Head of Disciplinary Commission of AP NSAU Kateryna Romanenko at a meeting of the board of KONSAU. Source — YouTube channel of Elena Nenasheva (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFZ2_a9_5psta5ijCeEXDw)
"I think that Kvitiv Ukrainy has an ideal volume and spatial solution. I don't see the other one there. This is a finished work. It would be more logical for the owner to obtain permission to demolish the building and build a new one," Nikolay Levchuk explained his position.
Greenhouse shop "Flowers of Ukraine", Kyiv, 80-e. Photo from the collection of Anastasia Levchuk, daughter of the author of the project, People's Architect of Ukraine Mykola Antonovych Levchuk. Photo source: https://pastvu.com/
When asked what scenario of the development of events he considers acceptable, he replied: "It would be expedient to carry out major repairs, because at the time when the facility was being built, there were completely different technical possibilities than today. The main accent is the atrium, made of aluminum profiles of the Brovary aluminum plant, the double-glazed windows were made by hand, and their quality was not the best. And now there is a colossal market for such products. I am in favor of restoring the building in its original form. The function can be different."
Nikolay Levchuk, Kateryna Romanenko (AP NSAU) and Alexander Moskovchuk (CONSAU) at the meeting of the board on 13. Source — YouTube channel of Elena Nenasheva (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFZ07_a21_2psta9ijCeEXDw)
The architect also noted that the situation could have been avoided if not for the actions of colleagues. First of all, his words referred to Georgy Duhovychny, who was present at the meeting, who, according to his own statement, made pre-project studies for the developer and sent the owner's representatives to the author of the building. "Georgy Duhovychnyy gave, in a way, a flag in the hands of the customer: he gave the justification, the material thanks to which he receives the permit documents," said Nikolay Levchuk.
The condition of the "Flowers of Ukraine" building after the dismantling of part of the atrium. Photo — Gena Novikov — Facebook
In turn, the architect Konstantin Kolesnikov proposed to the board of NSAU to make a "Professional opinion" on the object. "This is a document that can, among other things, appear in court. Otherwise, we will forever struggle with the consequences of the city-planning policy being conducted today in Kyiv. We need to influence, change and introduce our proposals to change it, not to mention changing the legislative base in the field of urban planning," he noted.
Construction machinery is preparing to leave the "Kvitiv" site. Photo source — Save the Flowers of Ukraine
"You can destroy any object in three ways: demolish it, rebuild it beyond recognition, build next to it whimsical idiotic structures that level its value. We do everything in the city of Kyiv the way it shouldn't be done. This is a shame for the state, for us as a future European society," architect Vadym Zhezheryn emphasized.
"Flowers of Ukraine" are not left without protection. Photo source — Save the Flowers of Ukraine
Following the results of the meeting, the KONSAU Board of Directors identified key points: the "Flowers of Ukraine" building is not subject to destruction and alteration, its volume and spatial proposal must be preserved, and the work on issues related to the inclusion of the building in the "State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects" must also be initiated . For this, an editorial commission was created under the leadership of KONSAU chairman Alexander Moskovchuk, which also included architects Viktor Shiryaev and Sergey Buravchenko.
"Flowers of Ukraine" still with living grapes covering the facade. Photo: facebook.com/Save.Kvity.Ukrainy/
We remind you that a privately owned object does not have a protected status, therefore, in order to preserve it within the framework of the legal channel, it is necessary to give it the status of "a newly discovered object of cultural heritage".
During the meeting, it became known that the Shevchenkivskyi Court of Kyiv placed an arrest warrant on the building, which implies the impossibility of carrying out any work - assembly, construction, restoration, etc., while the pre-trial settlement is in progress. The official decision of the court was adopted on 13.07. 21 on the application for securing the claim from Mykola Antonovych Levchuk.
The position of the author of the project and the architectural community of the city in the person of KONSAU is clear. It remains to find out what the developer's position is now, in light of the changed circumstances. The representatives of which, by the way, were not invited to the meeting, where one way or another decisions were made about the fate of the building owned by him.