New and Old: Balancing Architecture. 7CI Group in the implementation of the Jam Factory Art Center project in Lviv

У previous article we revealed the ideas and goals of the Jam Factory Art Center institution, shared the history of the unique landmark, and partly touched on the principles of its renovation. In this material, we will talk about architectural aesthetics and three-dimensional composition with architect Volodymyr Yosypchuk (HAP from AVR DEVELOPMENT) and technical director of the project Herbert Pasterk, about approaches and management of the construction process - with project manager from DELTA Ukraine Yury Zabava.

Representatives of the general contractor of the project, the company 7CI Group, will reveal the technical features of working with historical buildings: the technical director of the company Serhii Podoynitsyn will share his previous experience of reconstruction and restoration, and the head of the Jam Factory project Serhii Chukhrai will tell in detail about the implementation of project tasks on the construction site. We will try to understand how form and function interact at the junction of different eras, which approaches in reconstruction and new construction are used to create a dialogue between history and modernity.

The starting point in the work on the architectural concept of the Jam Factory project was the competition held in 2015, in which five architectural bureaus from different countries — Ukraine, Austria and Germany — took part. The main criterion for selecting the winner for Harald Binder and the Jam Factory Art Center team was respect for cultural heritage.

According to the jury, the most accurate in the balance between the historical context and modern aesthetics turned out to be the architects of Stefan Rindler's studio, who developed the project together with the Austrian specialist Herbert Pasterk. In this proposal, the relationship between the old and the new is built on the principle of contrast. Contrasting the simple minimalist forms of the new buildings with the neo-Gothic architecture of the former factory, the authors of the idea focused attention on the nature of the landmark, emphasizing its value. The modern part of the complex seems to shade the historical building, serves as its accompaniment.

About the birth of the concept, Herbert Pasterk says: "Since the purpose of the art center is to demonstrate modern art, which will be reflected in various manifestations, we needed to create opportunities for this. We tried to form a basis for the coexistence of the old with the new function. First, there was a common vision of the project, and then we gathered ideas on how to maximally combine the houses located behind the street front on the site into one complex to create a common space.

We wanted to get a U-shape so that there would be a courtyard between the houses. The old building on the site, which served as a cinema hall, was too small and uncomfortable. With multi-functionality as the key task, together with the architect Stefan Rindler from Vienna we came up with a cube shape, thanks to which we were able to expand the function of the cinema and get a stage for theatrical projects.

 

A balance between form and function

After the idea of ​​the architectural composition of the complex was finally approved, a new stage began — the detailed development of a volume-planning solution. In 2016, the Lviv company AVR joined the project. In 2018, together with Herbert Pasterk (currently the technical director of the project), the team of architects began active work on the project documentation. Up to this point, all restoration studies have been carried out and all debatable issues have been closed.

According to the chief architect of the project, Volodymyr Yosypchuk, the adaptation of the project to local state building regulations did not cause global changes in the architectural concept. The only difference compared to Stefan Rindler's original version is the preservation of one of the existing buildings on the site, which was planned to be demolished. This decision was influenced by the research of restorers and the desire to leave the historic building in its original form as a visual landmark for local residents and an attractive object for tourists.

"We picked up the concept of authentic, but supplemented and compositionally integral object. Our task was to emphasize and distinguish the historical building without adding visual noise. To make an honest architecture, without copies, repetitions and imitations"

"This is an artistic space that the city definitely needs. This is a place where everyone will find something special," shared Volodymyr Yosypchuk, talking about the functional content of the complex. According to the project, the Jam Factory architectural ensemble consists of three blocks: a historical monument, a modern Black Box ("Cube") building, and an administrative building.

The "Jam Factory" building will house an entrance group with a reception, various recreation areas, a souvenir shop and a small exhibition hall. Former production facilities and warehouses will now serve the purpose of a cultural center. The basement of the historic building will be adapted to various creative events.

The volume of the Black Box is a one-story house in the form of a black cube, which is planned to be used as a multifunctional space. This is where the main life of the art center will be concentrated: cultural and educational programs, theatrical performances, performances, art exhibitions, various creative events.

Light sliding structures of the building will allow you to combine the interior with the courtyard. "Kuba" engineering systems are designed to be as flexible as possible to create the possibility of transforming the internal space. The acoustic system is designed in such a way that the stage can change its location, and with the help of lighting equipment it will be possible to create various effects and light scenarios.

A terrace with greenery will be arranged on the flat roof of "Kuba". The administrative building of the complex will be equipped with a back office of the cultural center, the building will be made in the same aesthetics as the "Cube". All three buildings, as mentioned earlier, are connected by a courtyard. Open air events are planned here in the warm season: film screenings, concerts, festivals.

 

Lamata cannot be built

The project is currently being implemented. The main management of the construction process was taken over by DELTA Ukraine, the representative of the Austrian company in Ukraine. The first stage, which includes restoration of the architectural monument, strengthening of load-bearing elements, dismantling and replacement of structures, is almost complete. The second stage, related to the construction of new facilities, is at the initial stage.

We spoke with Yury Zabava, head of the Jam Factory project from DELTA Ukraine, about what the balance of history and modernity is built on in the context of reconstruction and new construction.

PRAGMATICS.MEDIA: What principles of reconstruction do you follow in this object? Will the functional transformation of the monument affect its aesthetics?

Yuri Zabava: The most important thing is the principle of preserving authenticity and non-fake feelings when using new materials and designs. We do not plan to deceive by hiding the shortcomings of the building, which have accumulated during 150 years of operation. New and old elements will not be disguised under plaster and light structures.

Since the building has changed in form and purpose over a long period of time, we do not have a specific architectural aesthetic. Today, the pronounced neo-Gothic style of the facade remains. Given that the revitalization of buildings involves the return of a lost meaning or the acquisition of a new one, then, accordingly, everything is mixed again and begins to create a new modern meaning. It's like making jam from fruit.

"The most important thing is the principle of preserving authenticity and non-fake feelings during useI new materials and constructions. We don't plan to cheat by hiding the building's flaws that have accumulated over 150 years-annual operation"

PM.: What non-standard technical solutions have already been applied in this facility?

Yu. Z.: First of all, these are columns from the Reckli matrix. This material has not yet been used in Ukraine during monolithic works at the facility. The second is full automation of sound, video and access control engineering systems. In fact, such elements are standard in all projects, but combining it all into one working object is non-standard. This will minimize the number of service personnel and provide an opportunity to manage the facility remotely or see the status of resource use.

PM.: How is technical expertise carried out at the construction site? How is the quality of the work performed checked?

Yu. Z.: DELTA Ukraine uses verified and adapted to Ukrainian standards forms of checklists used by our Austrian colleagues. The system allows us to check the quality and correctness of the work at the stage of initiation, preparation and delivery. For each element or type of work (masonry, monolithic, finishing works, installation of engineering networks and safety check on the construction site) there is a separate checklist with items that need to be checked.

In the event of a discrepancy, the information is immediately transferred to the contractor for elimination. The next stage of work is allowed to be carried out only after the deficiencies have been eliminated. We work together with Austrian colleagues who have extensive experience in the revitalization and reconstruction of objects. They provide feedback and examples of how to prevent problems in the future, recommend to the customer how to properly operate the facility.

PM.: You carry out complex management of the construction process in the project, and this is a time-consuming task. What innovative systems do you use to organize the process? What optimization methods are used?

Yu. Z.: First of all, we use our software product — the Internet platform Datenpool. This helps us structure all information and communication by project. Logging of all steps of work on the document and recording of completed uploads to the platform ensures maximum reliability and complete archiving of all project documentation after its completion.

As a quality control tool, we use the Plan Radar web application — a construction defect management system. The defect is fixed directly on the construction site, localized on the drawings uploaded to the system and supplemented with photos and comments. The information is sent to the contractor for remediation or feedback. The program provides direct communication, the creation of reports in PDF format, the use of offline mode and statistics.

 

7CI Group in the reconstruction of historical buildings

The reconstruction of a historical building is a specific task that requires high-level technical skills, understanding of approaches to work with unique objects, and the ability to find atypical solutions. These factors were key in choosing the general contractor for the Jam Factory project: 7CI Group is a construction team with extensive experience in the field of reconstruction and restoration of architectural monuments and historical buildings.

To find out in more detail what are the common features of such objects and what peculiarities have to be faced in their reconstruction, we talked about two demonstrative realized objects with the technical director of the 7CI Group company Serhiy Podoynitsyn.

The first example is the object on prov. Butyshiv, 23 in Kyiv, three-story residential building 1905th century (1910–XNUMX). The task of the reconstruction was to preserve the existing geometry of the space and the architectural plasticity of the building as much as possible. At that time, the object was not used in any way, and there was still no clear idea about its future function. Therefore, in order to provide freedom in the future use of the space, it was decided to create an open space without division into rooms.

The facades of the building were well preserved, all decorative elements remained almost intact, but structural elements and engineering communications were badly damaged.

One of the features of the project was that the building did not have a foundation from the beginning - its role was performed by the walls of the basement. During the reconstruction, the walls were strengthened by creating a reinforced concrete lining around the entire perimeter of the building. To do this, they first excavated the soil along the outer walls, reinforced the future foundation and filled the space with a high-strength concrete mixture. The building's interfloor ceilings and internal stairs were wooden and, naturally, later became unusable. Therefore, they were dismantled and replaced with monolithic ones, which affected the change of the structural scheme in general.

"For the implementation of reinforced concrete floors, we installed a channel along the perimeter of the internal walls, on which we laid metal beams and performed permanent formwork. Thus, the new floors were involved in the joint work of the building, becoming a single element of stiffness together with the load-bearing walls," Serhii Podoynitsyn explained.

The roof structure was also renovated. Rotten rafters were replaced with new beams, and skylights were integrated into the roof. As for the facades, it was important to achieve maximum historical accuracy in keeping with the building's characteristic style. In order to preserve the authenticity of the object, measurements and drawings of all architectural profiles were made, and the lost parts were restored from the remains of the decorative elements of the facades. In addition, to emphasize the expressiveness of the plastic, external lighting of the facades was provided.

On the courtyard side, the existing balconies were strengthened, at the same time reproducing the metal forged fences in the aesthetics characteristic of the building. According to Serhii Podoynitsyn, the greatest difficulty in a number of works was the strengthening of window openings. Since all of them here are arched and actually do not have a lintel (its role is performed by a brick dressing), it was necessary to integrate a curved metal lintel from the inside of the building into the body of the wall, the execution of which requires almost jewelry skill.

Another example is the object on the street. Tolstogo, 29, a historic building built in 1855 in the very center of Kyiv. The object is located in a picturesque place - next to the Botanical Garden named after Fomina. Originally a clubhouse, it is now a residence with several private apartments for rent. When the building underwent reconstruction, the customer wanted to preserve its inherent aesthetics as much as possible and emphasize the beauty of the architecture both externally and in the work with the internal space.

First of all, according to Serhiy Podoynitsyn, during the reconstruction, retaining walls were made to retain the soil, since the building is located on an active terrain, and measures were taken regarding external drainage. The floor and stairs, as in the previous example, were originally wooden, they were completely dismantled and replaced with reinforced concrete. In order to make a lightweight base under the floor, polystyrene concrete was added to the cement-sand screed.

"Such a solution increases the thermal insulation properties of the floor and reduces the load on the structure of the building," Serhiy explained. As for the roof, the very scheme of the rafters did not change, only the old unusable wooden beams were replaced with new ones. During the reconstruction, the roof covering was replaced with soft (artificial) ceramic tiles.

"It is light, easy to install, durable. The use of such material reduces the load on the roof structure and, accordingly, on the building in general," Serhii commented. In connection with the change in the operating conditions of the building, there was a need to insulate the walls, which caused the installation of mineral wool boards outside the building. In order not to disturb the plastic of the facade, it was decided to dismantle all the decorative elements and restore them, but in a new material.

 

Strengthening reinforcements

7CI Group at Jam Factory

These examples illustrate typical problems encountered in working with historical buildings: lack of foundation, failure of engineering communications, destruction of individual parts of the building, failure of load-bearing elements, destruction of decorative details. The task of reconstruction is not only to eliminate these problems, but also to adapt the building to a new life without harming its architectural individuality.

In reconstruction projects, it is important to understand that the operational conditions of the object are changing: loads on load-bearing structures, temperature and humidity conditions, air exchange, etc. When the transformation of the object affects at least one of the above-mentioned aspects, other links of the chain also change. Therefore, the solutions that are laid down at the stage of reconstruction should work in a complex. These key principles or approaches are fundamental to the Jam Factory project. The technical difficulties and peculiarities of the team of specialists in this facility were discussed in detail with the project manager from the 7CI Group, Serhiy Chuhrai.

"In this project, the technical expertise of the executors is very important. Here it is necessary to constantly record all changes in the object, analyze the operation of structures, stability of load-bearing elements, understand in what mode the building currently lives. This is very important, since the actual state of the object affects the implementation of certain tasks set in the project. In project solutions, the result that must be obtained is most often reflected, and it is not always possible to achieve this result in the conditions of reconstruction, and this must be reflected in the project.

Starting to implement project solutions, we face difficulties that arise in the process of work. Almost every solution requires additional, adaptive solutions, many nodes have to be solved on the spot. For example, during the dismantling of a supporting beam or other structure, it is necessary to provide for its re-supporting. It might sound funny, but that's what we call this action - "perform an amplification of a previously performed amplification". There have been and will be many such moments, therefore, every step we take is always preceded by a technical examination and comprehensive analysis by various specialists: engineers, designers, and technical supervision.

At the same time, it is necessary to take into account such points as the cost and term of each of the decisions: how easier, more reliable, faster to complete this or that task. The technical difficulties in this facility are not so much related to the quality of the work as to the analytical work, the technological sequence, which takes into account the impact of one action on the general change of conditions. The entire building works as a single organism, and therefore, having implanted something, we must understand how it will affect the situation as a whole," Serhii Chukhrai explained. The way construction work leads to the transformation of the building's working conditions can be clearly seen on the example of the work done in the basement of the historical building.

 

The transformation of conditions in the transformation of space

Initially, the basement of the former factory was used as a technical floor, it was most likely a warehouse space, divided into utility rooms. The project envisages placement of temporary exhibition halls in the basement area. Therefore, the main task was to adapt this space to the new operating mode.

The walls of the basement, built of crushed stone, served as a foundation, strengthened by the formation of a monolithic reinforced concrete lining around the perimeter of the building. "Even during the implementation of such a seemingly simple task as strengthening the foundation already with a ready calculation and a clear understanding of the dimensions of the concrete cushion, the diameter of the reinforcement, etc., we encountered certain difficulties, since the actual situation often differs from the design one. Since it was not possible to excavate the foundation to a great depth from the outside, the excavation of the soil was carried out from inside the building, and during the work, some rubble stones simply began to collapse, which led to a number of additional measures to perform this task," Serhii Chukhrai shared.

The floor of the basement floor was rammed soil without any foundation, and the ceiling was a system of stone vaults, the height of the room at the same time varied from 1,7 to 1,8 m. Specialists increased the usable height by lowering the ground level. In addition, the bricked-up windows in the basement were restored. However, when cutting window openings in the rubble wall, in addition to metal reinforcements, it was necessary to provide for the strengthening of the walls, which began to collapse in the process of this work.

During the long life of the architectural monument, a certain climate was formed. Conditionally, the basement stood for about 100 years. Moisture, condensation accumulated here, fungus appeared on the walls. At the initial stage of work, a barrel with water was discovered here, which also affected this aspect. In the process of reconstruction, the fungus was eliminated, the barrel with water was removed, but other reasons also affected the temperature and humidity regime.

Which? Based on the technical examination of the state of the load-bearing elements, the specialists had to dismantle all the old partitions and inter-floor ceilings. Strengthening the outer contour of the load-bearing walls made it possible to obtain one common room with new proportions. These and related works, such as the execution of a monolithic floor and strengthening of the foundation, led to the appearance of a larger amount of concrete, the release of moisture from which affected the temperature and humidity regime, which must be taken into account in the future not only during the design of the ventilation of the building, but also in the conditions of conducting construction works.

When working with objects of reconstruction already at the initial stage, it is necessary to take into account a lot of limiting factors, which become even more in the process of implementing project tasks

"When Herbert and I went to the basement to assess the quality of the work on the installation of columns and partitions, he paid attention to a completely different aspect - the issue of room ventilation," said Serhiy. — The air exchange used to be different than it is now, because together with the change in layout, we increased the amount of concrete, which releases moisture during the setting process.

The rubble stone walls are currently in an uncharacteristic state, as a result of the reconstruction, the air balance in the room has changed, so it is now necessary to provide the structures with the necessary ventilation. Now the basement space is experiencing new "stress", and our task is to create the necessary conditions for the work of all structural elements at this stage, and in the future to provide comfortable conditions for a person to stay here."

 

The principle of reuse. Aesthetics and the struggle for authenticity

One of the key principles in the work on this project is the maximum use of available materials and elements. Thus, the volume of bricks obtained as a result of dismantling works will be used again for the restoration of lost structures and the construction of new partitions. The round metal column that served as a support for the underground floor is interpreted in the new interior, and the old stone arch in the basement will articulate the entrance to the basement from the new part of the building.

The tiles that covered the old furnace have been dismantled for further use in the interiors of the future art center, and the cast-iron tiles that covered the floor in the production workshop will have a new sound in the modern space. Valuable artifacts found on the territory of the architectural monument, as we said in the previous article, will become part of the exposition that tells the history of the monument.

In this project, there is a struggle for authenticity in everything. This also applies to the principle of "honest constructions": new load-bearing elements are made in such a way that they become a pure detail of the interior without additional decoration.

Serhii spoke in more detail about one of these examples: "During the reconstruction of the roof, we completely replaced the unusable structure, however, some surviving wooden beams served as a kind of decoration - they became part of the ceiling in the new interior, in the inner space of the historical part of the "Tower". This is also a very interesting solution, because it was possible to simply attach these beams to the ceiling, but we installed them in the formwork and made them part of the monolithic structure. Previously, the wooden beams were cleaned, treated with an antiseptic, the texture was emphasized by brushing."

There is a lot of face concrete in the interior. A minimum of new coatings is used in interior decoration, because the main goal is to reveal and emphasize the beauty of existing textures and surfaces. The same principle is reflected in the restoration of facades: the color of the walls will be updated as accurately as possible in relation to the initial state. The valuable ceramic tiles that have been preserved on the gables of the building will be restored. Restoration of lost or destroyed decorative elements of facades is carried out in the same materials or similar in composition.

"In Lviv, there are no problems with finding a replacement for authentic materials, such as, for example, Austrian bricks or tiles, and this makes the task much easier," Serhiy Chukhrai commented. During the reconstruction of the roof, the drainage system will be updated, but in order not to disturb the aesthetics from the outside of the building, to minimize the number of gutters and not to clutter the architecture with engineering communications, part of the system will go into the internal drainage system.

 

Work in perspective

The possibility of changing the function in the future must be taken into account in the reconstruction work, and in particular in the Jam Factory facility. Therefore, all decisions made at a specific stage of design and implementation of the object should work for the future. All new materials and structures must be durable and strong. Yes, the old roof covering — slate — will be replaced with zinc-titanium. This is zinc, which includes titanium to increase strength, copper and aluminum — for plasticity and ease of working with the material. The ceramic tiles used to cover the parapets of the roof will be restored in their former place.

"Our work is complex and interesting, in which the face of 7CI GROUP and its reputation is reflected" in maintaining a balance between speed and quality, reliability and aesthetics.

Planning decisions should also be perspective-oriented, take into account flexibility and mobility. This applies not only to the transformable Black Box space. During the reconstruction of the building of the former factory, a free layout was provided, and in the project of engineering communications, specialists provided the possibility of access for revision at several points, so that in the event of a change in the layout in the future, the space would remain ergonomic and comfortable.

Serhiy noted that foreign colleagues from Germany and Austria pay much more attention to the implementation of structural elements of the building and engineering communications, primarily to their reliability and durability, than to the appearance of the decorations or the interior as a whole, and gradually such a vision is becoming relevant in our the country

The layering of different eras and styles, the international composition of the team, the intersection of different views on the principles and approaches in construction and reconstruction made the Jam Factory project a healthy mix of the past and the present, in which history continues to live side by side with modern performances and theatrical performances. In the struggle for authenticity and preservation of historical and cultural heritage, a team of talented specialists gathered, and the project became a concentration of new ideas and a fresh look at architecture, technology, history and art.

 

/The material is published on the pages #30 volume PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA/