Interior of the Year 2019. In search of your DNA

/ Ukraine /

The Ukrainian "Oscar" in the field of interior design - that's how the organizers call the "Interior of the Year" competition, which has already been held for the 11th time. The number of nominations, the extravagance of the host's dresses, and the full hall at the award ceremony, which took place on December 6 in the capital's Parkovy shopping center, confirm the status of the event. However, for the prefix "Ukrainian", according to international experts, it lacked national authenticity.

Every year, the architectural competition "Interior of the Year" is gaining momentum. This time, the organizers received a record number of applications for participation - 852. For the first time, a qualification commission was convened, which already at the preliminary stage weeded out the weakest projects. The final work was evaluated by an international jury, which included famous designers — Richard Hutten (Netherlands), Matali Crasse (France), Christina Pettenuzzo and Domenico Diego (Italy), as well as Slava Balbek (Ukraine). The jury conducted voting in two rounds, selected winners in 10 nominations, as well as the Grand Prix winner.

Pouffes from the DONNA furniture studio

Yuri Musatov's sculptures from the "Invasion" project

 

Jury members Domenico Diego and Christina Pettenuzzo examine vases from Vahan Avakian

Anastasiya Beletskaya (right) talks about the items exhibited in the Yellow zone as part of "Interior of the Year"

Subject design was allocated to a separate special project this year. The YELLOW zone functioned on the first floor of the "Parkovy" shopping center, curated by Anastasiya Beletskaya and Sana Shevchenko (MAINO Design Ukraine), Olga Bogdanova (Bogdanova Bureau), Feride Adzhiniyazova ("Home and Interior"). In the space inspired by the Suprematism of Kazimir Malevich, it was possible to see and touch the objects of Ukrainian designers who have already visited European exhibitions or are just getting ready for export.

Sofi table by innazimina

Lamp from Next Level Design Studio

The awarding ceremony of the winners gathered a full hall in "Parkovo"

Matali Crasse, Cristina Pettenuzzo and Domenico Diego

The curator of the YELLOW zone is Anastasia Beletskaya

 

 

"INTERIOR OF THE YEAR 2019"

The Grand Prix

Shrub House

Authors: Sergey Makhno, Alexander Makhno, Sergey Filonchuk, Olga Sobchyshina, Marina Grechko (Sergey Makhno Architects)

 

The public-administrative interior is furnished

1 place Toronto Bridge (Kyiv)

Authors: Maksym Parokonny, Valentina Perevalova, Alexandra Korpusova, Natalya Pykhteeva (5point.space)

2 place Amel Cad/Cam Laboratory (Dnipro)

Authors: Sergey Gotvyansky, Mikhail Temnikov (Nottdesign)

3 place Tetris Hall lobbies (Kyiv)

Authors: Viktoria Oskilko, Anna Kaplonskaya, Dmitry Kozinenko (MONO architects)

Grand Prix winner Sergey Makhno and representatives of the Sergey Makhno Architects studio

The unrealized public-administrative interior has been completed

1 place Dental clinic in Texas

Author: Elena Fateeva (Fateeva Design)

2 place Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture

Authors: Natalia Pogorelova, Alexandra Teslia, Nikita Momot, Anastasia Timchenko (Opiat'design)

3 place SPA on the roof

Authors: Victoria Bakhova, Beto Moreno, Ekaterina Bakhova, Elena Maznychenko ("ARCHiART")

Interior of retail premises and HoReCa facilities

1 place Fast food restaurant "PARKCAFE" ("Spring round the clock"), Kyiv

Author: Natalia Poplavskaya (NP Studio Interior Design)

2 place Neobystro "Assembly", Kyiv

Authors: Alexander Ivasiv, Yulia Tkachenko (Ater.architects)

3 place Owntown Apart Hotel, Kyiv

Author: Andrey Stepanenko (PLUR)

Jury members and presenters announce the winners

Unrealized interior of commercial premises and HoReCa facilities

1 place lounge Bar

Authors: Nadezhda Chokhan, Tatiana Hnyp, Viktoria Marchuk, Maria Knysh, Elena Zaluzhnaya (logro)

2 place The festival area of ​​the city food market

Author: Anna Izquierdo (AIMM)

3 place Wine restaurant

Author: ISTO studio

 

Object in classical style

1 place Not awarded

2 place Apartments with history

Author: Alla Stepanchenko (AS interiors)

3 place V House

Authors: Ekaterina Mardanova, Anastasia Vynidiktova, Maria Draga, Natalya Danilyna, Ksenia Rekun, Anastasia Kurilova, Lina Kishtaary (Mdesign Architecture Interior)

 

The interior of the house in a modern style

1 place Serenity

Authors: Victoria Shklyar, Olga Antontseva (FORM bureau)

2 place STEP-UP House

Authors: SVOYA Studio

3 place SVOYA VEZHA

Authors: SVOYA Studio

This year, the organizers of the "Interior of the Year" competition received a record number of applications for participation

The interior of the apartment in a modern style

1 place VOV Apartment

Alexander Ivasiv, Yulia Tkachenko (Ater.architects)

2 place Love, love, love

Authors: Nochek Prokopenko, Alena Koroleva

3 place SWEET-HOME

Author: Viktoria Shklyar (FORM bureau)

 

The interior of a smart apartment (30–40 sq. m.)

1 place Llama Beige

Authors: Yana Osypenko, Anastasia Kurbakova (Sobo)

2 place Apartment L

Author: Lesya Mykolyuk (DA GROUP)

3 place Indigo Apartment

Author: Denys Bondarenko (BondarenkoDesign)

Fedor Vozianov and Anna Manako receive an award for the first place in the object design competition

Yellow subject design competition

1 place OVAL chandelier and RECTANGLE table (ONE PATTERN project)

Authors: Fedor Vozianov, Anna Manako

2 place OM armchair from ODESD2

Authors: Igor Pynygin, Sergey Chebotarev (Dorogaya studio)

3 place Collection of street furniture BUBBLES Collection 1.0 and 2.0 (DOBRO DESIGN STUDIO)

Authors: Nazar Pavlesa, Vladimir Pavlesa

 

Christina Pettenuzzo and Domenico Diego

(Studio Otto – Paola Navone, Italy)

Christina Pettenuzzo and Domenico Diego

PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: What are your overall impressions of the competition?

Christina Pettenuzzo: It seems to me that the competition is very well organized, it was interesting. And we noted some products that we want to look at again later. As for the projects, sometimes they were too international, devoid of Ukrainian specifics. I expected to see more of your traditions, your roots, your DNA. However, what we saw is very similar to what we have already seen in Paris, London, and so on. These are trendy things that actually kill traditions.

PM: And yet, did you manage to notice at least some Ukrainian identity in the projects presented at this competition?

Domenico Diego: I would like to note that the quality of the presented projects was quite high. The "Smart apartment interior" category turned out to be especially interesting. I understand that this trend is widespread in your country. Perhaps, more and more people are moving to cities, and there is not enough space, so apartments with a small area are becoming popular. And large houses, on the contrary, are losing popularity. We saw that many designers are trying to develop interesting projects for small apartments. I don't know if this applies only to Ukraine or if a similar problem is spread all over the world, but at such a moment I drew attention.

PM: In which category were the strongest and weakest projects presented?

K. P.: Those where public-administrative buildings and commercial premises are presented are the strongest.

D. D.: And the weakest, probably, is where the objects are in the classical style. I love this style, but perhaps in this case the interpretation was not the best - too old-fashioned, piled up, heavy. I believe that Ukrainian designers are capable of good classic projects, but they should turn to the roots, to the architecture of previous periods. And so this category was rather weak. I expected something more impressive.

K. P.: Our studio has created many classic interiors, but we always do it in our own way, not in the traditional classical style, but by reinterpreting its inherent features in a modern way. The presented projects did not have such a modern interpretation of the classics.

Now we observe collaborations that combine things and phenomena that we would not think of combining

PM: Is this your first acquaintance with Ukrainian design?

K. P.: At the Venice Biennale, we saw the works of Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova: she presented sausage and fruit made from mosaic tiles.

D. D.: We really liked her, but she is not a designer, but an artist. We were not familiar with Ukrainian design.

PM: Do you believe that the items of Ukrainian designers that you saw as part of the competition have export potential and will be interesting to Europeans?

K. P.: If they will not copy the Europeans themselves, then yes. Because we see similar things in Milan, in Paris, and in other places around the world. It's not bad. But no one will buy similar works here, if the same is in Europe. So, again, you must find your DNA.

D. D.: As I said, the quality of the projects is quite good, I personally liked many design objects. But, again, the project that reads some national heritage, local roots, is always more interesting. Some methods of manual production, for example. If you take such a technique and bring design thinking into it, the resulting object will have much greater potential.

PM: You said that there were some items in the competition that you want to look at later. What objects are we talking about?

K. P.: We saw a lamp that looked like an art object, noted vases with a golden texture. Of course, such items have little chance of winning, because it is just a vase, not such a strong object compared to an armchair, for example. But nevertheless it is interesting. I liked them more than some chairs.

D. D.: Because there is more creativity in it. Special shadows, attention to form. The ceramic objects that we saw in the YELLOW zone were made by hand, which could be understood by the corresponding texture. It's interesting, there is a soul in such objects. Other works are more industrial, they are technically executed, but we see similar things all over the world.

PM: We also wanted to talk to you about collaborations — between designers, brands, disciplines. What do you think about it?

K. P.: In the Yellow zone, we saw a project created in collaboration between a fashion designer and a subject designer. I think that the topic is very interesting, but it can be developed in another way. Now we are observing collaborations that combine things and phenomena that we would not have thought of combining. Rappers create shoes, artists write music. This connection between people is very interesting. In Italy there is a director who is also an architect. He can make interiors that look like movie locations. This is very interesting.

Christina Pettenuzzo, Domenico Diego and Elena Panchenko. Photo: Yury Ferendovych

PM: Do you have similar experience in collaborations?

K. P.: Yes, for example, we created an ice cream cake design for a large grocery store. It was a joint project with confectioners. Of course, we love food, but this is a completely new area for us. For this, it was necessary to understand the specifics of the production of such desserts. Nevertheless, it turned out to be very interesting.

PM: In your opinion, design is an individual process? Should your personality be reflected in it?

K. P.: In our office, Paola taught us many things: how to work, approach business, study, observe. This is a way of life that you should share with those you work with. And then everyone brings something of their own to the joint project. When everyone adds their own ingredient, the dish turns out rich and tasty.

D. D.: Yes, it is easier for us Italians to explain their thoughts using examples with food. Here we are having a dinner — and each guest brings something with him. Then we have a good aperitif, good pasta, quality meat, fruit and, in the end, a good conversation over dessert. We do not believe in any "motherhood" in relation to the project. I had an idea, then Christina or Paola modified it, and everyone contributed to make the project strong.

K. P.: But, of course, the direction of movement is set by Paola.

 

 

Matali Krasse

(France)

Matali Krasse

PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: You are not in Ukraine for the first time and are already a little familiar with Ukrainian design?

Matali Krasse: Yes, I was already a lecturer at a similar event and knew very little about Ukrainian design. And today I saw much more, because we reviewed a lot of projects.

PM: What is your impression of what you saw?

M.K.: I was surprised by the high quality of the work. I did not notice a big difference between the implementation of projects here and, for example, in France. It is necessary to understand that the process of globalization is also taking place in the field of design. Everyone has access to the Internet, there is no longer a shortage of information, you can easily find out about new projects of famous studios and designers. In some sense, this is good, because it increases the quality of the design. First, you make sure that you are capable of it, you reach a high level. And then you proceed to the next stage — you find your own unique feature, your own approach. The same thing happened with your fashion industry. And now it should happen with the field of design.

PM: But do you agree with Christina and Domenico that the presented projects are very similar to what is in Europe?

M.K.: Mostly yes. But I don't see this as such a big problem. After all, you have traveled this way so quickly, you have a lot of energy to continue in the same spirit. In addition, this means that your designers can work wherever they want, not necessarily in Ukraine.

PM: Can you estimate how Ukrainian design has evolved?

M.K.: If earlier designers took on premium class projects, now we see that they are starting such objects as dining rooms, for example. All types of projects are covered by designers, not only the most high-budget ones. The design permeates all types of spaces — offices, administrative premises, and so on.

Matali Krasse studies object design in the YELLOW zone. Photo: Yury Ferendovych

PM: If we talk about the categories in which Ukrainian designers are still stronger?

M.K.: Probably, in the category of office premises. I think this is because companies, unlike private customers, are interested in having their own identity and turn to designers to help them reflect it in the interior. In addition, companies gravitate more toward modernity rather than classics.

PM: Do you think that Ukrainian object design is interesting for the European market or should we offer something more authentic?

M.K.: I think that after some time designers will come to the fact that they still need to draw inspiration from their roots. It will take time, but I am sure that you will succeed. I feel that your architects and designers are ready for this, they have the passion. Probably even bigger than in France. Because we seem to have already achieved something and now we don't know where to move next.

PM: What do you think about such a trend in design as collaboration?

M.K.: The design is now very much changing. I have no idea what they teach in design schools now, but no one there makes just a chair anymore. And they are inventing new materials because they want to avoid the widespread spread of plastic. For this, designers must cooperate with chemists, biologists, and other specialists. But we should not be naive. It is clear that such cooperation will not necessarily lead to quick results. It takes a lot of time to invent new material.

PM: What about your own experience with this?

M.K.: I do a lot of joint projects. Sometimes I work with small settlements, with public organizations. The most important point in design is to find the logic of how we create things. To do this, we need to study the context and concepts of the consumer's needs. The project does not fall from the sky. If we have an idea, we need to understand where and how we can apply it. Now the profession of a designer is being transformed. We don't just design things, we solve problems. More and more designers are starting to work with local authorities or organizations to help them implement changes.

Matali Krasse and Elena Panchenko. Photo: Yury Ferendovych

PM: In your opinion, is design an art, a science or a craft?

M.K.: Everything together. And the fate of one or the other depends on the project. In one, you need more of a craft approach, in the second, you need to think like a scientist, in the third, to be an artist. Depending on the project, you choose different tools and involve different aspects of the design. Design is an amazing process. It implies endless learning, constant questioning. I really like it.

PM: Would you personally be interested in collaborating with a Ukrainian designer or brand?

M.K.: Yes of course. I am open to it. Such collaborations help to understand the diversity of life, understand why other people live differently than you, work differently. Now, in the era of globalization, we are losing this diversity, and we should try to get it back.

PM: Do you have any favorite Ukrainian brands?

M.K.: I don't know many brands. But when I was in Ukraine last time, I was very interested in the joint project of designer Masha Reva and the fashion brand Syndicate. It was excellent work, I was amazed by the picture I saw. Masha Reva is also engaged in ceramics, clothing, illustration. I love such versatile people.