Dominant objects in the city always work on the border of authorial architecture and rigid engineering, image and physics of the building. Together with Artur Mkhitaryan, founder and CEO of Taryan Group, Dmitry Vasiliev, founder and chief architect of Archimatika, Andriy Dudar, CEO of Reynaers Aluminium in Ukraine, and Anatoly Chegusov, CEO of EVB, we analyze how the facade of a new metropolitan landmark is formed.
Pechersk as a framework for architectural solutions
Pechersk is a district where new architecture never appears in a "clean place". Historical panoramas and dense buildings from different periods are layered onto the expressive silhouette of the right bank of the Dnieper - from monastery complexes and fortifications to 20th-century modernism. Government quarters, historical buildings, slopes of the Dnieper - in such an environment, any high-rise dominant automatically changes the urban landscape. The experience of recent decades has made these changes especially noticeable. Kyiv has already seen how new objects overlap panoramas, get out of scale or enter into sharp contrast with the context. It is precisely such situations that have become the cause of protests and professional discussions about the limits of what is permissible in a historical environment.
As a result, Pechersk has become a space with different requirements for new development. It is about the ability of the object to coexist with the already formed horizon. Height, plasticity, working with light and glare - these parameters are not read in isolation, but on the scale of the panorama. In such an environment, the developer inevitably goes beyond the role of the customer and takes on some responsibility for how the city silhouette changes. For Taryan Group, this position is consistent: their projects in Pechersk - Tsarsky City Resort, Jack House and Taryan Towers - already dominate in a complex urban context.
Arthur Mkhitaryan, founder and CEO of Taryan Group: "Pechersk is love at first sight, a source of respect and inspiration. All our best projects are created here. We try to create objects that shape the architectural skyline of the city."
Artur Mkhitaryan, Founder and CEO of Taryan Group
NVER is no exception to this trend, but it raises the bar. It is actually a vertical city within a single site: two 30+ story high towers connected by a bridge, with residential function, public spaces, and integrated infrastructure. It is an ambitious intention to add a recognizable architectural dominant to the cave collage that can withstand the complexity of the environment and at the same time not dissolve in it.
The image of NVER arose much earlier than any calculations or technical parameters - as an intuitive response to the search for form, recalls Arthur Mkhitaryan: "I remember very well the moment of creating the first idea. It was the COVID period, everything was closed everywhere, and we were sitting together with the British architect John Dawes in the Tsarsky lounge area and drawing, drawing, drawing. I had one idea spinning in my head, for which I could not find a visualization. And then I saw it, scrolling through the pages of the Internet: a half-opened pod with beans. That's exactly the shape. John really liked it too, and he tried to translate this shape into the language of architecture."
Previously, John Dawes, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), founder of JD Structural Design and one of the authors of Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, acted as the designer of the Taryan Towers complex: his futuristic style is easily recognizable in the image proposed for NVER. In 2024, the NVER project was recognized at the International Property Awards in two nominations as the best in Ukraine. The jury noted, in particular, the integrity and balance of the architectural solution as a response to a specific urban environment. Also, at the third stage of the competition, the project received the “Best in the World” award in the Best Mixed Use Development category.
In 2024, the NVER project was recognized at the International Property Awards in two nominations as the best in Ukraine, and also received the "Best in the World" award in the Best Mixed Use Development category at the third stage of the competition.
The plastic biomorphic features immediately set the highest level of complexity for the project. They did not provide for a simple engineering scenario, but required the search for individual solutions that would allow preserving the character. This is where the idea of a polygonal facade (it consists of a multitude of geometric polygons that form a three-dimensional "crystalline" surface) came from, which was first used in Ukrainian residential construction as a way to maintain complex geometry.
Arthur Mkhitaryan notes: “We try to make each of our projects better and more unique than the previous one. NVER is no exception. It is the most innovative project in all aspects. Its facade uses diamond glazing, which completely changes the appearance, because the geometry controls the light.
This is the so-called parametric approach to the facade, where the surface is broken into facets that change and reflect light, forming a dynamic perception of the building. This technology is used only in rare premium projects, such as the Bentley Residences in Miami, as it is technologically very complex. Of course, diamond glazing gives the facade depth and volume that cannot be achieved with conventional glazing, and creates a unique impression of the building. This is exactly what we were aiming for with NVER.
How to translate an idea into geometry
In the previous article "Between Ukraine and Great Britain: the facade as a zone of shared responsibility» we considered British cases and the experience of cooperation between Reynaers Aluminium and EVB, where element facades become the result of responsibility distributed between all participants in the process. The architectural image of NVER, already in Ukraine, posed architects and engineers with the need to work with the most complex three-dimensional geometry with double-curvature surfaces and design an individual constructive system. The volumetric concept of the building became a driver for the team and a starting point to which all other systems had to be adjusted: constructive, facade, planning.
The plastic biomorphic features of NVER immediately imposed the highest level of complexity on the project. They did not provide for a simple engineering scenario, but required the search for individual solutions.
The main designer was Archimatika, one of the largest architectural teams in Ukraine and a leader in the field of BIM design with experience in implementing complex residential and multifunctional facilities. As Dmitry Vasyliev, founder and CEO of Archimatika, explains, the main challenge of the project was the shape of the building. It changes vertically, and with it the area of the floors, the planning structure and the constructive scheme itself: "The designed building has inclined columns, complex load transfer trajectories, special behavior of the floors. A separate level of complexity is the shell with surfaces of double curvature, which had to be not only formally described, but also made suitable for the facade system and internal adjacencies.
An additional challenge was the bridge between the towers - a span of about 50 meters at a height of about 100 meters. It houses two floors, a fitness center, spa and wellness areas, swimming pools and a terrace. This design must take into account wind vibrations, temperature deformations and the movement of the towers themselves. The bridge must respond to these movements: work on sliding, compensate for deformations and interact with both towers.
At the time Archimatika was connected to the project, the digital model of the building already existed in a sketch. Its analysis in Rhino showed that the shape was assembled from a large number of different radii and joints, which was impossible to build. The geometry had to be rebuilt - preserving the image, but making the surfaces mathematically controllable. To do this, Bezier curves, key sections and guides were used. A strict norm was in effect: most of the apartments had already been sold by that time, so the possibility of deviating from the areas was limited. Next, the facade was parameterized in Grasshopper: the double-curvature surface was divided into a triangular grid, coordinated with the structure and internal partitions. As a result, we got a system of triangular cassettes without repeating floors: each level has its own contour. It took about a year to create the model, rebuild the geometry and its parametric organization.
The bridge between the NVER towers is a span of about 42 meters at a height of about 100 meters.
The first step was to determine which technology would work with the building's geometry, height, and structural constraints. The choice of facade system depended on a combination of criteria and characteristics, from basic energy efficiency to the ability to compensate for structural deformations and not slow down the pace of construction.
Dmytro Vasiliev says: “When Archimatika joined the project, we started working on it together with EVB, which has extensive experience in implementing complex curtain wall facades. Several groups of parameters are critical for facade technology. The first are standard for any modern facade: heat transfer resistance, energy efficiency, heat loss control, infrared radiation transmission, and overheating protection.
Dmitry Vasiliev, founder and chief architect of Archimatika
NVER had specific requirements. The facade of the building is almost entirely glass, and glass is a fragile material and very sensitive to deformations of the supporting structures. In this project, the distances between the supporting columns are quite large. We deliberately went for this so that there would be fewer columns and more open space in the apartments. But larger spans also mean larger deflections of the floors - in our case up to several centimeters.
If large glass elements are rigidly fixed to a structure that deforms, there is a risk of additional loads and glass breakage. Therefore, it was critically important for us that the facade system could compensate for such deformations. In this project, the permissible limit of such movements was approximately two centimeters.”
The standard post-and-beam system proved unsuitable for these conditions: its rigidity and limited adaptability do not allow working with variable geometry. The height of the building — about 136 meters — additionally complicates the installation: in the traditional scheme, the frame is assembled first, and then the glazing is performed, which significantly lengthens the process. The facade technology for NVER was formed on the basis of Reynaers Aluminium system solutions, which allow working with large-format element facades. In such a scheme, the facade modules are manufactured in the factory with high precision and delivered to the construction site in fully assembled form. This allows not only to speed up installation at height, but also to significantly increase quality control and geometric accuracy, which is critical for a building with a complex parametric shell.
Facade technology for NVER was formed on the basis of Reynaers Aluminium system solutions, which allow working with large-format element facades.
"This gave several advantages at once: the system better compensates for deformations, allows you to work with complex geometry, and significantly speeds up installation. This solution is more expensive, but it is what made it possible to implement this form and ensure its reliable operation," the architect adds.
Work with the form was not limited to geometry and the facade system. In parallel, its behavior under wind loads was tested - as an engineering verification of the decisions already made.
Dmytro Vasiliev notes: "The model of the complex was tested in the wind tunnel of the National Aviation University. Air flows are applied to the model from different directions and how the structure reacts to wind loads are measured: oscillations, resonances, microvibrations.
Every high-rise building sways a little under the influence of the wind - this is normal and usually imperceptible to people. But if the wind frequency coincides with the natural frequency of the structure, resonance can occur, which amplifies the oscillations. That is why it is checked how the towers behave, how the bridge between them reacts, whether dangerous oscillations or excessive deviations occur.
NVER will become the new architectural dominant of the Pechersk collage
Facade as an engineering coordinate system
Taryan Group set the strategic framework and worked with the image, Archimatika translated it into precise geometry and BIM model. The materialization of the idea vitally depends on the actions of the following team members: Reynaers Aluminium as a system partner and EVB as an engineering and production contractor are responsible for transforming the parametric facade model into a set of real elements and installation diagrams.
The architecture of a unique building cannot be created using typical technical solutions, he believes. Anatoly Chegusov, CEO of EVB: "Standard solutions are mainly used in typical facilities, which are adapted to specific requirements - thermal, static or architectural. There are practically no typical solutions in an NVER-level project. Most nodes and elements are individual, and each such solution requires a separate engineering check. This means a much higher level of responsibility at the design stage: all key solutions must be confirmed by tests in international test centers. In addition, some issues go beyond the boundaries of classic facade design - for example, maintenance or operation of complex geometry. For this, specialized companies are involved in the process at an early stage."
Anatoly Chegusov, CEO of EVB
Each facade module is recorded in the system as a separate unit with a unique identifier and precise spatial coordinates. This allows the element to be tracked and controlled at all stages, from modeling to installation.
Anatoly Chegusov emphasizes: "Additional complexity is created by the building structure. Beamless cantilever slabs have significant deflections and displacements, which does not allow the use of standard facade assemblies. Therefore, it was necessary to develop individual solutions that take into account these deformations throughout the life cycle of the building.
Each facade module is fixed in the system as a separate unit with precise spatial coordinates. This allows the element to be tracked and controlled at all stages.
Wind loads were a separate challenge: according to the results of wind tunnel tests, the obtained coefficients significantly differed from the normative ones in a larger direction, which directly affected the engineering solutions of the facade.
"Reynaers solutions for element facades are taken as a basis and adapted to the specific geometry and engineering requirements of the object. Details such as sliding systems or balcony stained glass windows are implemented in standard configurations. The result is a holistic solution where standard and individual approaches work within a single engineering logic."
Fitness club with bird's-eye views of the city
Why you can't postpone decisions
Decisions on the element facade in ambitious projects cannot be made after the fact. And not only because, for example, the anchor channels for fastening are laid at the concreting stage. Almost all facade engineering actually begins with the structure. The slightest deviation can lead to the accumulation of errors: divergence of seams, loss of tightness, redistribution of loads or the need to rework adjacent elements already at the production or installation stage. Any delay or late integration means a loss of flexibility and a sharp increase in technical risks. That is why the NVER polygonal facade required the early integration of Reynaers Aluminium and EVB.
In complex high-rise projects, the facade system becomes part of the structural logic of the building, which is why the Reynaers Aluminium team is involved in the work at an early stage of the design. At this stage, fastening principles, junction points, permissible deformations and installation scenarios are determined. Such early integration avoids technical compromises and ensures synchronization between the architectural geometry, the building structure and the facade system, emphasizes Andriy Dudar, CEO of Reynaers Aluminium in Ukraine: “It is important for us to get involved in a project when key technical solutions are still being formed. If the facade is integrated at a later stage, we often have to work with limitations or make technical compromises that can affect the quality and durability of the building.
Andriy Dudar, General Director of Reynaers Aluminium in Ukraine
Another important condition for success is the team working on the project. In the case of NVER, we see a combination of a strong architectural concept, a developer focused on long-term quality, and an engineering partner with experience in implementing complex facade solutions. When all participants in the process perceive the facade not as a decorative element, but as part of the building's engineering system, it becomes possible to implement complex architecture without compromise.
In complex high-rise projects, the facade system becomes part of the structural logic of the building, so the Reynaers Aluminium team is involved in the work at the early stages of design.
The broader context is also important. The Ukrainian market is currently operating in difficult conditions, but a new quality standard is being formed right now. For an international company, participation in such projects is an opportunity to support market development and help reduce technical risks at the design stage."
Anatoly Chegusov adds: "The collaboration does not end at the design stage. It continues until the facility is put into operation, as the integration of architecture, systems and engineering is a continuous process."
Private apartments with panoramic views of Kyiv are a unique advantage for NVER residents
New optics of high-rise architecture
Not a “technical marvel” or an “ambitious architectural gesture”: NVER can be seen as an illustration of a paradigm shift in the field of high-rise construction or, in the words of Andriy Dudar, as an “indicator of market evolution.” The facade is no longer perceived as a decorative shell or a final layer. It defines much more: from the geometry of the building to its operating scenarios.
This is also changing the behavior of Ukrainian developers, for whom the choice of a facade system is no longer a technical issue or a way to optimize the budget. It is about investing in a product that should work for decades.
Andriy Dudar concludes: “When a building has complex geometry, large panoramic areas or a significant height, the facade can no longer be considered only as an outer shell. Modern system solutions, such as Reynaers Aluminium facade technologies, actually form the engineering logic of the building: they determine the principles of installation, the behavior of structures under load, energy characteristics and operating comfort. That is why in modern high-rise architecture the facade becomes not a finishing layer, but one of the key tools of architectural implementation.
Observation decks at the tops of both NVER towers
In this context, the facade also begins to perform a marketing function. It is not only about aesthetics. Developers are increasingly seeking to combine a strong architectural image with real technical quality, and this is where system facade solutions become an important part of the project's positioning. The facade becomes an element of the overall strategy, and not just the technical completion of the building. This is an important signal for the market: the quality of modern high-rise architecture is formed by the joint work of architects, the developer, the system brand and the engineering contractor. And the facade is one of the key elements in this process.
Markers of change like NVER demonstrate that even in the new economic reality and even in the conditions of the protracted war in Ukraine, premium architecture cannot withstand the gap between image and realization. And that the facade is no longer about what the building looks like, but about how it shapes new scenarios of cooperation and partnership, the mentality of residents, and the city itself.
Image source: www.taryangroup.com
