Information
Landmark: House of Projects (Dom Proyektiv)City: Kharkiv
Country: Ukraine
Continent: Europe
House of Projects (Dom Proyektiv), Kharkiv, Ukraine, Europe
Overview
The House of Projects, or Dom Proyektiv, stands on Freedom Square-Ploshcha Svobody-the heart of Kharkiv, Ukraine, its broad façade catching the afternoon light.Built in the early 1930s in a bold constructivist style, it stands as a striking example of early Soviet architecture, later reshaped with the heavy lines and ornate details of Stalinist design.Rising from the skyline, the building embodies Kharkiv’s Soviet-era drive for industry and bold design, and it still anchors the city’s streets like a steel landmark.Built between 1930 and 1932, the House of Projects served as a bustling center for design, architecture, and construction institutions in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, its tall windows flooding workrooms with pale morning light.It mainly served as home to engineering, architectural, and project teams tasked with shaping industrial sites and city plans in Kharkiv and far beyond, from humming factory districts to new urban neighborhoods.Architects Sergey Serafimov and Maria Zandberg designed the building after winning a tough contest with their bold project, “To Catch Up and Overtake,” a plan that sketched sweeping lines across the page.The title captured the Soviet push for fast industrial growth and bold leaps in technology, the kind that filled new factories with the smell of hot steel.The architects threw themselves into constructivism, favoring clean geometric lines, sturdy modern materials, and a sharp focus on function.When it was finished, it rose 68.5 meters into the sky, its 14 floors making it the tallest building in Ukraine.They built it with reinforced concrete skeleton frames-considered cutting-edge back then-and paired them with wooden floors to keep expenses down, the scent of fresh-cut pine still lingering in the air.A tall central tower rose between two shorter wings, the whole structure pulling the eye in a steady, almost musical rhythm.Tall vertical windows paired with broad horizontal beams brought the building’s modernist style into sharp focus, catching the light in sleek, clean lines.The building’s original design embraced constructivism, born from the avant‑garde, where bold steel frames met striking artistic vision.The building was designed for function and modern appeal, with almost no ornament-just clean lines and sharp geometric shapes.During World War II bombings, the House of Projects took heavy hits, its windows blown out and walls crumbling, as the blasts tore through Kharkiv’s infrastructure.In 1961, architects Volodymyr Kostenko and Viktor Lifshyts led a sweeping renovation that reshaped the building’s look, replacing its worn façade with a fresh, modern face.The restoration brought in Stalinist touches, easing the sharp constructivist lines with classical flourishes, carved stone ornament, and the heavy, monumental style that defined the era.The result was a striking hybrid, fusing the sleek lines of modernism with the massive stone grandeur of Soviet monumental classicism.Rising among the cluster of buildings on Freedom Square, the House of Projects stood as a bold emblem of Soviet industrial might and the sleek, forward-looking spirit of urban modernity.It rose beside Derzhprom-the State Industry Building-and the House of Cooperation, three massive structures whose stone facades anchored the heart of Kharkiv.Since its renovation, the building’s been a busy hub for learning and research, with sunlit offices tied to Kharkiv National University and several scientific institutes.The building holds heritage status as an officially designated Immovable Monument of Local Significance in Ukraine, a title that speaks to its historical weight, graceful architecture, and rich cultural story-its stone façade still cool under the morning sun.You can find it at Freedom Square, 4 - right in the heart of Kharkiv, Ukraine.It’s easy to get here by public transport, with several metro lines pulling in at Freedom Square.The building rises in the middle of Kharkiv’s central square, framed by historic facades, leafy park benches, and stately government offices, drawing locals and visitors alike.The House of Projects stands as a landmark, its walls tracing Kharkiv’s journey through bold Soviet ambitions and shifting architectural styles.It began as a bold showcase of constructivist design and industrial ambition, but after the war left its walls scarred and blackened, it transformed into a striking blend of modernism and Stalinist grandeur.Today, it still anchors Kharkiv’s skyline, a living reminder of the city’s tangled history and rich cultural layers, like brick warmed by decades of sun.
