Page 83 - AIT0123_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design balbek bureau, UA-Kiew
Bauherr • Client Syndicate, UA-Kiew
Standort • Location UA-Kiew
Nutzfläche • Floor space 97 m 2
Fotos • Photos Maryan Beresh & Yevhenii Avramenko
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 134

SYNDICATE STORE

IN KIEW

The fashion of the Ukrainian Syndicate Original street-
wear label is casual, comfortable, simple – and is a defi-
nite success. Such a success that the concept store in the
heart of Kyiv had to be extended last year. The design
concept, however, remained the same: The goal was to
preserve the old building stock whose beauty lies not in
superficial flawlessness but in imperfect surfaces.

W hen it comes to comfortable clothing, the Syndicate Original
label has the full range on offer: T-shirts, hoodies, baggy
pants, shorts, base caps and hats. Blouses, coats and underwear are
also part of it. Even regarding the accessories, there is no lack of
(wear-)comfort: The Trainer Puffer Bag, to name just one as an exam-
ple, reminds of a rolled-up down duvet and could easily also pass as
a comfortable neck roll. The fashion label has been founded in Kyiv
in 2010. Eight years later and in the heart of the capital – in a historic
corner building from the late 19th century – the first concept store was
established. Last year, the retail space has been extended. Once
again, the local Balbek office of architecture and interior architecture
was commissioned to supply the design. Its portfolio includes projects
from the sector of gastronomy, offices, hotels and wellness but, bey-
ond this, currently also includes the RE:Ukraine social architectural
project in whose context emergency shelters for war refugees are de-
signed in modular construction. As concerns the design of the store in
Kyiv, it is inspired by simple look of the streetwear fashion but also
takes up the stock of the historic fabric. This is due to the fact that, in
the first conversion phase in 2018, during the demolition works unex-
pected treasures turned up that were spontaneously integrated in the
design concept: on the one hand, old and definitely decorative wood
structures that – as used to be customary – had been hiding underne-
ath the plaster of the ceilings and the walls. They were uncovered and
cleaned. On the other hand, there were ochre-coloured tiles which the
interior architects discovered when the parquet was removed. As
much as it was possible, these as well were preserved. Some spots on
the floor, however, had to be filled up with screed. The walls were pa-
nelled with plasterboard to make them straight. Together with the
new frameless glazing, these are now an attractive contrast to the hi-
storic building elements. The fitting room of glass bricks in the exten-
ded section of the store adds a modern accent. And what is old and
Grundriss • Floor plan what is new thus equally finds its place between hip fashion items.

AIT 1/2.2023 • 083