Free stage beneath elm seeds

Bakhmut , 2017
Type: Urban intervention
Stage: realized
Authors: Roman Sakh Kostiantyn Kuchabsky, Vita Bazan, Anastasiia Parafeniuk

The first acquaintance with the city puzzled us. It turned out to be very well maintained, with a good infrastructure, so we could not understand for a long time what we can do to not damage, but to add something new to the city. By the end of the study, the decision seemed rather trivial, but it's clear - the street scene. We were told by chance for a place for her, so we took the place very skeptically until we saw it with our own eyes. This is an unusual oasis next to the bus station - an important transport hub, in the amusement park, and at the same time in a very chamber and secluded corner. We were immersed in the soul of a local pedestal - a symbol of the former Soviet era. Actually, the architecture of this pedestal was inspired by such a spatial composition. We did not want to design a scene that would have a narrow functional. In contrast, they wanted space to be used for various purposes and in an unusual format. Having literally lived on a location for three days, meeting west and east, seeing how people interact with space, we discovered a number of scenarios that began to play directly on the spot. We have imagined how this space will work for a pair of lovers who are staring at the yore as they can meet the sun by meditating, how comfortably there can be 5, 10, 30, and several hundred people in this space, as we can get additional visual effects, using existing greenery, relief and lighting. This forecasting and designing in the imagination showed all the required volumes, their dimensions. All wood we processed from the considerations of lengthening the term of operation, but burned wood had for us also a metaphysical dimension. It is striking, as a material under the influence of a destructive, it would seem, the strength of the tempered, becomes much more durable and gets a special beauty .. We started the first events in a still unfinished space, carefully monitoring the interaction of people and then, in the morning, making corrections based on these observations. So there were new usage scenarios, or we removed the possible obstacles, and the next day saw how the ideas appear and new ones appear. We invite you to Bakhmut to feel it all personally!)