CENTER OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES
The Administrative Services Centre was intended to serve as a showcase for the local community and a tangible example of decentralisation reform. The main idea was to overcome outdated stereotypes of hierarchical ‘state-citizen’ relations and to establish a new service-oriented approach, where public services are accessible, transparent, efficient and respectful towards every person who seeks them. Our Administrative Services Centre in Nova Kakhovka was also intended to serve as a venue for the dignified provision of services to Ukrainians in the area closest to occupied Crimea
Given that the site is surrounded by numerous buildings of various styles, we decided to keep the architecture as simple and minimalist as possible, thereby unifying the square’s ensemble. The building’s design is intended to emphasise the open and accessible nature of the relationship between citizens and the state
The layout provides a large communal space for visitors, housing: a reception, waiting areas with spaces for parents and children, an open-plan café, a marriage registration area, and a ‘front office’ – a space where people have direct contact with staff. A separate block houses the ‘back office’, toilets, staff rooms, the archive and technical rooms. Given the local arid climate, all transparent façades are situated under a wide canopy, which provides shade and comfort inside without restricting natural light
We have spanned the space, with its five-metre-high ceilings, using metal trusses, resulting in just a single column inside. Optimal energy-efficiency solutions have also been implemented. The heat source is a heat pump, and heating is provided by infrared ceiling climate panels
The project won the Grand Prix for architectural achievement at the 2021 All-Ukrainian review and competition ‘National Union of Architects of Ukraine Award’ and was nominated for the European Union’s leading architectural prize – the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Awards – in 2023
