Kharkiv’s Path to Renewal: A Tale of Heritage and Housing Competitions
As Kharkiv looks to the future with determination and vision, two international design competitions have illuminated new possibilities for the city's recovery and transformation. Under the aegis of UNECE, guided by the Norman Foster Foundation in collaboration with the Kharkiv City Council, Arup, and Buildner, and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ, these competitions were more than architectural exercises, they were acts of collective imagination and commitment to Kharkiv’s rebirth.
The recently published final reports of the Heritage and Housing Competitions offer not only design proposals but also a window into the hope, resilience, and creative spirit shaping Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Reclaiming the Heart of the City: The Heritage Competition
Launched as part of the Kharkiv Concept Masterplan, the Heritage Competition focused on Freedom Square and the Regional Administration Building, two spaces that embody the city’s past and future. Freedom Square, once a Soviet-era ceremonial space, and the damaged yet iconic Regional Administration Building were reimagined as open, inclusive, and resilient civic landmarks.
Over 80 submissions from around the world were received in response to the challenge. Following a thorough roundtable discussion, the Jury concluded that no single entry fully met the criteria to stand out as a sole winner. Instead, three standout proposals emerged as equally compelling. In recognition of their merit, the Jury awarded three projects jointly, naming them as the official prize winners.
Each brought a unique perspective, blending heritage preservation with contemporary urban life. Their projects collectively redefined how memory and modernity can coexist in public spaces.
Restoring Homes and Hope: The Housing Competition
If the Heritage Competition spoke to Kharkiv’s civic soul, the Housing Competition addressed its most immediate human need: restoring safe, livable homes for its citizens. North Saltivka, the most populous and heavily damaged neighborhood in the city, became the focus of this challenge.
The brief called for modular and scalable design systems that could retrofit Soviet-era concrete panel housing blocks, rebuild those that were lost, and revitalize the surrounding public space. The response was overwhelming, 259 submissions from 232 international and 27 national participants, all eager to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery.
The winning entry came titled “Healing Kahrkiv: from Rubble to Renewal” was designed by Cundall Company, Andrew James Jackson from the United Kingdom. The concept stood out for its humane approach, retaining elements of the original structures while introducing new, energy-efficient modules and shared public areas. The design offered not only physical reconstruction but also social cohesion and resilience.
““This project moves beyond the material reconstruction of a conflict-torn city. It puts at its heart questions of belonging, identity, healing and social cohesion. These aspects have been reflected in the design of the welcoming public space, and the emphasis on repair of damaged buildings, rather than erasure and demolition.””
The second prize was awarded to Zigeng Wang from China, and the third went to a group of students from Yıldız Technical University in Turkey. Honorable mentions were granted to entries from the United States, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, and the United Kingdom, showcasing innovative strategies that combined housing renewal with thoughtful urban integration.
A Blueprint for Recovery
Both competitions mark a turning point in Kharkiv’s post-conflict reconstruction. They underscore a new model for urban development, one that is participatory, international in scope, but deeply grounded in local identity and need.
The winning projects are not meant to sit in archives. They will serve as starting points for detailed planning and implementation in collaboration with local authorities, architects, and residents. The process itself has already fostered new connections between Ukrainian experts and international institutions, building capacity for what will be a long, complex, but hopeful journey of rebuilding.
As part of Phase II of the UN4UkrainianCities initiative, the winning concept from the Housing Competition will now be further developed into a detailed technical proposal. This next phase aims to transform the design into a practical and implementable solution that can later be used by the Kharkiv City Council. The process is expected to take approximately one year, with the final product anticipated to be delivered to the city in 2026.