Chernobyl Visitors Center
Site Briefing:
For almost 25 years, the city of Pripyat, located just 2km from the site of the most catastrophic nuclear accident in human history at Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine, has laid dormant. Shortly after the explosion, the city's 50,000 inhabitants were evacuated overnight leaving many personal belongings behind as a snapshot of Soviet culture in the 1980's. A more recent surge of wildlife led by animals and vegetation who have reclaimed the land and invaded the crumbling architecture has prompted UN intervention and the creation of a designated Wildlife Reserve in the region. Pripyat stands as a beautifully haunting example of how dangerous technology can be when used irresponsibly. It also provides an interesting example of what the planet might look like once we are gone.
For almost 25 years, the city of Pripyat, located just 2km from the site of the most catastrophic nuclear accident in human history at Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine, has laid dormant. Shortly after the explosion, the city's 50,000 inhabitants were evacuated overnight leaving many personal belongings behind as a snapshot of Soviet culture in the 1980's. A more recent surge of wildlife led by animals and vegetation who have reclaimed the land and invaded the crumbling architecture has prompted UN intervention and the creation of a designated Wildlife Reserve in the region. Pripyat stands as a beautifully haunting example of how dangerous technology can be when used irresponsibly. It also provides an interesting example of what the planet might look like once we are gone.
Building Description:
The site still contains abnormally high levels of radioactive material in the atmosphere, so the architecture must serve as a sealed barrier between the city and the visitor while still allowing an intimate experience. The building snakes through the dense city intersecting with the major social and cultural centers to provide intimate views of the decaying architecture being slowly swallowed by the advancing wildlife. The project focuses on the thinness of the building as traditional restaurant and hotel programs are stretched and reconfigured to maximize the view. The majority of the building sits on the site lightly and is suspended in the air to prevent any interference with the resurgence of nature in the city. Formally, the architecture acts as an unobtrusive frame for the surrounding Soviet blocks in order to encourage an outward focus.
The site still contains abnormally high levels of radioactive material in the atmosphere, so the architecture must serve as a sealed barrier between the city and the visitor while still allowing an intimate experience. The building snakes through the dense city intersecting with the major social and cultural centers to provide intimate views of the decaying architecture being slowly swallowed by the advancing wildlife. The project focuses on the thinness of the building as traditional restaurant and hotel programs are stretched and reconfigured to maximize the view. The majority of the building sits on the site lightly and is suspended in the air to prevent any interference with the resurgence of nature in the city. Formally, the architecture acts as an unobtrusive frame for the surrounding Soviet blocks in order to encourage an outward focus.