Kiev Ukraine Palace of Culture

overview

Ukraine Palace of Culture of Kiev city was built in 1967-1970 to the designs of Yevgeniya Marinchenko, Piotr Zhilitsky and Ilya Weiner. The palace is trapezoidal in plan with a huge vestibule along the side containing the main entrance; this side is curved inwards slightly to increase the loading area in front of the entrance.

The building is raised above the level of the square by a podium, and the broad granite staircases, whose outlines follow the flowing curve of the main facade, give it an air of solemnity. The building's main interior space - a huge 3,780-seat auditorium - is in the form of an amphitheatre.

However, as it is almost twice as wide as it is deep, the hall seems appreciably smaller than it actually is, and an effect of overwhelming vastness is avoided. The large vestibule and the foyer are faced in light-coloured marble, with twelve pairs of pillars supporting the ceiling; the uninterrupted use of glass helps to link the interior with the surroundings.

Extensive use is made of natural stone - granite, marble and marmoreal limestone - in facing both the exterior and the interior of the building.