Sydney-based architect Jansen Che has been announced as one of three winners of the Norman Foster Foundation Kharkiv Freedom Square Revival Competition. The international design competition aimed to reimagine Freedom Square in Kharkiv, Ukraine, as part of the city’s broader masterplan for reconstruction.
The competition, launched by the Norman Foster Foundation in collaboration with Buildner, the Kharkiv City Council, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and Arup, received over 80 international submissions. Che’s proposal, titled “Memory,” was selected as one of the three equal winners, along with entries from India’s Nischal Ba and Israel’s Daniel Mintz.
Che’s design seeks to revitalize Freedom Square with minimal intervention, retaining the public realm’s expansiveness to accommodate various events and civic functions. A below-ground memorial with an oculus establishes a visual link to the war-damaged Regional Administration Building, incorporating elements from its heritage facade.
“I think this achievement is particularly meaningful to me – not only because of its vital role in the revival of Ukraine, but also because it was chaired by Lord Norman Foster,” said Jansen Che, Architect and Senior Associate at Lippmann. “I think he is one of the greatest architects ever and is someone that I have always looked up to throughout my career. It is a privilege to contribute to such a significant project, and I am excited to see the vision for Kharkiv take shape.”
The winning proposals will inform a forthcoming second-stage competition, open to new entrants and previous participants. Each winner received a share of the €10,000 prize pool.
Image Courtesy: architectureau.com
