The Serpent House
Kyiv, Ukraine
Location
1800
m
2
Area
Heritage Interior
Type
Date
A Kyiv Art Nouveau icon revived through a heritage restomod that merges history with modern design
A Kyiv Art Nouveau icon revived through a heritage restomod that merges history with modern design
The Serpent House returns with a restomod approach that protects its Art Nouveau soul while reshaping the way we experience it today. We preserved the sculptural language of the building — the serpents, the floral lines, the layered textures of time — and reinterpreted the interiors through elemental storytelling.
The Serpent House returns with a restomod approach that protects its Art Nouveau soul while reshaping the way we experience it today. We preserved the sculptural language of the building — the serpents, the floral lines, the layered textures of time — and reinterpreted the interiors through elemental storytelling.
Kyiv, Ukraine
Kyiv,
Ukraine
Challenge
How to preserve a historic identity without freezing it in time. The Serpent House required a careful balance between protection and transformation.
How to preserve a historic identity without freezing it in time. The Serpent House required a careful balance between protection and transformation.
The
The
Project
Project
Challenge
Challenge
Defines Outcomes
Defines Outcomes
Each floor channels the character of Earth, Water, or Air, creating a natural flow between spaces and eras.
Each floor channels the character of Earth, Water, or Air, creating a natural flow between spaces and eras.
At the center stands a mirrored, interactive reception cube that reflects both the architecture and the people inside it, grounding the idea that heritage is alive only when it resonates with those who inhabit it. This project bridges past and future, giving a Kyiv landmark the clarity, meaning, and presence it deserves now.
At the center stands a mirrored, interactive reception cube that reflects both the architecture and the people inside it, grounding the idea that heritage is alive only when it resonates with those who inhabit it. This project bridges past and future, giving a Kyiv landmark the clarity, meaning, and presence it deserves now.
Art Nouveau was an architectural movement whose followers did not aim to borrow from the past — they wanted to create something radically new.
Art Nouveau was an architectural movement whose followers did not aim to borrow from the past — they wanted to create something radically new.
We preserve the character of this architectural heritage while introducing elements that reflect today’s world. This balance between what was and what is defines the new identity of the space.
We preserve the character of this architectural heritage while introducing elements that reflect today’s world. This balance between what was and what is defines the new identity of the space.
Discuss Your Project
Humanity as the pinnacle of creation” was a defining idea of the era - and it shaped the original vision of this building. Decades later, we preserve this concept and give it new clarity. The mirrored cube at the entrance reinforces it: a reflective sculpture that captures the architecture and the people around it, reminding us that heritage lives through those who encounter it.
Humanity as the pinnacle of creation” was a defining idea of the era - and it shaped the original vision of this building. Decades later, we preserve this concept and give it new clarity. The mirrored cube at the entrance reinforces it: a reflective sculpture that captures the architecture and the people around it, reminding us that heritage lives through those who encounter it.
The structure is not only symbolic — it also serves a clear functional purpose. From the entrance side, it operates as a reception desk; behind it, a small information zone with media panels and story boards allows visitors to explore the building’s history and its restoration. From the outside, the cube appears as a seamless mirror, while inside its walls “disappear,” revealing a transparent view of the architectural details around it. This duality transforms the cube into a gateway between past and present, function and perception.
The building reveals seven distinct types of interior finishes, defined by variations in wall treatments, friezes, and ceiling panels. All stucco ornamentation has been restored to its original condition, allowing its refined details to become the defining accents of the interiors.
The building reveals seven distinct types of interior finishes, defined by variations in wall treatments, friezes, and ceiling panels. All stucco ornamentation has been restored to its original condition, allowing its refined details to become the defining accents of the interiors.
No ceiling is the same. Each room tells its own story — through the plaster, the frieze, the panel above your head. We restored every one of them as a distinct piece, so that walking from room to room feels like turning the pages of the same book, written in seven different hands.
No ceiling is the same. Each room tells its own story — through the plaster, the frieze, the panel above your head. We restored every one of them as a distinct piece, so that walking from room to room feels like turning the pages of the same book, written in seven different hands.
Result
A living heritage space where past and present coexist. The restored details and reimagined interiors create a new way of experiencing Art Nouveau today.
A living heritage space where past and present coexist. The restored details and reimagined interiors create a new way of experiencing Art Nouveau today.
The
Project
Project
Result
Result
Reflects Impact
Reflects Impact
Project Team
Volodymyr Fil
Lead Visualizer
Valeria Boyko
Chief Architect
Mykyta Ryazhko
Chief Designer
Vladyslav Matsyura
Supply Manager
Sviatoslav Maksiuk
Architect
