Hotel & Shopping Mall "Passage"

The general idea of the project: to continue and complete its architectural composition of the hotel Passage in the way how Vlodek would do it himself using his own ideas and the stylistic ways. The project includes building reconstruction with internal replanning and erection of a mansard floor with an angular tower to replace a lost one. Building of an underground parking is also planned for service of a trading-hotel complex. The special attention is given to details and their historical value. For example, the roof material is chosen similar to a material applied by Vlodek – zinc roofing sheets of gray-brown scale. This method creates historical conformity and its scale approaches and combines with facade color scale and a shade of the main eaves in a better way. Hidden floor method has been also used. It is necessary to say about this tower. The tower corresponds to historical justice and bears a new functional purpose at the same time being a main crowning element. The tower architecture is executed in the best traditions of baroque style and it is initially a native element which bears some important functions: first function (lost in fire unfortunately) is the Vlodek’s main sketch belonging to the building corner and his absence leads to deprivation of the facade integrity. The second, there are hall restaurant and observation area inside where anyone can enjoy with year-round panorama of the city center. Now Inhabitants of Odessa and tourists may admire with this now-accessible public view. This observation point represents itself as an original historical museum of the city where the main exhibition role belongs to the city. You may see the Main cathedral and the Cathedral square, Gaevskiy’s drugstore, Deribasovskaya Street, the City Garden and even the Port in a new angle.
 
HISTORY OF CREATION:
“Passage” was under construction only two years 1898 – 1900, and it is quite an unbelievable fact. The main founder of this outstanding historical-and-architectural ensemble is a brilliant architect known as Lev Lvovich Vlodek without any doubt. It is necessary to say about such sculptors as Fishel and Milman that their joint experience with architect Vlodek has developed and realized into famous building project known as «Bolshaya Moskovskaya» hotel. The building experienced a fire during its second year of existing. As a result the fire damaged an internal part of the building and its facade in Preobrazhenskaya Street, but thanks to selfless Odessa firemen the fire was damped down and the architecture monument with nearby constructions were rescued. The angular tower with sculptural groups in Preobrazhenskaya Street and some details of the facade were lost in the fire.
 
VLODEK (AN ARCHITECT):
Vlodek was born in 1842 in Zhitomir, Odessa and worked since 1864. He is the first successful person who started to introduce reinforced concrete constructions in design of habitable houses and public buildings (“Passage” and “Bolshaya Moskovskaya” hotel foundations). It is necessary to point out some most significant objects which are made from his projects and his personal participation. Imebr’s house — at the corner of Preobrazhenskaya Street and Elizabeth’s house of Rosenblat — at the corner of Preobrazhenskaya Street and Pochtovaya Street, Duryan’s house — at the corner of Preobrazhenskaya Street and Xersonskaya Street, Ptashnikov’s mansion — at the corner of Kanatnaya Street, Velikanov’s — at the corner of Polskaya Street and Polskij descent, Rauchwerger’s — in Pushkinskaya Street, rooming house in Novoselskaya Street, Mendelevich’s mansion — in Marazlievskaya Street, famous Falz-Feins’ mansion and rooming house in Gogolya Street (“The House with Atlants” which has become an emblem of the World club of Odessa inhabitants), “Passage” (1898-1899), Sanzenbacher’s circus, the rooming house of Kryzhanovskij ? Auderskij in the Marazlievskaya Street, Trade Shipping College in Kanatnaya Street, Prison facility and so on. He is truly skillful inventive and productive master!
 
HOTEL PASSAGE ARCHITECTURE:
Hotel Passage architecture is eclectic with prevalence of “French baroque» elements. However, one can clearly see an abrupt turn of the architect from eclecticism to modernist style in its image. It is enough to pay attention to the building entrance in order to catch the feeling of unusual eclectic motives in free poses of framing figures, pleated attires and bent stalks of roses. «Bolshaya Moskovskaya» was built a bit later during its peak of development style. This hotel brings amusement with bursting imagination, decor variety and feeling of living creature with pulsating walls. The new Renaissance and upcoming of cardinal culture’n’logical changes — here it is the mood of the modernist style expressed in stylized forms. Wealth of decorative forms – pilasters, consoles, eaves and drafts, carved filling windows and doorways – create anxious game of light and shade. Bay windows became huge architectural accents of a symmetric composition of the main facade in the fourth and eighth window axes. The building marks out with monumental height and forms being at the same time a residential part of one central quarter of the city and successfully fit in architectural shape of the quarter. Authors: GAP Povstanyuk M.G. The leading architect of the project Povstanyuk M.M.