The site is located in the city of Malyn, the heart of Zhytomyr Polissia, which rises above the
Irsha River. Soborna Square can definitely be called the public and administrative centre of the
city, as it is home to various administrative, cultural and religious buildings, and is actively used
by the community as a place for community meetings, various public events, etc.
The square has a typical Soviet modernistic layout: a large elongated space with a lot of paving
and steps, surrounded by wide streets and not much landscaping. This layout and the current
technical condition of the square are less and less attractive to visitors, and the excessive car
traffic is leading to a daily loss of its value as a public place. Taking all these factors together,
the square has recently failed to fulfill its functions as a public space and is further degrading
Given the above, our main goal is to ensure the human scale of the square, reduce large
unused areas that negatively affect social activity and significantly reduce the impact of vehicles
on public space. By changing the functional designation of the surrounding streets and
reorganising traffic, we made it possible to increase the boundaries of the pedestrian area and
create a more coherent space with a convenient logic of movement, while the installation of
bicycle infrastructure and prioritisation of public transport will help diversify mobility in the area.
The functional division of the square itself is based on the principle of social dimension and
universality.
Therefore, the main part of the square has the following functional areas: a space for public
events, concerts, open exhibitions and fairs; a recreation area with a pedestrian fountain and a
multifunctional pergola, which should become a new recreation point for community residents,
where they can drink a cup of coffee or read a book while enjoying the fresh air; a space for
children, which combines a modern playground and a place for open artistic activities.
When creating the new square, we did not forget to increase the eco-friendly nature of the
space. As cities become busier, access to green public spaces will become even more
important. In addition, trees, plants and various plantings are strategic for urban drainage and
biodiversity. This creates a so-called green buffer in the form of a pocket square.
