House of Projects

An all-Union competition for the best design was launched to select the optimal building design. On 5 February 1930, architects Sergey Serafimov and Maria Zandberg won the competition with their project "To Catch Up and Overtake".{{Cite web |date=26 December 2017 |title= |script-title=uk:Історія будівлі Головного корпусу Харківського національного університету імені В. Н. Каразіна (на матеріалах Музею історії) |trans-title=History of the Main Building of KN Karazin Kharkiv National University (based on materials from the Museum of History) |url=https://old.karazin.ua/images/redactor/news/2017-12-26/korpus_univer.pdf |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=VN Karazin Kharkiv National University |language=uk}} The Vesnin brothers came in second place, and Kharkiv architects {{Ill|Hryhoriy Yanovytsky|uk|Яновицький Григорій Олександрович}} and M. L. Mordvynov came in third. All three winning projects evisaged a skyscraper in the constructivist style.{{Cite web |title= |script-title=ru:Площадь им. Дзержинского, ГОСПРОМ и харьковский конструктивизм |trans-title=Dzerzhinsky Square, DERZHPROM and Kharkiv constructivism |url=http://www.kharkov.ua/culture/2b.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129213053/http://www.kharkov.ua/culture/2b.html |archive-date=29 November 2009 |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=Kharkov.ua |language=ru}}{{Cite web |last=Andrieiev |first=Tymur |title= |script-title=uk:Спадщина Харківського національного університету імені В. Н. Каразіна у фондах ЦДНТА України |trans-title=Heritage of KN Karazin Kharkiv National University in the funds of the CSSNA of Ukraine |url=https://cdnta.archives.gov.ua/karazinuniversityheritage-cdnta-ua/ |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=Central State Scientific and Technical Archives of Ukraine |language=uk}}

The construction began in 1930. The House of Projects was built, like Derzhprom, from monolithic reinforced concrete, but with wooden floors to save money on the construction. The 14-story building was completed in 1932.{{Cite web |last=Nedilko |first=Kseniia |date=9 September 2023 |title= |script-title=uk:Одна з окрас Харкова відзначила свій ювілей – деталі |trans-title=One of the landmarks of Kharkiv celebrated its anniversary – details |url=https://kharkov.comments.ua/ua/news/society/developments/25252-u-harkivskomu-metropoliteni-sogodni-diyut-zmini.html |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=Comments.ua Kharkiv |language=uk}} Like all Kharkiv skyscrapers, the building had a constructivist architectural style. From its completion to 1954, the House of Projects was the tallest building in Ukraine, with an original height of 68.5 m before reconstruction.

File:Дім_Проектів_(ескіз).PNG

Originally, the House of Projects was built to house design and construction institutions of the Ukrainian SSR, hence its name.{{Cite web |last=Shvydenko |first=Olha |title= |script-title=uk:Найкраща будівля Сергія Серафімова |trans-title=The best building of Sergey Serafimov |url=https://constructivism-kharkiv.com/obiekty/54-09-45-budinok-proektnih-organizatsiy |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=Constructivism Kharkiv |language=uk}}

During World War II, the building was burned down, and the southern wing was destroyed. While it generally survived the war, the building remained closed for 20 years.{{Cite web |date=26 March 2015 |title= |script-title=ru:В корпусе Национального университета в Харькове была… ракетная шахта (ФОТО) |trans-title=In the building of the National University in Kharkiv was... a rocket mine (PHOTO) |url=https://redpost.com.ua/themes/1160187-v-korpuse-natsionalnogo-universiteta-v-harkove-byila-raketnaya-shahta-foto |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=Redpost |language=ru}} In 1961, it was completely reconstructed according to the design of architects Volodymyr Kostenko and Viktor Lifshyts, and engineers O. Ivanchenko and V. Dudnik.

A project was also presented for the reconstruction of the skyscraper, which included a building in the style of the Seven Sisters in Moscow. Due to the reconstruction, the building changed greatly and lost its original constructivist style and three-dimensional plasticity.

Since 1957–1963, the House of Projects serves as the main building of the Kharkiv National University.{{Cite web |date=23 December 2020 |title= |script-title=uk:Головний корпус |trans-title=Main building |url=https://karazin.ua/news/1804176/ |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=VN Karazin Kharkiv National University |language=uk}} In 2022, it suffered minor damage due to bombing of Kharkiv during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{Cite web |last=Weichert |first=Stefan |date=3 June 2022 |title=Professors at Bombed Kharkiv University Struggle to Continue Their Work |url=https://www.the-scientist.com/professors-at-bombed-kharkiv-university-struggle-to-continue-their-work-70093 |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=The Scientist}}

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Many architects{{Who|date=May 2025}} believe that Sergey Serafimov succeeded in designing this building much better compared to the completely stripped-down, somewhat brutal forms of Derzhprom.

The House of Projects was more finely worked out in detail. The forms were built on the contrast of the central high-rise dominant, emphasized by vertical glazing slots, and the spatial wings, in which horizontal divisions prevail. The contrast of blank and glazed surfaces, the completion of the central body in the form of a flat "wide" slab, vertical and horizontal through-lights, penetrating rays of the sun on the façade oriented to the north where the side parts adjoin the central one was the appearance of the House of Projects before the war.{{Cite journal |last=Buryak |first=Alexandr |last2=Kriezer |first2=Irina |year=2006 |title= |script-title=ru:Стилевая атрибуция ансамбля площади Дзержинского (ныне площадь свободы) в Харькове |trans-title=Style attribution of the Dzerzhinsky Square ensemble (now Freedom Square) in Kharkiv |url=https://www.icomos.org/public/risk/2007/pdf/Soviet_Heritage_21_III-7_Buryak-Kraizer.pdf |journal=Heritage at Risk |language=ru |publisher=ICOMOS |issue=3}} The building has changed its appearance so significantly after the reconstruction that its original appearance is hardly recognizable.

File:3nr8en-vav.jpg|The House of Projects in the 1930s

File:Kharkov dom Proyektov.jpg

File:Charków - gmach uniwersytetu (1985).jpg|In 1985 after the reconstruction

File:Kharkiv Svobody 04 2010 - 02.jpg|In 2010

File:Kharkiv Svobody 04 2021 - 01.jpg|In 2021

File:Kharkov University.jpg|In 2008, view from the Lopan River

File:USSRcoverKharkovUniversity.jpg|Soviet postage stamp featuring the maing building of the Kharkiv National University

• VN Karazin Kharkiv National University
• Derzhprom
• {{Ill|House of Cooperation|uk|Дім Кооперації}}

• [http://www.kharkov.ua/culture/2b.html Архітектура Харкова: держпром] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129213053/http://www.kharkov.ua/culture/2b.html|date=29 листопада 2009}}
• [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=22711 Дім Проєктів на Skyscraperpage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090330175831/http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=22711|date=30 березня 2009}}

Category:National University of Kharkiv

Category:Buildings and structures in Kharkiv

Category:1933 establishments in the Soviet Union

Category:Stalinist architecture