I recently had the chance to step inside 8 Bazhanova Street — a rare example proving that, with vision and the right resources, even the most derelict historic buildings can be brought back to life.
This was once the income house of pharmacist Lazar Rozenfeld, one of two identical buildings commissioned by him on what was then Chornoglazivska Street (numbers 8 and 6). Designed by M. Kolodiazhny and brought to life by architect M. Roytenberg in 1913, the building had a long and troubled history.
It was vacated around the 1980s, and by the early 2000s, all attempts to restore it had failed. The roof was gone, many floors had collapsed, and sculptures on the façade began to crumble. Year after year, the news warned that it was “scheduled for demolition next year.”
And yet — Alter Development gave it a second life. Restoration is now in full swing, with completion expected by summer.
Here’s what truly impressed me:
• The building’s height will remain true to the original, following the ridge of the old roof.
• The courtyard side will feature a flatter roof, allowing for a small public space with panoramic city views.
• Windows will have historically accurate mullions — a rare choice in a city where “full-glass” facades have become the norm.
• Sculptures have been meticulously restored by Oleksandr Ridnyi, who reassembled them from fragments and cast replacements for missing pieces.
• Original Mettlach tiles on the first floor will be preserved.
• Surviving granite staircases will be reused.
• Authentic pre-revolutionary bricks were incorporated into the restoration.
• The structure now rests on a steel frame, but its original contours — including those in the courtyard — have been preserved.
• The four-story utility building in the courtyard, modified many times over the last century, is now part of the office complex.
• Office use will prevent the unsightly enclosure of balconies.
• The courtyard will remain free of parked cars and will also serve as a public space, replacing a clutter of fences, garages, and illegal structures.
• The façade will feature elegant architectural lighting in a warm pastel tone — somewhere between light grey and beige.
Projects like this give hope — proof that the city is not lost, and that with care and vision, it can slowly but surely change for the better.
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