With its picturesque silhouettes and distinctive colors, the Comfort Town development creates a strong, recognizable image. Reproduced repeatedly in Western media, it is often unreflectively presented as an interesting example of contemporary Ukrainian architecture. In reality, this gigantic estate is a fenced-off enclave from the city advertised as the most European of Kiev's developments.
gated community
photo by Sasha Stavnichuk
The estate was designed by Ukrainian bureau Archimatika, and was supposed to combine human, urban and economic dimensions. However, the latter aspect seems to have overshadowed all other efforts. The distinctive image, which is based on detached context, is also symbolic in its functional dimension. Built on a brownfield site, Comfort Town consists of 7,000 apartments, with thousands more yet to be built. Soon after the first residents moved into the apartment blocks in 2010, the entire area was fenced off, creating a gated community. Not only was a fence built, reducing the possibility of contact and interaction between Comfort Town residents and outsiders, but also a 24-hour security guard was hired, financed by the residents' voluntary monthly fee.
Little Europe across the big border
photo by Sasha Stavnichuk
Kiev's largest new residential complex thus wants to be an island of prosperity in a sea of decay, but also an island of good management and functionality in an archipelago of indifference. The fence keeps "Your Little Europe inside Kiev's megalopolis" away from the problems of the outside world. Comfort Town on the surroundings is not only purely visual. The estate has its own stores, cafes and parking lots, but the high prices of on-site private schools mean that many of its younger residents take advantage of the infrastructure that exists in older neighborhoods. Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, on the other hand, cannot use the private infrastructure in Comfort Town
island of civilization
photo by Sasha Stavnichuk
The developer, hand in hand with the architects, is also trying to create an image of the project's Europeanness by, among other things, describing it as a low-rise, extensive housing development. Looking at the scale of the development, however, it is difficult to agree with such a designation, given that the estate consists of densely packed buildings ranging from 5 to 16 stories in height. The surrounding Soviet micro-townhouses are generally much more spacious. Residents themselves often describe Comfort Town as the antithesis of their surroundings, upholding the image of an island of civilization - well-managed, clean and aesthetically pleasing.
Photo by Sasha Stavnichuk
Along with other examples from Kiev, Warsaw, Brno and Bucharest, the Comfort Town project will be featured in the exhibition "Polyperiphery. Spaces of Negotiation." The exhibition, organized by the National Institute of Architecture and Urbanism, will have its premiere at the CANactions festival in Kiev.
A Warsaw installment of the exhibition is planned for October.
photo by Sasha Stavnichuk
