PERCEPTION OF THE PLASTICITY OF FACADES OF KYIV BUILDINGS OF THE LATE XIX AND EARLY XX-TH CENTURIES

Abstract

The article examines the perception of the architectural and decorative plasticity of the building facades of Kyiv at the late 19th and early 20th centuries and r eveals its role in preserving the city's originality. It has been established that for a comfortable perception of facades located on the opposite side of the street, it is necessary that the height of the facades does not exceed the width of the street. Unfortunately, this condition was not met in the Soviet period and continues to be violated in our time. This leads to a distortion of the scale of street development, poor insolation and deterioration of the conditions for the perception of development. The optimal distance for a comfortable perception of the elements of the ground floor of the street (portals, doors, grates of passageways, sculptures) in the perimeter building (depending on the height of the elements and the optimal viewing angle, when the human eye can distinguish all colors and details) has been identified. Unfortunately, often the width of sidewalks does not allow for such an optimal view of facade elements. An important role in the formation of positive emotions from the perception of the buildings of the historical center of Kyiv, as well as in creating a unique image of the city, is played by the architectural and decorative plasticity of the buildings of the late 19th – early 20th centuries, since the human eye, in the process of perceiving the perimeter row of facades, fixes certain "hooks", which are in the upper field of perception elements of the blue line of buildings – sculpture of the ends of buildings, attics, decorative turrets, and in the lower field of perception, on the ground floor line, such elements are portals, sculpture of portals, doors, grates of passages, balconies, decorative fencing. The purpose of the study is to identify the peculiarities of the perception of the architectural and decorative plasticity of the facades of buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Kyiv and to determine its role in preserving the originality of the city. Research methods. In the process of studying the conditions for optimal perception of architectural and decorative plasticity of facades of buildings of the late 19th – early 20th centuries in Kyiv, the following methods were used: Empirical methods: observation of the subject of research; photo fixation, measurements, sketches; method of analogies. Theoretical methods: study of scientific sources of the research topic, analysis and generalization of the information obtained; study and analysis of architectural and construction practice; synthesis and formalization of the scientific information obtained; comparative analysis; analytical calculations in order to identify the distance for optimal perception of facades and their elements; graphic modelling. The main part of the work was carried out by empirical and theoretical methods. Scientific novelty: for the first time, the conditions for optimal perception of individual facades in the perimeter buildings of the street and elements of facades of buildings in the historical centre were analysed, the optimal distance for the perception of facade elements in the lower perception zone was determined, and the role of architectural and decorative plasticity of facades of buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in preserving the originality of the city of Kyiv was revealed. The practical significance of the work lies in the use of the research results in the practice of repair and restoration works. Calculations of optimal distances and angles of perception of facades, portals and other elements of the ground floor can be used in the reconstruction of the historical centre of Kyiv, as well as in substantiating the need to clarify the regulation of the number of storeys of new buildings that are included in the historical development and in the preservation of individual details and elements of facades that are important architectural accents.