Like many Kharkiv architects, Oleksandr Kolesnykov is a graduate of the Kharkiv National University of Construction and Architecture. His professional work covers three main areas. The first includes project design and construction and focuses on urbanism, architecture, interiors, object design, graphics and texts. In late 1980s, Kolesnykov worked in the State Institute for University Building Design, participated in the design of universities in Rivne, Simpheropol, and Zaporizhzhya and the Sumy Agrarian Institute, the Krasnodar Higher Military Institute, the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute and other institutes. In August 2002, Kolesnykov became a founder and Chief Architect of JSC Nice-Project. This architectural office designed projects for the East-West residential development, Sumsky Market, town-houses and office centres, Kharkiv.
Another area of Kolesnykov’s professional interests includes international competitions. At first, Kolesnykov took part in competitions individually or together with his friends; lately he has also started to invite his students. Regular participation in competition design enables an architect to work with various landscapes, climates, cultures and relevant and well-prepared briefs and ToRs. Victories add to the portfolio and contextualize architectural work in the international trends. About 30 projects by Kolesnykov have won prizes (from Grand Prix to Honourable Mention) from the international associations Habitat and Oistat, and also are recognized in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia, USSR, Ukraine and Japan. During the last three years, his victories include the Theatre Space, Taiwan (Oistat competition), a conference hall, Pisa, Italy (just 18 m from the Tower of Pisa), and a school restoration project for the 24 Hours international competition. During the same period, Kolesnykov completed several more competition projects, which remain equally interesting, even if not included in the number of prize-winners.
Kolesnykov’s third area of interest includes academic work. For five years, while continuing his project work, Kolesnykov has worked as a lecturer in the Kharkiv Technical University of Construction and Architecture and for another year – in the KhSA. Kolesnykov believes that independent Ukrainian architecture can be created only through comprehending and processing international experience. Cultures, methods, landscapes, materials, project topics, goal setting and implementation, attitude towards the void, responsibility, patterns, and adjacent arts: all this range should be available for Ukrainian students. This will provide them with material to create Ukrainian architecture.
e-mail: [email protected]