Zamkova - Drozdov&Partners

The dense historic structure of downtown Lviv leaves few locations for new multifunctional development to create comfortable environment within a walking distance from the city centre. The northern part of the High Castle Mountain is one of the few plots with a potential to meet today’s development needs of the big city.

The key context element informing the development concept is the landscape recreational complex with the High Castle historic park. The plot is located near the northern slope of the High Castle Mountain along Zamkova [Castle] St − part of the Park structure which will eventually generate significant pedestrian traffic, including park visitors. The current development is primarily represented by single- and double-layered mansion-type houses. There are also religious buildings in the vicinity. The Park is a UNESCO-listed object and the new development must comply with the height constraints of 4 to 5 layers and 15 to 18 metres as measured from Zamkova St level. The density of the development is limited as well.

The challenges to be resolved by the project include the plot’s close proximity to the Pidzamche [Below-the-Castle] Station and the railroad, which stretches along the northern border of the plot. Due to its location, the plot suffers from noise pollution which should be taken into account when placing the buildings on the plot.

The plot location along the slopes of the High Castle Mountain and its salient terrain prompt the linear development typology, cascading downwards along the terrain. The design programme and the height constraints suggest quite dense development, enabled by the minimal setbacks of 20 m between the red lines. The 4-to-5 layers development creates functionally differentiated spaces of comfortable scale, from public (the city square) to private (residential yards). There is enough space left between the individual development complexes for natural landscape, an extension of the recreational space of the Park. The linear development provides visual “penetrability” and preserves visual corridors between the slopes of the High Castle Mountain and the streets of the Pidzamche neighbourhood. All the designed buildings open both on to the High Castle Park and the city.

The 22-to-26 m development grid matches the scale of the historic development around the High Castle Mountain. The development scale and density decrease away from Opryshkivska St as the continuous linear typology gives way to individual urban villas 16 by 16 m in size. The number of layers also decreases in the same direction, from the average 5 to 7 towards 3 to 4 layers.

The noise pollution generated by the railroad is reduced by a noise-reduction screen installed along the railroad. No residential development is envisaged in the noise-polluted zone.

The development is located along Zamkova St, part of the High Castle Park structure, envisaged as a pedestrian “park” street, which will eventually generate high pedestrian traffic. Driveways are designed exclusively for the private cars of the new neighbourhood residents, commercial function visitors and special-purpose vehicles. The traffic speed is limited by the curls of sinuous Zamkova St and pedestrian crossings levelled with the pavement.

The major transportation services will be provided by the railroad in Paparivka St, which is to be extended along the whole area and connected to Opryshkivska St next to the crossroads with Zamkova St. Cyclists are provided with a bike lane starting in Opryshkivska St and continuing along the slope.

Entry zones to the houses are equipped with open bike racks; the required bike-parking spaces are also located in the residential and public buildings. By limiting the number of car parking spaces to a bare minimum we preserve the street as a promenade. The required standard number of car parking spaces is provided in closed parking lots located in the stylobate parts of the buildings.

Public activities in Zamkova St are stimulated by a wide range of children’s playgrounds, sports grounds and recreational areas located along the promenade on the Mountain slopes together with public services embedded into the street façades of the new development.

The development along the railway and Zamkova street

Administrative and office buildings on the crossroads of Zamkova St and Opryshkivska St form the urban plaza of the public centre with an adjacent building of an apart-hotel. Farther on, there is residential development with embedded services and offices.

Typical floor plan of a apart-hotel (building A)

Typical floor plan of a residential building (building B)

Typical floor plan of a club-type residential building (building C)