The new campus in Irpin, west of Kyiv, is intended to act as a hub for research and regeneration following wartime destruction
Stantec has been named the winner of an international architectural competition to redesign the State Tax University in Irpin, Ukraine, after the partial destruction of its campus during the early stages of Russia’s invasion.
Located approximately 20 kilometres from Kyiv, the State Tax University specialises in training students in public finance, law and accounting.
The competition was organised by the US-based nonprofit Center for Innovation, in partnership with the university itself, Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance, and Dobrobat, a Ukrainian volunteer construction organisation that supports the reconstruction of housing and social infrastructure.
A total of 49 entries from 18 countries were submitted, with the jury composed of Ukrainian, European and American architects. The competition brief sought submissions that addressed a broad range of goals, including sustainability, equity and accessibility.
Stantec’s proposal is intended to reflect the identity of Irpin, nicknamed the “City of Parks”, and aims to combine educational, ecological and civic functions within a new campus framework. The scheme is described as inclusive and adaptive, applying a “Design for All” ethos in response to the university’s stated ambitions of becoming an international research institution.
The design retains the footprint of the destroyed main building and reinterprets it as a central civic and academic space. The proposed structure is envisaged as an open and permeable environment, with shared areas intended to promote collaboration and exchange.
Commenting on the outcome, jury chair Wendy Hillis said: “The jury unanimously agreed that this submission presented a strong engagement with the city of Irpin and the forest nearby. We liked the openness of the plan and the way the proposed buildings draw people into the site while also offering transparency of common areas.”
Stantec design director Dathe Wong said: “It is a privilege to contribute to a project that will heal, inspire, and imagine a brighter future through the power of education, community, and design.”
Dymtro Serebrianskyi, acting rector of the university, added: “Designing an architecturally significant and sustainable building will inspire students and faculty and continue to support Ukraine.”
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