Renovation of Gamma Factory

Gamma factory (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine) was built at the beginning of 1960th, specialized in the production of high-tech electronic products for space, aviation, and nuclear industries. After 1991 the company declared bankruptcy and declined. ФОРМА’s proposal for the mix-used development was based on the idea of creating a cultural, business and retail core of the city.

Zaporizhzhia is the fourth largest industrial center of Ukraine with developed mechanical engineering, metallurgy, chemical, and construction industries. The industrial zone prevails on the territory of the city, only slightly yielding to residential buildings. The historical legacy of the Soviet development is manifested in the scale of urban blocks – their comparative size significantly dominates over global practice. This feature should be taken into account when working with large urban development projects that have the potential to influence the life of the entire block. Gamma factory is also located at the crossroads of the main transport axes – pedestrian and transport arteries.

For Gamma Factory ФОРМА developed a concept based on a reconsideration of the industrial facility into a cultural, business and retail center. The commercial direction in Zaporizhzhia is developing according to two principles: they are located along the axis of the main avenues and as conglomeration in residential multi-storey zones. Gamma could be positioned at the intersection of both principles and that's why it can provide a new impetus for the growth of the office and retail sectors. The project will create a new active retail street that will be an extension of the existing commercial artery.

The first floor of the buildings will be filled with commercial real estate. One of the main disadvantages of the site are the non-functional facades and blocking of the courtyard. Our proposal is based on an idea to cut an axis between buildings – as a result, all internal facades will become working, and the territory of the courtyard will turn into a new city square. The outlets will be located along the inner perimeter of the buildings, taking the form of inversion of the New Gallery in Berlin. This will allow for the consolidation of galleries and increase the area that can potentially be used for commercial spaces. The second floor is occupied with public functions (lection zones, co-workings and other spaces of informal use), which have a connection with the roof park. Above the second floor the office spaces, study centers, public studios, hostel and apartments are planned.

As a part of the project, the idea of creating the Center for Industrial heritage is developed – it will become the first place to accommodate the history and achievements of the industry, which have an undeniable influence on the life of the region.