Kyiv studio FORMA has revived Pavilion 13: a 1967 Soviet-era coal-mining exposition hall into a vibrant contemporary art space dubbed the Pavilion of Culture. Led by Iryna Miroshnykova and Oleksii Petrov, the renovation restored the building’s late-modernist character by stripping away layers of past interventions, sealing the facade, replacing windows, and upgrading infrastructure. The layout retains iconic features like the steel-framed glazing, exposed columns, and a spiraling subterranean walkway descending to a coal mine model.

The reopening in June premiered Шубін (SHUBIN), a commissioned installation by Sam Lewitt exploring coal mining memory and the politics of extraction through film, neon signage, and reconstructed display pieces. A parallel Shubin Talks series of screenings and discussions rounded out the launch, positioning Pavilion 13 not only as preserved architecture but as a resilient public forum for cultural discourse in Ukraine.

Image Credit: Vitallii Halanzha