At the Milan Triennale, the Irpin Reconstruction Summit team presented the unification of Italian stakeholders around the reconstruction of Irpin, showcasing “City Reconstruction, Cases, and Recommendations: A Model of Municipality Resilience for Ukraine’s Revival.”
The team aimed to demonstrate the level of involvement and engagement of Italian experts in the restoration of Irpin and to inspire other countries to raise their ambitions in this regard.
International and Ukrainian organizations highly praised the group’s results and structured approach to reconstruction matters. The Club of Mayors of Ukraine recognized the Irpin Reconstruction Summit as the best local project under the reconstruction program.
Fondazione Da Vinci sees IRS as an example of sustainable reconstruction for other cities and proposed to develop a joint methodology to share their experience with other municipalities, as explained by Irina Yarmolenko, head of the IRS project office.
“Our ‘Irpin Recovery Plan’ emphasizes that all our efforts aim at finding resources for housing reconstruction, but the city also opens its doors and is ready for cooperation with those seeking investment and development opportunities,” said Volodymyr Karplyuk, Chair of the Investment Council of Irpin and IRS.
“The collaboration between the Irpin City Council and Gensler is an important case that crystallizes a reliable foundation for sustainable reconstruction, involving the municipality in these processes and creating a master plan for the city’s future,” stated Dmitry Negresha, Deputy Mayor of Irpin.
“Before the invasion, the people of Irpin felt proud of their city’s face and quality of life. It is essential to work on the recovery and improvement of the quality of life, honoring the history and heroic spirit of its residents, and also creating the basis for long-term sustainable economic growth. The city should become the embodiment of its residents’ vision while serving as an example for other cities in Ukraine during the reconstruction process,” said Nadia Volchanska, Senior Strategist at Gensler.
During the event, panels also featured participation from Julia Chufistova, CEO of the Club of Mayors of Ukraine, Walter Togni, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Fabrizio Capaccioni, Vice President of the Italian Green Building Council, Filippo Caerolo, President of Fondazione Da Vinci, Franco Talia Bue, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, and representatives of many other organizations. The event was organized by NGO CSC, NGO HubZine (represented by Domenico Vittò), and the entire Irpin Reconstruction Summit team.
The Irpin Reconstruction Summit also presented an installation in a separate auditorium titled “Irpin, Ukraine: Past, Present, and Future, Destroyed but Not Conquered,” which reminded visitors of the tragedy that befell the city while reflecting hope and the will to revive the Ukrainian city. The installation featured 36 screens displaying art videos, digitized photos of Irpin’s historical past, its present, war, and plans for the future. The exhibition showcased photos, collages, books, art pieces, and the Irpin Recovery Plan.
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The Milan Triennale is one of the largest architectural events of the year and the premier platform for presenting ideas related to architecture, urban transformations, and the future of cities. The Milano Arch Week, held this year, includes various events, lectures, workshops, and open discussions throughout the city, aiming to provide a broad perspective on urban issues by engaging diverse voices in contemporary discussions.
Gensler is a global architectural, design, and planning firm with 53 offices and over 7,000 professionals across America, Europe, China, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. Founded in 1965, the firm works worldwide with more than 4,000 clients in over 29 practice areas, spanning work, lifestyle, municipality, and healthcare sectors. The team is driven by a mission to create a better world through the power of design, believing that our people are the source of our strength.
HubZine Italia is a knowledge exchange platform that fosters discussions and civic, democratic dialogue between generations. Born in 2013 from the idea of “concrete utopia” and realized over the years with new forces and regenerative ideas, its goal is to create an open space for all to provide new awareness and new perspectives on the world.
The Terre des hommes (Tdh) Foundation, founded in 1960, is a leading Swiss child relief organization. Tdh has been active in Ukraine since 2015, supporting the improvement of child protection systems and social assistance reforms while promoting children’s participation in the development of their municipalities. Each year, thousands of children and their parents receive assistance from projects implemented by Tdh in Ukraine.