The article examines a little-known event of world level that took place in Ukraine during the heyday of modernism in 1930: a competition for the design of the Sovereign Ukrainian Theatre of Mass Musical Action for Kharkiv. About 100 projects sent from abroad: from 9 European countries, as well as from the USA and Japan, were an obvious confirmation of its significance.
The article proves the high professional level of the Ukrainian architectural school in 1930-1931. Its young representatives demonstrated innovative thinking, avant-garde developments in the actual field of multifunctional theatre buildings, having received one of the first prizes in the competition with masters such as Walter Gropius, Hans Pelzig and others. The names of our glorious compatriots, who made an invaluable contribution to the development of Ukrainian architecture in subsequent years, rebuilt our country in the post-war period, have been restored.
The first prize was awarded to three nominees at once. It was a project called "Machine" by the American architect Alfred Kastner (New York); a project with the emblem "Black sector in a red circle" by the Croatian architect Zdenko Stryžič, who was working in Germany at the time, as well as a project called "1931", executed by a group of Kharkiv authors.
The project of Walter Gropius, one of the founders of European modernism, called "Mass Center" was awarded the eighth prize.
The project of another well-known German architect, Hans Pelzig, was highly praised, but not awarded (assigned to the second category). The famous German architect Otto Kotz also did not receive an award.
The 1930 competition for the project of the State Ukrainian Theater of mass musical performance was a significant event in the history of world modernism. Well-known masters of the advanced modernism direction took part in the competition, but also young beginners. The competition becames a bridge to fame for many of them. They became the leading architects of the middle of the 20th century subsequently.
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