Suspline Ukraine Offices – Kyiv
balbek bureau designed the multimedia complex NewsHouse 2.0 in Kyiv, focusing on creating an innovative newsroom with unique acoustics, sound insulation, lighting, and a central cube studio concept.
NewsHouse 2.0 is a multimedia complex on the main street of Kyiv, Khreshchatyk, designed by the bureau for the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (Suspline Ukraine).
The main challenge for us was the unconventional functionality of the newsroom: we were working with the design of a television channel and news service premises for the first time.
The project’s demand for acoustics and sound insulation was natural and significantly influenced the choice of materials. The design of each room was developed after consultations with an acoustics specialist. It was also necessary to work carefully with colors and patterns. The lighting on location was adjusted for on-camera work to prevent flickering.
A challenging aspect of planning was the server room: since the news must continue even during power outages, the space for it had to be very large and accommodate uninterruptible power supplies and other equipment.
The basis of the concept became the newsroom itself as the central hub for news gathering. The clients wanted to see a studio where, in addition to the host presenting the news, viewers could observe the work of the editors and journalists in the background.
The point of attraction in the design became a cube, in which we placed the television studio: it gathers and consolidates all work processes, and life revolves around it. In front of the studio is the so-called news-generating area. According to our concept, it should be visible behind the host’s back, so we elevated the cube studio relative to the rest of the space.
At the entrance to NewsHouse, visitors are greeted by a waiting area. Next to it are the dressing room, makeup room, and restrooms, all enclosed in a black cube.The entire first level of the space is dedicated to the work of journalists and reporters. Here is the entrance to the control room that manages the studio processes – the workplace for specialists in cameras, sound, and lighting.
The studio within the cube creates the effect of a room within a room – or a large aquarium that is always interesting to observe from the outside. The metal structure of the cube is covered with drywall, which, in turn, is finished with microcement. The height of the cube is 3.8 meters, with a large part occupied by trusses to which cameras, technical equipment, and projectors are attached.
The typical approach for news studios involves a highly dynamic, colorful background. We aimed to make it minimalist and neutral, directing attention to the presenter, so the interior of the cube itself is light gray, and the background behind the host – meaning the open space visible through glass – is dark, except for the light tables of the journalists.
In the open space, we covered the walls with textured and matte acoustic panels. In contrast, we decorated the ceiling of the first and second levels with metal perforated panels and rails.
A mezzanine above the open space allowed us to place the necessary workspaces for the administrative block and added a spacious multilevel newsroom.
The bureau always seeks to collaborate with Ukrainian changemakers, so it was highly valuable for us to develop the design of a multimedia newsroom for Public Broadcasting. The NewsHouse project provided us with a radically new experience – the team of journalists expanded our horizons. The opportunity to be involved in creating independent news in Ukraine became a great inspiration for the bureau’s architects.
Design: balbek bureau
Design Team: Slava Balbek, Daria Ovechenko, Nata Kurylenko, Iryna Holovata, Sasha Martyniuk, Anastasiia Romaniv, Alina Vovkotrub, Anna Viktorova, Daryna Ihnatieva
Photography: Maryan Beresh
