The Red Round House: Identity and Security in Kyiv

The Red Round House is a private residence in the historic Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv. Designed and built by its owner, Lazar Koltun, the project derives its identity from geographic, historical, and material layers.

The residence stands out for its distinctive silhouette – a soft-edged cylindrical volume with a carmine-red facade – and integrated security and off-grid systems that allow for up to 120 days of autonomous living.

The Red Round House: A deep connection to the city

Informed by the owner’s ancestral ties to the city, the project’s relationship to Kyiv is a central theme. Koltun’s purchase of the house – which had remained an abandoned concrete shell for over a decade – was also motivated by his desire to reclaim a structure with significant architectural potential, rooted in its unusual geometry and prime location with panoramic views of the surrounding urban and natural landscapes.

The building sits in an area known as Starokyivske Horodyshche, considered the historical nucleus of the city. According to tradition, the brothers Kyi, Shchek, and Khoryv founded Kyiv on this site between the fifth and sixth centuries. The building’s proximity to Holosiivskyi Forest, one of the capital’s largest green spaces, further grounds the project within its natural and historical context.

The building’s color palette and materials also reinforce this connection. The carmine-red exterior directly references the iconic hue of Taras Shevchenko National University’s main building, while the courtyard is paved with authentic “sun bricks,” produced in Kyiv since the mid-19th century.

Inside, a large dining table carved from a single 300-year-old oak slab and a stove made using traditional Ukrainian techniques integrate heritage, craftsmanship, and modernity into a single domestic setting.

Prioritizing security and autonomy

While the project is symbolically rooted in the local area, its technical framework is defined by security and autonomy. The house is designed as a self-sufficient system that can operate independently of external utilities through integrated power systems, water reserves, and food supplies.

The monolithic reinforced concrete structure, integrated with 50 cm brick walls, provides performance comparable to defensive infrastructure. The first basement level functions as an independent apartment, containing bedrooms, an oval-plan study, a kitchen, bathrooms, and a sauna. The lower level is designed as a shelter, with metre-thick reinforced concrete walls, airtight doors, air filtration systems, and water and food supplies for several months.

The Red Round House combines history, identity, and self-determination. It is a project where, in the current political climate, protection itself becomes a form of deep connection to context.

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