The Kharkiv Palace of Children’s and Youth Creativity, which opened in 1993, has been unjustly overlooked by fans of modernist architecture.

The building located at Traktorostroiteley Avenue, 55, was designed by V. Bobrovsky, I. Zhezhera, and Y. Shkodovsky. Construction took place from 1985 to 1993.

Unlike the HATOB, which was commissioned around the same time, its facades are in better condition; there are only a few spots where tiles have fallen off.

It is unclear why a strip of white paint was applied around the perimeter of the building; perhaps, while covering up the graffiti, they decided to give the building a more decorative look, and now its columns resemble tree trunks.

The palace’s inner courtyard is particularly memorable; its aesthetic is light and more reminiscent of the “sunny” modernism of the early 1960s, while the building’s exterior facades reveal hints of brutalism.

According to information on the Palace’s website, 100 educators were involved in the educational process in 2016. A total of 5,110 children participated in 60 clubs, creative groups, and sections, 72% of whom were enrolled on a state-funded basis.

The large tower, which is the building’s most famous visual landmark, houses the astronomy club’s telescope.

The Palace of Children’s and Youth Creativity was a legendary spot among members of street culture—in the late 1990s, teenagers would hone their breakdancing skills on the tiled floor of the changing room by the pool, sneaking in illegally for secret practice sessions.