Replus Bureau Renovates Villa Quince, Avoids Nostalgic Reconstruction

This article examines the renovation of Villa Quince in Lviv, a neoclassical house built in 1906 and later altered in 1922, by the Ukrainian studio Replus Bureau. It outlines how the building was repaired and expanded with new cubic volumes while preserving the layered history of its historic shell.

This approach results in a careful dialogue between old and new.

A restrained restoration that respects history

The project treats the long-abandoned villa as a narrative object. It repairs structural fabric and reactivates interiors without erasing the past.

Villa Quince is expanded at the ground floor and given a new first floor. The intervention remains deliberately restrained, avoiding imitation of the past and allowing the building’s multiple periods to read clearly.

The original enfilade ground-floor layout is retained. The kitchen is at the center, flanked by a study, a bedroom, and a bathroom.

This arrangement anchors the future program. The exterior additions establish a contemporary counterpoint to the historic shell.

Spatial strategy and extension

The ground-floor extension opens the living and dining areas to the gardens. Two corners of full-height glazing connect interior and exterior space.

A new first-floor volume sits above the existing roofline, rendered in pale tones. It houses three ensuite bedrooms, balancing vertical addition with a light, restrained massing.

• The kitchen remains central but now connects to the new ground-floor extension, creating a seamless flow to outdoor spaces.
• The extension focuses on daylight and views, amplifying the compromise between preservation and modern living needs.
• The pale rendered rectilinear first-floor form projects above the roofline, establishing a contemporary silhouette without dominating the historic shell.

Materials and finishes that read history

Fragments of historic wall finishes are left exposed throughout the interiors. These inform the color palette of newly plastered surfaces.

The atmosphere is one of pale tones offset by rich, traditional timber details. This enables the old and new to converse without overwhelming one another.

Finishes draw on Art Nouveau sensibilities and contemporary craft. A deep brown French herringbone parquet grounds the floors.

The bathrooms reinterpret historic language with alabaster tiles and mosaic work in gray and coral.

Art Nouveau references reinterpreted

The project re-engages with the decorative vocabulary of the era, reinterpreted for present-day living. A tall brass skirting runs through the main rooms as a continuous line, subtly tying spaces together.

• Exposed historic wall fragments are preserved where possible, creating a tactile record of the house’s transformations.
• Alabaster and mosaic tiling in bathrooms nod to Art Nouveau traditions while meeting contemporary standards of finish and durability.

Contemporary interventions and design language

The craftsmanship and material choices establish a disciplined balance between preservation and transformation. The new interventions are sculptural yet understated, ensuring that the historic shell remains legible and celebrated.

Sculptural door handles designed by Tom Dixon punctuate the residence with modern language. These details remain sympathetic to the building’s long life.

The 2025 reconstruction is framed by Replus Bureau as a straightforward narrative of a building that has lived through different periods.

Documentation and narrative clarity

Photographer Andriy Bezuglov captured the renovation, providing a documentary lens on how Villa Quince transitions between eras.

From the exterior’s restrained silhouette to the interior’s light-filled volumes, the project tells a clear story of architectural care.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Replus Bureau avoids “nostalgic reconstruction” in Ukrainian villa renovation