ARCHITECTURAL KITSCH IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT AS A RESULT OF PUBLIC SPACE TRANSFORMATIONS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL PROCESSES

Abstract

The article explores the phenomenon of architectural kitsch as a complexsocio- cultural phenomenon shaped by commercialization, globalization, hyperrealization, and visual noise. The object of the research is the urban architectural space, and the subject is the processes of identity transformation within the context of contemporary culture. As a result, the study provides ananalytical generalization of international and Ukrainian experiences, identifying mechanisms through which these processes affect architectural authenticity and the semantic integrity of cities. The purpose of this study is to identify the mechanisms by which architectural kitsch affects the loss of authenticity and identity in the urban environment. This impact is analyzed through the examination of four key processes that transform contemporary architectural language: commercialization of space, globalization and unification of architecture, hyperrealization, andvisualnoise. The methodology of the research is based on an interdisciplinary approach. It include ssemiotic analysis of the urban environment, comparative analysis of examples from Ukraine and around the world, as well as a critical interpretation of cultural and urban theories. The theoretical frame work is formed by the ideas of the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard regarding simulacra and hyperreality, Jürgen Habermas’s concept of public space, and the works of American architects Robert Venturi, Denise Scott-Brown, and Steven Izenour, particularly their book «Learning from Las Vegas». Results. The research findings reveal that architectural kitsch is not purely anaesthetic phenomenon, but rather a result of complex interactions among socio- cultural processes within the urban environment. It has been established that kitsch functions as a compensatory mechanism in the context of the loss of profound identity. Under conditions of environment alunification, dominance of symbolic systems, and the atrical aesthetics, kitsch offer ssimplified, recognizable, and emotionally charged visual images easily perceived by mass audiences. This effect manifests itself both in historic city centers (Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa) and in new residential developments, especially in forms stylized after a European or «aristocratic» past. Additionally, it was found that hyperreality – as analyzed by Baudrillard and furthere laborated in Umberto Eco’s works – creates preconditions for the total substitution of authentic experience by simulated realities. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the fact that, with in the Ukrainian context, it provides for the firsttime a systematic explanation of architectural kitsch – not merelyas a visual or stylistic phenomenon, but as a consequence of deeper cultural processes such as commercialization, globalization, hyperrealization, and visual noise. Additionally, the study proposes a new approach to analyzing urban identity through the lens of symbolic perception of the environment and architecture as text. The practical relevance of the obtained results lies in the irapplicability for the revitalization of historical environments, the development of visual codes to regulate advertising overload, urban planning, architectural education, and the formulation of strategies for preserving local identity. Additionally, the analysis can serveas a basis for a critical rethinking of contemporary urban development and its impact on the spatial memory of city residents.