Kirillov Ivan N.,
Zabruskova Marina Yu.
Design principles for an innovative youth center on the basis of matrix analysis
Architecton: Proceedings of Higher Education №2 (94) June, 2026
Contemporary transformations of the urban environment, accelerated development of digital technologies, and changes in youth lifestyles are creating a need for new forms of spatial organization for young audiences such as innovative youth centers—multifunctional spaces integrated into the socio-cultural, educational, and technological context of the urban environment. It is important to note that current architectural practice lacks a holistic model of innovative youth center as an adaptive public facility whose functional program would incorporate cultural, educational, project-based, and recreational functions within a single space. This study seeks to identify design principles for innovative youth centers (IYCs) based on a matrix analysis of existing comparable projects. IYC is examined not as a standalone leisure facility, but as a multifunctional architectural environment that integrates various educational, project-based, creative, and recreational scenarios. We analyzed 24 facilities, assessing them across eight components, and highlighted the most effective examples. Sustainable IYC design principles were identified, and an IYC functional planning model with its main functional units was proposed. The findings can be applied in architectural and urban planning practice for youth infrastructure facilities and will contribute to the development of the urban environment as a space of opportunity and active dialogue between generations.
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